Review of The Stooge

I would imagine that after their breakup four years after this film was made, both Martin and Lewis could look back on this film as being a bit of a premonition of things to come. Here, a singer (obviously Dean) with a stage act that is going flat hires a stooge (obviously Jerry) to spice up the act. But in a sense, it's a role reversal, because here Jerry is getting no attention, while Dean gets all the kudos in the press. Ironically, after the real Martin & Lewis breakup, it was Dean that was expected to flounder and disappear, while Jerry was expected to continue to rocket to success. How ironic that in this film Dean is told, "You're not a single, and you never will be!" While there's lots of classic Martin & Lewis here, this film does have a serious story line...2, in fact. Singer neglects and almost loses wife. Singer doesn't provide his stooge with the dignity he deserves and almost loses act. There's some good sentimentality here, and both Martin and Lewis probably do their best real acting to date.

Dean has several good songs here -- "I'm Yours", "With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming", and "A Girl Named Mary And A Boy Named Bill". Plus there's a fun Dean & Jerry version of "Just One More Chance".

Polly Bergen is very good as Dean's wife. We survive through Marion Marshall as Jerry's love interest...again. Eddie Mayehoff is really good as the agent. And it's interesting to see Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee on Andy Griffith's show a few years later) as Jerry's mother.

This is one of the better Martin & Lewis films because -- like "That's My Boy", there's some drama mixed in with the comedy. Recommended, but their best films are yet to come.