Anyone who has seen the 1937 Selznick comedy, "Nothing Sacred," will right away recognize the plot in this film. "Living it Up" is a more modern version of the story. It doesn't have the depth of the earlier film, but there's more zaniness with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. At times, the zaniness pushes at the edges of endurance (tedium), but overall this is a very funny film. I think it's the best of the 16 comedies that Martin and Lewis made. Incidentally, both movies were filmed in color.
Along for the ride with Martin and Lewis are Janet Leigh, Edward Arnold, and Fred Clark in meaty roles; and an assortment of very good supporting actors in comedy of the day - headed by Sig Ruman, who always delights those of us who cherish comedies. Here, he reprises his role from the first film. He plays Dr. Emile Egelhofer, with just a change in the spelling of the good doctor's name, from Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer.
The basic story and elements are the same in the 1937 and 1954 films - with a little more substance in the 1937 screenplay. A young person suffers from radiation poisoning and is going to die. A big New York City newspaper reporter proposes a paper sponsorship of the unlucky soul. The paper hosts the dying person to a few weeks of high life in the Big Apple before the fateful day. But the paper's motive is far from outright charity. It will have excusive daily stories of the patient's last weeks, and the saga is sure to boost circulation.
Of course, the whole thing turns out not to be a true. It didn't start out as a hoax, but was a mis-diagnosis by the patient's local doctor. The patient makes it a hoax in order to get to the big city and live it up - free of charge. But, the local doc has to go along to care for the patient instead of having leading experts from around the world examining the patient.
'Living it Up" reverses the gender of the victim and reporter. Carole Lombard was the patient, Hazel Flagg, in "Nothing Sacred," and Fredric March was the hotshot reporter, Wally Cook, trying to save his job. Walter Connolly played his publisher, Oliver Stone, and Charles Winninger was the local doc, Enoch Downer. In this 1954 film, Jerry Lewis is the patient, Homer Flagg, and Janet Leigh plays the reporter, Wally Cook. Dean Martin is Homer's local doctor, Steve Harris. Edward Arnold plays the mayor and Fred Clark is paper publisher Oliver Stone.
The two films are just different enough with the change in casts and a little "doctoring" of the story, that both should be enjoyed by most movie fans yet these many decades later. Here are some favorite lines from this film.
Dr. Steve Harris, "Homer, don't you think I'd want you to have radiation poisoning, just to break up the monotony?"
Dr. Steve Harris,, "What's the matter with you, Homer? You should be celebrating. I just saved your life. First patient I ever did that for."
Dr. Steve Harris, "I'm sorry, Homer. I may have been last in my class, but I'm a doctor. I couldn't hand in a phony report. I swore the solemn hippocratic oath. With purity and holiness, I will pass my life and practice my art."
Dr. Steve Harris, " I'm sorry. It's been a long time since I've seen a girl - I mean a female girl, in Desert Hole."
Yankee stadium announcer, "And now, Homer will throw out the first ball. First ball for us, perhaps the last one for him."
Wonderland Ballroom waiter, "Homer, don't eat the food here - it'll kill ya."
Dr. Steve Harris, "What Homer means, is he doesn't like to see those people suffer." Oliver Stone, "They love to stuffer."
Dr. Steve Harris, "That's a pedigree basset hound - a gift from the governor of Kentucky. You don't wanna insult the bluegrass state, do you?" Homer Flagg, "No, but why couldn't they send me a horse I could ride...?"
Homer Flagg, "Why didn't you give me medicine?" Dr. Richard Harris, "Medicine? Never carry it. It's too dangerous."
Homer Flagg, "What college did you graduate from?" Dr. Richard Harris, "Who graduated?"
Homer Flag, " I don't want any monument." Wally Cook, "Why?" Homer, "Because I hate pigeons."
Home Flagg, "Who you hitting, you mail-order MD? For you that stands for Miserable Doctor."
First Hospital Orderly, "Here's the patient from Room 433, doctor." Second Hospital Orderly, "He seems to be in a coma." Dr. Emile Egelhofer, " I shall make the medical judgments here, gentlemen. I can dispense with your advice."
Along for the ride with Martin and Lewis are Janet Leigh, Edward Arnold, and Fred Clark in meaty roles; and an assortment of very good supporting actors in comedy of the day - headed by Sig Ruman, who always delights those of us who cherish comedies. Here, he reprises his role from the first film. He plays Dr. Emile Egelhofer, with just a change in the spelling of the good doctor's name, from Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer.
The basic story and elements are the same in the 1937 and 1954 films - with a little more substance in the 1937 screenplay. A young person suffers from radiation poisoning and is going to die. A big New York City newspaper reporter proposes a paper sponsorship of the unlucky soul. The paper hosts the dying person to a few weeks of high life in the Big Apple before the fateful day. But the paper's motive is far from outright charity. It will have excusive daily stories of the patient's last weeks, and the saga is sure to boost circulation.
Of course, the whole thing turns out not to be a true. It didn't start out as a hoax, but was a mis-diagnosis by the patient's local doctor. The patient makes it a hoax in order to get to the big city and live it up - free of charge. But, the local doc has to go along to care for the patient instead of having leading experts from around the world examining the patient.
'Living it Up" reverses the gender of the victim and reporter. Carole Lombard was the patient, Hazel Flagg, in "Nothing Sacred," and Fredric March was the hotshot reporter, Wally Cook, trying to save his job. Walter Connolly played his publisher, Oliver Stone, and Charles Winninger was the local doc, Enoch Downer. In this 1954 film, Jerry Lewis is the patient, Homer Flagg, and Janet Leigh plays the reporter, Wally Cook. Dean Martin is Homer's local doctor, Steve Harris. Edward Arnold plays the mayor and Fred Clark is paper publisher Oliver Stone.
The two films are just different enough with the change in casts and a little "doctoring" of the story, that both should be enjoyed by most movie fans yet these many decades later. Here are some favorite lines from this film.
Dr. Steve Harris, "Homer, don't you think I'd want you to have radiation poisoning, just to break up the monotony?"
Dr. Steve Harris,, "What's the matter with you, Homer? You should be celebrating. I just saved your life. First patient I ever did that for."
Dr. Steve Harris, "I'm sorry, Homer. I may have been last in my class, but I'm a doctor. I couldn't hand in a phony report. I swore the solemn hippocratic oath. With purity and holiness, I will pass my life and practice my art."
Dr. Steve Harris, " I'm sorry. It's been a long time since I've seen a girl - I mean a female girl, in Desert Hole."
Yankee stadium announcer, "And now, Homer will throw out the first ball. First ball for us, perhaps the last one for him."
Wonderland Ballroom waiter, "Homer, don't eat the food here - it'll kill ya."
Dr. Steve Harris, "What Homer means, is he doesn't like to see those people suffer." Oliver Stone, "They love to stuffer."
Dr. Steve Harris, "That's a pedigree basset hound - a gift from the governor of Kentucky. You don't wanna insult the bluegrass state, do you?" Homer Flagg, "No, but why couldn't they send me a horse I could ride...?"
Homer Flagg, "Why didn't you give me medicine?" Dr. Richard Harris, "Medicine? Never carry it. It's too dangerous."
Homer Flagg, "What college did you graduate from?" Dr. Richard Harris, "Who graduated?"
Homer Flag, " I don't want any monument." Wally Cook, "Why?" Homer, "Because I hate pigeons."
Home Flagg, "Who you hitting, you mail-order MD? For you that stands for Miserable Doctor."
First Hospital Orderly, "Here's the patient from Room 433, doctor." Second Hospital Orderly, "He seems to be in a coma." Dr. Emile Egelhofer, " I shall make the medical judgments here, gentlemen. I can dispense with your advice."