Cinderfella [VHS] (1960)

He has always been an acquired taste has Jerry Lewis. For many he is a comic genius, to others he's a buffoon who got lucky by playing the idiot. I fall into the former camp, from childhood memories of laughing hysterically, right into middle age where I still find myself chortling away with much of his work, he's an artist who owes me nothing on the entertainment front. But being a devout fan doesn't mean I'm ignorant of his weaker efforts, and he does have many, of which Cinderfella is one of the bottom dwellers.

It's on the premise surface a fresh and interesting spin on the Cinderella story, the sexes are reversed and this is the modern world in setting. However, that's where the freshness ends, for Cinderfella is a stale old offering, ponderously paced by the normally astute Frank Tashlin and the few jokes within fall agonisingly flat. No amount of high energy mugging from Jerry can lift the picture out of its stupor, the songs from Harry Warren & Jack Brooks are weak, while poor Anna Maria Alberghetti (Princess Charmein) is reduced to being nothing but a pretty and well dressed up prop!

Ed Wynn as the Fairy Godfather comes out with credibility still intact, and Count Basie's input into the production is like a ray of sunshine on a darkly bleak winter's day. There's also one great sequence as Lewis goes panto playing various musical instruments, but the irony there is that the best scene in the film has nothing to do with the plot! No, this is not close to being a good Jerry Lewis movie, and those stalwart fans who insist it is are sadly leading the uninitiated down the wrong path. 4/10

THIS IS NOT ONE OF JERRYS BETTER FILMS. IT DOESNT QUITE COME OFF SOMEHOW AND ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A FEW LAUGHS HERE AND THERE AND THE THEME IS BASED ON THE WELL KNOWN CINDERELLA FAIRY TALE I DID NOT FIND IT UP TO HIS NORMAL STANDARD.THE SCENE AT THE END WHEN HE DANCES WITH THE PRINCESS IS QUITE BRILLIANT BUT THAT IS ABOUT IT.FALLS WELL SHORT OF HIS BEST WORK.

This film is every bit as I remember it as a child. Has me laughing from start to finish. Some great scenes such as the kitchen which leaves me in stitches and the usual Lewis sounds and movements make me laugh so much my sides hurt. The wicked stepmothers constant yelling, "fella" "fella" and the way Jerry Lewis nicknamed (Fella) flounces up the stairs kicking his legs behind him. The scene at the end where he dances with the princess, well you just have to watch it. This is a must have for all Jerry Lewis fans and is most certainly at the top of my list.

What I find really great with these kind of films is they dont have to swear or use obscene language to be funny. GREAT CLASSIC

I love Jerry Lewis, I really do, but....

He has always been an acquired taste has Jerry Lewis. For many he is a comic genius, to others he's a buffoon who got lucky by playing the idiot. I fall into the former camp, from childhood memories of laughing hysterically, right into middle age where I still find myself chortling away with much of his work, he's an artist who owes me nothing on the entertainment front. But being a devout fan doesn't mean I'm ignorant of his weaker efforts, and he does have many, of which Cinderfella is one of the bottom dwellers.

It's on the premise surface a fresh and interesting spin on the Cinderella story, the sexes are reversed and this is the modern world in setting. However, that's where the freshness ends, for Cinderfella is a stale old offering, ponderously paced by the normally astute Frank Tashlin and the few jokes within fall agonisingly flat. No amount of high energy mugging from Jerry can lift the picture out of its stupor, the songs from Harry Warren & Jack Brooks are weak, while poor Anna Maria Alberghetti (Princess Charmein) is reduced to being nothing but a pretty and well dressed up prop!

Ed Wynn as the Fairy Godfather comes out with credibility still intact, and Count Basie's input into the production is like a ray of sunshine on a darkly bleak winter's day. There's also one great sequence as Lewis goes panto playing various musical instruments, but the irony there is that the best scene in the film has nothing to do with the plot! No, this is not close to being a good Jerry Lewis movie, and those stalwart fans who insist it is are sadly leading the uninitiated down the wrong path. 4/10

This was the first Jerry Lewis film I ever saw and I thank it for introducing me to one of the greatest film comics of all time.

Cinderfella is a great version of the classic fairy tale with all roles reversed. Jerry Lewis as the hard done by Cinderfella is just superb, and this film stands next to The Nutty Professor as one of his best and funniest.

Look out for the ballroom entrance scene, interesting side note is that when Lewis enters the room, coming down the huge staircase, it was filmed in one take and improvised by the great man as it was shot. When he quickly exits up the same staircase, they were then forced to use the first (and only!) shot of that as he ran up the stairs so fast he had a heart failure when he got to the top! (True fact as told by Jerry Lewis when he went to The Actors Studio)

If you like Jerry Lewis you should already own this film. However, if you're a Jim Carrey fan you should check out this film or The Nutty Professor (not the poor Eddie Murphy remake) and see the comedian Mr Carrey dreams of becoming.