Donna Reed Show on Hulu

[anotherguyTN]

I noticed in some of the still screens that Muhummad Ali was on it. Although I didn't watch any of it, was he still Cassius Clay at that time, or had he changed his name?

 

[Mark Giardina]

Although this post was suppose to be about Donna Reed, it seems to have morphed into a discussion about Jerry Lewis.

Reflecting on the discussion about Lewis made me ponder if Lewis' movie career started to decline because people watching his show on television decided that he wasn't funny enough to pay good money to see him at the local movie theatre?

One has to wonder if Lewis' movie career could have lasted longer had he not decided to venture into TV?

And who in hell came up with a two hour format? It's no wonder the show bombed in the ratings.

As for Jerry's sidekick Phil Foster, who played Laverne's father on Laverne & Shirley, he came across (from the videos I've seen) as some grumpy individual who rather be anywhere else besides sitting next to Jerry Lewis.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I don't know if all the shows were quite as bad as this one. You can tell that it was unscripted and uninspired. Then again if I knew my show had just been canceled......

It might have been a case of Jerry's large ego making him think he could do anything.

For another fascinating Lewis disaster look up "The Day The Clown Cried". Only a select few have ever seen it.

 

[azumanga]

For another fascinating Lewis disaster look up "The Day The Clown Cried". Only a select few have ever seen it.

And the film was practically left unfinished. According to its Wikipedia article, Jerry vows to finish the film, though of course, Jerry in 1972 looks much different than Jerry in 2011.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Jerry's large ego making him think he could do anything.

Despite the recent book Jerry Lewis wrote claiming that it was a 'love affair' between him and Dean Martin, Groucho Marx's son Arthur wrote a book a number of years earlier outlining details that led to the break-up of the Martin & Lewis team.

According to Marx, as the team became more popular, Lewis began to think that he alone was the reason for the team's success. He also started to become more active behind the camera, learning how to direct, write, and virtually started taking over every aspect of the movies the pair appeared in. Meanwhile Martin just showed up, did his lines, and went home.

According to the Arthur Marx book, what was the straw that broke the camel's back for Martin is a film called the Delicate Delinquent where Lewis wanted Martin to portray a police officer in uniform. Martin's reply was something to the effect that "I don't wear costumes." Marx also indicated that Martin was tired of being the "second banana" and he felt his time on screen was being reduced while Jerry's increased.

The break-up was far from amicable. Martin refused to allow Lewis' name to be mentioned in his house.

In 1976, 20 years after the team broke up, Frank Sinatra talked his old buddy Dean into making an surprise appearance on Lewis' MDA telethon. If you watch the reunion via You-Tube, you can sense the uneasiness between both men. After Martin and Sinatra completed their song and left the stage, Lewis made the comment that despite this brief reunion, there were no plans (on his part) to get back together with Martin.

Fast-forwarding, Martin & Lewis did eventually end their personal feud. In terms of show business careers, I personally think that Martin out-shined Lewis.

 

[Mark Giardina]

I remember reading that book by Arthur Marx.

One should take into account that despite the break-up in 1956, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin were very close friends for many years; and, as you pointed out, did reconcile their differences before Dino passed away on Christmas Day 1995.

 

[Mark Giardina]

Back to Donna Reed for just a moment. Didn't she sue the producers of Dallas and Larry Hagman?

 

[Mark Giardina]

I remember reading that book by Arthur Marx.

One should take into account that despite the break-up in 1956, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin were very close friends for many years; and, as you pointed out, did reconcile their differences before Dino passed away on Christmas Day 1995.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Back to Donna Reed for just a moment. Didn't she sue the producers of Dallas and Larry Hagman?

Yes because she was replaced when Barbara Bel Geddes returned to the role after by-pass surgery. While I think Donna Reed did a fine job in the role, Barbara Bel Geddes looked more like a woman who could handle being married to Jock Ewing.

Ironically Barbara outlived Donna. Donna Reed passed away in 1986 she was 64 and Barbara Bel Geddes lived to be 82 and passed away in 2005.