Artists and Models

Even if you don't like Martin and Lewis-
It is difficult not to like this brilliant Frank Tashlin film. He did cartoons in the 1940's, and he adds surreal cartoon gags here as he did in his other under-rated film THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT. Made when Washington was investigating pin up girls like Bettie Page and horror comic books, the subplot and plea in support of kids comics was very rare for the era.
I have often said that you don't have to like Martin and Lewis to like a Frank Tashlin movie. This is the film to show people who don't get the pair. Dean gets to sing entire songs, Lewis does a scene imagining a steak dinner that works on any age group, and you will not believe how hot the young Shirley MacLaine looks in a Bat Girl costume.
Now, if they could get a letterboxed dvd out........

My 8 year old's favorite rental!
This movie was a ton of fun. The classic scene "Bat Lady & Fat Lady" scene between Martin & Lewis made the picture. A very young (and quite attractive) Shirley MacLaine adds to the picture with a bit of wit.

When I showed this picture to my son he couldn't stop watching it. Whenever we go to the video store he asks to rent it. I figure that there are a lot of clean movies out there like this one that kids would love if only we adults would expose them to em. Of course for its time it shows quite a quantity of lovely ladies.

My wife absolutely died over the scene when Jerry tries to get his back fixed. This will definately be bought for my son's next birthday. I suggest you don't wait that long.

How I fell in love with Shirley MacLaine
Considering all that has happened since, it becomes easy to forget just how great Martin and Lewis were in the early to mid fifties. This was the first of their films that I saw and, to me anyway, it remains the best and a showcase for just how much fun they were. An additional plus is a very young Shirley MacLaine, who even then displayed an incredible screen presence in what could have been a throwaway role. She outshines Dorothy Malone and set my five-year-old heart on fire. They don't make movies like this any more and that's a shame. Shirley, wherever you are, I've been waiting.

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