JERRY LEWIS ON BEING A PERSON
By CHRISTOPHER J. LEWIS
Jerry Lewis was one of the most loved comedians and movie stars of the 20th century and an influential philanthropist who changed how Americans gave to charities. He was born on 16 March 1926 to Vaudevillian parents. He became a regular on the nightclub circuit in 1943, but when he performed with Dean Martin in 1946, his life changed forever. By 1952, Martin and Lewis were the world's #1 box office stars and radio and television stars. Jerry went on to write, produce, direct, and star in many of his films. Since his idol Charlie Chaplin, he was the first big-name star to do it successfully, becoming a top box office star. Jerry Lewis on Being a Person traces the character of this aptly famous personality primarily through a depiction of the philosophy with which Jerry lived his life, ran his productions, and related with his lifelong friends. Humorous, as one might imagine anything associated with Jerry would be, it is also poignant, especially regarding the personalities he knew through his Telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Jerry loved people, and they loved him back. In 1949, Jerry told Dean he wanted to help families fighting muscular dystrophy. Martin and Lewis became the public faces of the newly formed Muscular Dystrophy Association in 1951 until 1956. Jerry became the organization’s National Chairman and raised over 2 billion dollars for research and clinical care from 1952 to 2010. This full-color book, written from first-hand accounts of his son, is an intimate portrait of a complex— and sometimes misunderstood— man. It includes family background, the genesis of the phenomenal decade-long Martin and Lewis partnership, and interviews with friends and personalities closest to Jerry during the MDA Telethons. Packed with over 300 photographs (most never-before-seen) and original drawings, the book pays tribute to the legacy of the comic who captured the hearts of Americans and many millions of people worldwide.
SPLIT REEL is proud to make this book published by Christopher J. Lewis available.
All proceeds from the sale of this book directly benefit the AMERICAN WHEELCHAIR MISSION.
6x10, 314 pages, softcover.