Author Biography

A consummate entertainer and world-renowned humanitarian, Jerry Lewis was not just a cultural icon in the U.S. and France, he was one of "The Most Recognized Personalities on the Planet," named so by Newsweek magazine. He was also nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. One of the most successful performers in show business history - with worldwide box office receipts in excess of $800 million (when most tickets were sold for 25-50 cents) - Jerry received global acclaim for his groundbreaking comedy. He has been said to carry the torch lit by Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, which has earned him the moniker "The King of Comedy." As the top box office star in the world from 1952-1956 with Dean Martin, and from 1957-1964 as a solo artist, Jerry's brand of comedy has influenced generations. Celebrated for his groundbreaking physical comedy, "Jerry went back to the silent era and brought visual sight gags back to the American movie theaters," said Steven Spielberg, who once attended a class in film direction taught by "Professor" Lewis at the University of Southern California. As well as being an entertainer, "Jerry Lewis was a major innovator in motion pictures," stated director, Francis Ford Coppola. "His invention of putting a video camera next to the motion picture camera so he could play it back and direct himself, has been used for decades by every director in the movie industry. I watched him on the set of The Ladies Man in 1961, and was amazed by his groundbreaking innovation, the Video Assist." Leonard Maltin is one of America's most respected film critics and historians. His many books include Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, Leonard Maltin's 151 Best Movies You've Never See, and Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide. He regularly appears on ReelzChannel and Turner Classic Movies and hosts a weekly podcast, Maltin on Movies, with his daughter, Jessie. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

New ForewordTo the ReaderProloguePart One: ProductionChapter 1: The Humanities of FilmChapter 2: The Total FilmmakerChapter 3: The Money ManChapter 4: Script and WriterChapter 5: ActorsChapter 6: The Million-Dollar HugChapter 7: Preproduction ChoresChapter 8: The CrewChapter 9: HomeworkChapter 10: Filming It!Part Two: Post-productionChapter 11: EditingChapter 12: Music and DubbingChapter 13: Distribution and ExploitationChapter 14: Other Filmmakers, Other FilmsPart Three: ComedyChapter 15: Laughs Are Our ThingChapter 16: The Visuals of ComedyChapter 17: The ComediansKind of a Wrap

Long Description

The Total FilmMaker was originally written and based on over 480 hours of Jerry's guest lecture series at USC Film School in 1966, where his then-students included aspiring young filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. From script to postproduction, it covers the complete arc of filmmaking as taught by one of the first and most original writer/director/producer/actors in Hollywood. Now, fifty years later, the Jerry lewis estate and MWP are teaming up to release this classic book to the world.

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