SCARED STIFF

US, 1953, 108 minutes, Black and white.
Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lizabeth Scott, Carmen Miranda, Dorothy Malone.
Directed by George Marshall.

A typical Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis vehicle of the early fifties. Lewis plays the clown - has some good opportunities for joking in a restaurant sequence, seeing himself as his conscience in a mirror, imitating Carmen Miranda, being scared in the Cuban castle. Dean Martin sings as usual and seems slightly bullying towards his friend Jerry Lewis. Lizabeth Scott takes time off from being sultry to enjoy herself in this comedy. Dorothy Malone has a guest sequence and Carmen Miranda has quite a number of songs.

Direction is by George Marshall who made the original Bob hope, Paulette Goddard film The Ghost Breakers. This film follows The Ghost Breakers fairly carefully but adds to it, especially in comedy routines and a lot of musical numbers. This dissipates somewhat the tension and suspense that was in the original. The Bob Hope material is divided between Martin and Lewis. Lizabeth Scott is more sultry a heroine than Paulette Goddard. The fright and scares on the island are more limited than in the original. It is an interesting example of how Hollywood remakes its films. George Marshall did the same with Destry Rides Again made in 1939 and its remake by him, Destry, in 1954, for Martin and Lewis fans.