Conversations with Jerry Lewis

Richard Belzer

Oct 2020 · Weinstein Books

About this ebook

InÊConversations with Jerry Lewis,ÊHollywoodÕs legendary, beloved, and polarizing comedian talks extensively about his life and work with comedian and actor Richard Belzer, best known for his roles on TVÕsÊLaw & OrderÊandÊHomicide.

This extraordinary book includes a preface by Lewis himself, as well as dozens of his own personal photographs and memora_bilia. The eighty-six-year-old icon discusses his life and career, the current generation of comics (ÒWeÕve got some marvelous people out there. But then we have a breed of young comic that I wanna smack in the mouthÓ); the craft of comedy (ÒWeÕre supposed to be nuts, and we better beÓ); Dean Martin (ÒThe greatest straight man that ever livedÓ); the genesis of his muscular dystrophy telethon; and his many technical achievements in film (includ_ing the invention of the digital assist camera, which became an industry standard); all with the humor, earnestness, and unfil_tered wisdom that audiences have grown to expect from one of the all-time masters of entertainment.

Through his personal relationship with Lewis, Belzer is able to deliver the definitive almanac of the man behind the icon. The book is a must-read for fans of Jerry Lewis, of comedy, and of the history of film.

About the author

RICHARD BELZER is an American stand-up comedian, author, and actor, perhaps best known for his role as John Munch on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Homicide: Life on the Street. His new series, Richard Belzer’s Conversation, recently premiered on YouTube’s IntelligentTV to rave reviews. When he is not working in the U.S., he lives with his wife, actress Harlee McBridge, in the south of France.