Jerry Lewis made a career out of playing slapsticky goofballs with an oddly graceful style of physical humor that no one else could equal. The professor character, that's what audiences have come to expect from Jerry Lewis. A shy, lovable nerd with a goofy voice who's always getting himself into predicaments but has the very best of intentions. But then there's the Buddy Love character, and he's a horse of a different color. The scene is set the Purple Pit, where all the hip college students hang out, when all of a sudden they're transfixed by something that has just walked through the door. The camera cuts from shocked face to shocked face, and from their reactions the audience can only assume that the potion he took has turned him into a monster. What they're not expecting is Buddy Love, a brash, smooth-talking lounge singer who more than one person has suggested is a riff on Dean Martin. He stands at the entrance, cool as a cucumber, a complete transformation from the nerdy professor. And as much as Buddy is a needlessly aggressive, over-confident jerk, it's hard not to at least appreciate the sheer amount of swagger it took to pull this scene off.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
