Topic: Former co-stars allege Jerry Lewis sexual assault, harassment

[falsealarms]

An explosive article in Vanity Fair has some former Jerry Lewis co-stars alleging sexual assault and sexual harassment:

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/02/jerry-lewis-sexual-assault-harassment-investigation

The video with the story is worth a watch too - pretty powerful stuff.

[Dunrobin]

I never liked Jerry Lewis, even as a kid.  I didn't think he was all that funny, and there was just something sleezy about him that I didn't like, so I don't find these stories that hard to believe.

[metaldams]

I never liked Jerry Lewis, even as a kid.  I didn't think he was all that funny, and there was just something sleezy about him that I didn't like, so I don't find these stories that hard to believe.

I also don’t find them hard to believe.  Considering Jerry’s dead and so are the majority of his leading ladies, it’s not like there’s money to be made on this.  Jerry always rubbed me the wrong way and while a part of me knows it’s not best to judge people I’ve never met, sometimes gut instinct takes over anyway.

[HomokHarcos]

I saw a clip of Jerry Lewis complaining about Lucille Ball, saying women shouldn't be doing comedy, which at the least shows me he was a misogynist.

I admit as a fan of Old Hollywood it's scary to think how much sexual abuse took place behind the scenes, I've read that Thelma Todd may have refused a sexual advance and that was the reason she didn't make it further in Hollywood.

[Dr. Mabuse]

Buddy Love in the flesh.

[falsealarms]

I tend to believe these allegations as well - like said above, Lewis is dead and there isn't a monetary motive to make these claims. I think a lot of things went on decades ago that were probably swept under the rug when the world was a different place. As for Lewis himself, I regard him as generally overrated and a lot of his stuff after the early 60s is terribly dated in a lot of ways.

[Freddie Sanborn]

I saw a clip of Jerry Lewis complaining about Lucille Ball, saying women shouldn't be doing comedy, which at the least shows me he was a misogynist.

I admit as a fan of Old Hollywood it's scary to think how much sexual abuse took place behind the scenes, I've read that Thelma Todd may have refused a sexual advance and that was the reason she didn't make it further in Hollywood.

Lucy conquered TV and was a beloved star for 30 years. But she could never parlay her TV fame into movies. Jerry was a movie star for 20 years but never had a success on TV after Colgate Comedy Hour, where he and Dean were among the rotating guest hosts. For Jerry to diss Lucy is ridiculous, most likely the result of too many pain killers.

Thelma had a fine career until her death at age 29, which would slow down anyone’s professional trajectory.

[falsealarms]

Lucy conquered TV and was a beloved star for 30 years. But she could never parlay her TV fame into movies. Jerry was a movie star for 20 years but never had a success on TV after Colgate Comedy Hour, where he and Dean were among the rotating guest hosts. For Jerry to diss Lucy is ridiculous, most likely the result of too many pain killers.

Thelma had a fine career until her death at age 29, which would slow down anyone’s professional trajectory.

I would have liked to have seen what Thelma Todd would have turned into had she lived longer, same with Jean Harlow. Would they have transitioned into TV and become stars in the early days of that medium?

[NoahYoung]

I would have liked to have seen what Thelma Todd would have turned into had she lived longer, same with Jean Harlow. Would they have transitioned into TV and become stars in the early days of that medium?

I have always imagined that Thelma Todd would have made a guest appearance on THE LOVE BOAT like Lillian Gish did.

I am not defending anyone, but to me it seems strange that the Lewis thing comes out almost 5 years after his death, and 60 years after the alleged events took place.

Lewis's big popularity, at least in the movies, lasted around 15 years or so. First film, MY FRIEND IRMA, was 1949. After 1965 his movies really sucked. By 1970 his film career was pretty much done, although he did appear in a handful after that.