Jerry Lewis, 1926-2017

In LA in 1950 (WSJ photo)

Back in the Fifties there was little cross-over between the world of children and the world of adults. There were Disney movies for kids, while grown-ups liked (or said they liked) epics like the Ten Commandments that were excruciatingly long and had way too much talking. Jerry Lewis was one of the few who could bridge the two worlds.

He understood kids. On the big screen his character said embarrassing things and acted outrageously goofy. But Jerry did it without malice, and you could tell that he had a good heart. By movie’s end he got the money and the girl, leaving much smarter foes sprawled in defeat.

Our parents and grandparents were adults who won World Wars and were trying to stave off nuclear destruction. Jerry Lewis showed that a silly kid who never grew up could triumph in a very serious world. Thanks, Jerry.

Update: athletic prowess is a characteristic of great physical comedians (Charles Chaplin, Dick Van Dyke). Jerry Lewis was no exception.