1955 vehicle for long time film comedy partners, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Here they played painter Rick Todd, and his friend and roommate Eugene Fullstack, a comic book enthusiast who talks in his sleep. In doing so her narrates adventure stories in his slumber. The struggling artist that Rick is, he seeks to exploit the situation to his advantage. In the same apartment building lives Abigail Parker, (Dorothy Malone) who works as an artist for the comic book that Eugene is a huge fan of. She shares a flat with Bessie (Shirley MacLaine), who models for Abigail's artwork. Fate brings all four of them together, and Bessie finds herself falling for Eugene.
Marking the fourteenth pairing together of then major Hollywood stars Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as a comedy duo (although Martin had been a professional singer who found himself eventually teaming up with Lewis), it was a collaboration that had unsurprisingly proven to be a fruitful one given their success. With Artists and Models it seems it may have been something of a problematic shoot seeing as it went $100,000 over budget which was a considerable sum back then and may have set alarm bells going for regular movie goers, and professional movies critics. However, while far from being a classic of 1950's cinema, the movie makes for a palatable enough diversion. they pretty much played to what had now become established form. Playing very much to established type as aspiring artist, Rick Todd and his roommate and amiable, would be children's author Eugene Full Stack, the two men bounce effortlessly off one another. Rick is the smooth talking, self-assured ladies man while Eugene is the goofy man-child, with the former acting in something of big brother role to his more naive, sweet natured companion. For all of what could potentially be a potentially sleazy charmer, Martin as he did with his past characters manages to be likeable with a subtle vulnerability. He clearly loves his close friend even though we see him him become disenchanted with the burdensome complexion of their relationship.
As their neighbors in the apartment building where the two leads live, Dorothy Malone and Shirley MacLaine portray professional artist, Abigail Parker and her friend Bessie Sparrowbush who models for her drawings. They act as female counterparts (with Eugene ultimately modelling for Dorothy) and the obligatory love interests as Bessie develops a crush on Eugene, and Rick's affections for his fellow artist become plane to see. Their respective relationships are deftly contrasted with their being a growing smoldering, sexual tension between Rick and Dorothy, while there is a more innocent, coy playfulness between Eugene and Bessie. However, due to the attitudes and standards of today's more "progressive" and "politically correct" age, Rick's come on's Abigail's might been seen less than harmless flirtations than they are acts of harassment. This is even though it becomes abundantly apparent due to her simmering that she is indeed attracted to the good looking Lothario and is playing hard to get. While the dynamic of the male/female gender roles might prove offensive for some, I personally find it hard to care and while not necessarily defending Ricks behaviour, I was willing to see it as a historical reflection of the mores and customs of the era.
The movie's slight plot which relies heavily on well worn conventions does on the other hand does give Rick something of a moral quandary, with his loyal associate narrating outlandish sci-fi stories in his sleep which he ponders on exploiting for financial gain by selling them to comic book magnate Mr. Murdock (a droll, forthright Eddie Mayehoff). It's peppered with trademark musical interludes, which while bright and breezy bow to conformity with the endearingly scene of the artist performing a sing and dance routine in the street with a little girl while passersby and onlookers smile inanely. It's fanciful stuff by contemporary standards but enjoyable if derivative.
There are also a string of requisite comedy scenarios which range from Eugene sitting down to a largely imaginary meal with Rick, to the lovable goofball's visit to a massage therapist upon to fix his sacroiliac which descends in to absurd and comical complications. And it's this sense of absurdity that moves in to the movie's final act, as by a bizarre improbable twist of fate, Eugene's slumberous ramblings have inadvertently revealed intel which provokes the interest of both the American CIA and Russian KGB. It's the kind of standard trope that became typical fare in the then present and future comedies. It all culminates in a predictable stand-off towards it's denouement before the four main protagonists take their figurative final bows, and to summarize it's charming if modest fluff at best with some funny moments and well performed musical numbers (although MacLaine does overstretch her vocal abilities in a scene she shares with Lewis) that while dated to some extent, is largely inoffensive if you don't take it too seriously. A movie you could sit down and watch with you grandmother, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Marking the fourteenth pairing together of then major Hollywood stars Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as a comedy duo (although Martin had been a professional singer who found himself eventually teaming up with Lewis), it was a collaboration that had unsurprisingly proven to be a fruitful one given their success. With Artists and Models it seems it may have been something of a problematic shoot seeing as it went $100,000 over budget which was a considerable sum back then and may have set alarm bells going for regular movie goers, and professional movies critics. However, while far from being a classic of 1950's cinema, the movie makes for a palatable enough diversion. they pretty much played to what had now become established form. Playing very much to established type as aspiring artist, Rick Todd and his roommate and amiable, would be children's author Eugene Full Stack, the two men bounce effortlessly off one another. Rick is the smooth talking, self-assured ladies man while Eugene is the goofy man-child, with the former acting in something of big brother role to his more naive, sweet natured companion. For all of what could potentially be a potentially sleazy charmer, Martin as he did with his past characters manages to be likeable with a subtle vulnerability. He clearly loves his close friend even though we see him him become disenchanted with the burdensome complexion of their relationship.
As their neighbors in the apartment building where the two leads live, Dorothy Malone and Shirley MacLaine portray professional artist, Abigail Parker and her friend Bessie Sparrowbush who models for her drawings. They act as female counterparts (with Eugene ultimately modelling for Dorothy) and the obligatory love interests as Bessie develops a crush on Eugene, and Rick's affections for his fellow artist become plane to see. Their respective relationships are deftly contrasted with their being a growing smoldering, sexual tension between Rick and Dorothy, while there is a more innocent, coy playfulness between Eugene and Bessie. However, due to the attitudes and standards of today's more "progressive" and "politically correct" age, Rick's come on's Abigail's might been seen less than harmless flirtations than they are acts of harassment. This is even though it becomes abundantly apparent due to her simmering that she is indeed attracted to the good looking Lothario and is playing hard to get. While the dynamic of the male/female gender roles might prove offensive for some, I personally find it hard to care and while not necessarily defending Ricks behaviour, I was willing to see it as a historical reflection of the mores and customs of the era.
The movie's slight plot which relies heavily on well worn conventions does on the other hand does give Rick something of a moral quandary, with his loyal associate narrating outlandish sci-fi stories in his sleep which he ponders on exploiting for financial gain by selling them to comic book magnate Mr. Murdock (a droll, forthright Eddie Mayehoff). It's peppered with trademark musical interludes, which while bright and breezy bow to conformity with the endearingly scene of the artist performing a sing and dance routine in the street with a little girl while passersby and onlookers smile inanely. It's fanciful stuff by contemporary standards but enjoyable if derivative.
There are also a string of requisite comedy scenarios which range from Eugene sitting down to a largely imaginary meal with Rick, to the lovable goofball's visit to a massage therapist upon to fix his sacroiliac which descends in to absurd and comical complications. And it's this sense of absurdity that moves in to the movie's final act, as by a bizarre improbable twist of fate, Eugene's slumberous ramblings have inadvertently revealed intel which provokes the interest of both the American CIA and Russian KGB. It's the kind of standard trope that became typical fare in the then present and future comedies. It all culminates in a predictable stand-off towards it's denouement before the four main protagonists take their figurative final bows, and to summarize it's charming if modest fluff at best with some funny moments and well performed musical numbers (although MacLaine does overstretch her vocal abilities in a scene she shares with Lewis) that while dated to some extent, is largely inoffensive if you don't take it too seriously. A movie you could sit down and watch with you grandmother, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.