THE BIG MOUTH
US, 1967, 107 minutes, Colour.
Jerry Lewis, Harold J. Stone, Susan Bay.
Directed by Jerry Lewis.
The Big Mouth is an musing Jerry Lewis comedy coming from the end of his film comedy career. It was written and directed by himself. It takes the American gangster genre and amusingly parodies it. Lewis is quite effective and as in The Nutty Professor, he takes two aspects of the one character. A reasonable example of his comedy style.
1. An entertaining, Jerry Lewis comedy? The particular styles of Jerry Lewis' comedy? His zany presentation and performance, his using of gawky mannerisms and characters, the pulling of idiotic faces? How humorous? How appropriate?
2. A particularly American style of comedy? How suitable for this particular film? Average, better than average?
3. The importance of colour photography and San Diego locations? The bright musical score? The paralleling of the effects and styles of James Bond films of the 60's? What modification of this style on Jerry Lewis' comedy?
4. The humour of the narrator and his saying that the plot was true and believable? His presence throughout the film and the ironic commentary - how humorous? How did it make point? The satire in the ending and the lack of truth? How credible are Jerry Lewis characters and heroes? The paralleling of crime drama? The romantic heroine? The crooks and the chases? Jerry Lewis’ style as Jerry? His being the ordinary little man, the bachelor, work, fishing? Being involved in something bigger than he can handle? And yet succeeding? Romance? The importance of disguise? The humorous routines in which he excels? In comparison with the other members of the cast and the supposedly zany treatment e.g. the crooks, the Chinese? The insane FBI man?
5. The minor characters and their delineation for this kind of comedy: the narrator, the initial criminal and his being a Jerry Lewis character? Susan as heroine, the FBI man, the two groups of crooks - especially the group that went mad on seeing Jerry? The Chinese criminals? Bambi the glamorous criminal?
6. How well used were the ordinary routine of robbery thrillers? The humorous sequences and the reliance on chase material? How convincing, humorous? The presumption of themes of hero and heroine, the ordinary little man,. his capacity for heroism and romance? Victim? The gawky and awkward little man? In this one of Jerry Lewis's main contributions to comedy? Was this a good example – he wrote, directed, produced and acted in it.
