Martin and Lewis Collection Volume 1

Martin & Lewis Collection - Vol. 1

My Friend Irma (1949) My Friend Irma Goes West (1950) That's My Boy (1951) Sailor Beware (1952)

Jumping Jacks (1952) The Stooge (1953) Scared Stiff (1953) The Caddy (1953)

Titles

Scared Stiff
Stars Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lizabeth Scott, Carmen Miranda, George Dolenz
Directors: George Marshall
Theatrical Release Date: April 27, 1953
Plot Outline Fleeing a murder charge, a singer and a busboy (Martin & Lewis) wind up on a spooky Carribean island inherited by heiress (Scott).

The Caddy
Stars Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Donna Reed, Barbara Bates, Joseph Calleia
Directors: Norman Taurog
Theatrical Release Date: August 10, 1953

My Friend Irma
Stars John Lund, Marie Wilson, Diana Lynn, Don DeFore, Dean Martin
Directors: George Marshall
Theatrical Release Date: October 14, 1949
Synopsis Based on the long-running radio show. Irma is a likeable airhead who meddles in her roommate's love-life. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, in their first screen appearance, are juice-bar operators who are discovered when a self-proclaimed manager hears Martin's golden voice. Irma's roommate wants to marry her rich boss, but instead falls in love with Martin.

My Friend Irma Goes West
Stars John Lund, Marie Wilson, Diana Lynn, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis
Directors: Hal Walker
Theatrical Release Date: July 4, 1950

The Stooge
Stars Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Polly Bergen, Marion Marshall, Eddie Mayehoff
Directors: Norman Taurog
Theatrical Release Date: February 4, 1953
Synopsis - Dean is an unsuccessful broadway performer until his handlers convince him to become an act using a stooge - a guy already positioned in the audience and picked by Dean to be the butt of his jokes - Jerry Lewis. But Jerry begins to steal the show, and helps keep Dean on his toes. Dean's girlfriend and pals tell him to make Jerry an equal partner. Complications occur, while Dean sings and Jerry gets the laughs.

Sailor Beware
Stars Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Corinne Calvet, Marion Marshall, Robert Strauss
Directors: Hal Walker
Theatrical Release Date: February 9, 1952
Synopsis - Chasing pretty girls, blowing up a liferaft inside a submarine, virtually every sailor gag ever thought of, and a bunch of songs fill out this Martin and Lewis outing as a pair of sailors.

That's My Boy
Stars Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Ruth Hussey, Eddie Mayehoff, Marion Marshall
Directors: Hal Walker
Theatrical Release Date: May 31, 1951

Jumping Jacks
Stars Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Mona Freeman, Don DeFore, Robert Strauss
Directors: Norman Taurog
Theatrical Release Date: June 11, 1952
Synopsis - Hap Smith, nightclub entertainer, has a new act since his former partner Chick Allen joined the army: with lovely new partner Betsy Carter, Hap plays a clownish parody of a soldier. Meanwhile, Chick is organizing a soldier show at Fort Benning and finds he needs his old partner's help. To get onto the base, Hap impersonates a hapless real soldier, Dogface Dolan; but circumstances force them to prolong the masquerade, creating an increasingly tangled Army-sized snafu.

Posters

Theatrical Releases: 1949 - 1953

DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Paramount (4-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Paramount Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:42:48 + 1:30:24 + 1:42:32 + 1:38:06 + 1:39:48 + 1:35:45 + 1:47:40 + 1:35:21
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: Average 5.10 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Disc 1 (My Friend Irma, My Friend Irma Goes West)
Bitrate: Disc 2 (That's My Boy, Sailor Beware)
Bitrate: Disc 3 (Jumping Jacks, The Stooge)
Bitrate: Disc 4 (Scared Stiff, The Caddy)
Audio	English (original)
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Paramount Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Trailer for The Stooge DVD Release Date: October 31st, 2006 Case: 4 tiered digipak inside a cardboard box

Comments:

The 8 films are sharing 2 X 4 dual-layered discs - housed in a 4-tiered digi-pak case inside a cardboard box. They are encoded in the NTSC standard for Region 1. All are progressively transferred all are in their original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Each have original audio and optional English subtitles. None of the films are sold separately on DVD at this time.

Disc 1 - (My Friend Irma, My Friend Irma Goes West)
Disc 2 - (That's My Boy, Sailor Beware)
Disc 3 - (Jumping Jacks, The Stooge)
Disc 4 - (Scared Stiff, The Caddy)

All transfers look acceptable if unremarkable. That's My Boy and The Caddy look a bit weaker than the rest - the picture being marginally hazier with more digital noise visible. But generally they are all watchable with very minor speckles and dust occasionally showing. Audio is at the same level as the video - suitable for viewing the films but entirely flat and consistent. Subtitles seem well done with no major gaps.

Although you do get 8 films for less than $5/each the price seems a bit aggressive considering there are no supplements (excepting one trailer on The Stooge), and 2 films per disc. I don't imagine this would stop any Martin/Lewis fans from picking this up though - if you are keen it does has great value.

They really churned out these films (all 8 in a 4-year span) but having never watched a pairing of the two previously - I now see the charm. These are cute, and generally very fun films with some harmless musical numbers. Overall I was quite amused. The female performances were always excellent support and it was nice to see Lizabeth Scott (in Scared Stiff). I wouldn't know who to credit for the great timing that Martin/Lewis shared but it is quite obviously apparent in every film. I think I enjoyed The Stooge, That's My Boy and My Friend Irma the best, but none are extravagantly poor or exceptional. Good family fun. out of