Nutty professor

I don't want this blog to turn into the obit section, but comedy legend Jerry Lewis has died at age 91.

A confession: I thought Mr. Lewis had died years ago. He always seemed like a figure of the 1950s (and early 1960s), so it was a surprise to learn that he was still active into the new millennium. Another confession: I was never a big fan. His comedy always came off as a little hokey and juvenile to me. It didn't help that some hoity-toity French movie critics insisted he was a cinematic genius.

In at least one respect my image of Mr. Lewis as an iconic 1950s performer is correct. He turned up quite often on the iconic 1950s game show, What's My Line. His IMDb page lists seven credits on the show, as both panelist and mystery guest. You can watch all his WML fun and games on YouTube, thanks to the superb What's My Line channel.

Mr. Lewis also appeared on I've Got a Secret, which again seems only natural for a figure of black-and-white 1950s TV. Whatever my own opinion, many others thought highly of his movies and standup act. R.I.P.

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