Are These Martin & Lewis Movies Real or Fake? (QUIZ)
Martin and Lewis were one of the most popular comedy duos of all time. When they met in 1945, Dean Martin was a nightclub singer, while Jerry Lewis was performing a comedy shtick lip-synching to records. Debuting their act at the 500 Club in Atlantic City on July 25, 1946, the owner thought they were terrible, telling them to improve or get lost. They ditched the scripted gags and began improvising, with Martin singing and Lewis posing as a bumbling busboy who keeps interrupting Martin’s performance. They were a hit, the gigs kept improving, and soon, they were headlining at the Copacabana club in New York City.
Next came a radio show on NBC, and in 1949 they premiered their act on TV in a show hosted by Bob Hope. Reviews weren’t great, so they hired comedy writers Norman Lear and Ed Simmons to punch up their gags. It worked, and later that year they signed a sweet deal with Paramount Pictures that would produce over 15 comedy classics. Martin and Lewis became a nationwide sensation, and by getting complete control over all their appearances in clubs, movies, radio, records and TV, the two made millions. Though they had a major falling out they eventually made up.
How well do your remember the duos movies? We’ll give you a title, you tell us if it’s real or fake!
Classic Comedy Duos
March 2021
Chuckle at television & films funniest comic duos.
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