Moving Image Section Jerry Lewis papers

Jerry Lewis papers

Collection

Identifier: 2021605491

Scope and Content Note

The Jerry Lewis Papers consist of scripts and sketch material; memos and other correspondence; itineraries; business and legal papers; photographic prints, proof sheets, and negatives; press clippings and publicity; and other materials related to the film and television career of comedian, actor, and filmmaker Jerry Lewis, primarily from the period following the breakup of the act he formed with singer and comedian Dean Martin. Also included are papers related to Lewis's work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual telethon, and his teaching work at the University of Southern California.

Dates

Creation: 1951-2011
Creation: Majority of material found within 1956-2005

Language of Materials

Collection material in English. Some material, especially from overseas press, is in French, German, and other languages.

Access and Restrictions

The Jerry Lewis Papers are open to research. Select material may be restricted based on the presence of personal or sensitive information. Advance notice is required; contact a reference librarian in the Moving Image Research Center, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 20540-4690; (202) 707-8572.

Copyright Status

Restrictions may exist on copying, quoting, or publishing material included in the collection. For additional information, contact a reference librarian in the Moving Image Research Center, Motion Picture, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 20540-4690; (202) 707-8572.

Biographical Note

Comedian, actor, and filmaker Jerry Lewis was born Joseph Levitch in Newark, New Jersey, Mar. 16, 1926. Beginning in 1946, his partner act with Dean Martin, popularly known as Martin and Lewis, were successively among the most popular entertainers in nightclubs, radio, film, and television. Following a professional breakup with Martin, Jerry Lewis embarked on a solo film and television career from 1957-1971. During this period, Lewis increased the scope of his work to include screenwriting, directing, and producing, becoming the total filmmaker, as summed up in his monograph of that title. Sporadic film roles resumed in 1980. Later in his career, Lewis made a critically acclaimed transition to the stage, playing the devil in the Broadway revival of Damn Yankees, beginning in 1995. He died August 20, 2017.

Biographical Note

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1926, Mar. 16: Jerry Lewis born as Joseph Levitch in Newark, New Jersey
1946, July 25: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis debut as a team at Atlantic City's 500 Club
1948 - 1953: The Martin and Lewis Show on the National Broadcasting Company radio network
1949: Martin and Lewis are featured supporting actors in My Friend Irma
1950: Martin and Lewis reprise their roles in My Friend Irma Goes West; Martin and Lewis are in starring roles for At War with the Army
1951: Martin and Lewis in That's My Boy
1952: Martin and Lewis in Sailor Beware, Jumping Jacks, and The Stooge
1953: Martin and Lewis in Scared Stiff, The Caddy, and Money from Home
1954: Martin and Lewis in Living It Up and 3 Ring Circus
1955: Martin and Lewis in You're Never Too Young and Artists and Models
1956: Martin and Lewis in Pardners and Hollywood or Bust
1954: Martin and Lewis in Living It Up and 3 Ring Circus
1957: Jerry Lewis makes his solo film debut in The Delicate Delinquent and The Sad Sack
1958: Jerry Lewis in Rock-a-Bye Baby and The Geisha Boy
1959: Jerry Lewis in Don't Give Up the Ship
1960: Jerry Lewis in Visit to a Small Planet, The Bellboy, and Cinderfella
1961: Jerry Lewis in The Ladies Man and The Errand Boy
1962: Jerry Lewis in It's Only Money
1963: Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor and Who's Minding the Store?; The Jerry Lewis Show on the National Broadcasting Company television network
1964: Jerry Lewis in The Patsy and The Disorderly Orderly
1965: Jerry Lewis in The Family Jewels and Boeing Boeing
1966: Jerry Lewis in Three on a Couch and Way...Way Out
1967: Jerry Lewis in The Big Mouth
1967 - 1969: The Jerry Lewis Show on the American Broadcasting Company television network
1968: Jerry Lewis in Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River
1969: Jerry Lewis in Hook, Line & Sinker
1970: Jerry Lewis in Which Way to the Front?
1972: Jerry Lewis films the unreleased motion picture The Day the Clown Cried
1981: Jerry Lewis in Hardly Working
1983: Jerry Lewis in Marti Scorsese's The King of Comedy
1995: Jerry Lewis makes his Broadway debut in the revival of Damn Yankees

Extent

45,650 items (approximately)
220 containers
66 linear feet

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Additional Description

Abstract

Arrangement

The Jerry Lewis Papers are organized in 7 series:

Physical Location

A1578-A1688 (boxes 1-111); L0082-L0090 (oversize boxes 112-120); C0390-C0396 (oversize boxes 121-127); D0031-D0076 (oversize boxes 128-173); E0015-E0061 (oversize boxes 174-220)

Catalog Record

https://lccn.loc.gov/2021605491

Provenance

Gift (Jerry Lewis), Jan. 2019.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Material Cataloged Separately

Film and video recordings from the Jerry Lewis Collection have been incorporated into the moving image collections of the Library of Congress Moving Image Section. For additional information, contact a reference librarian in the Moving Image Research Center, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 20540-4690; (202) 707-8572.

Transfers

Musical scores have been transferred to the Music Division where they are identified as part of the Jerry Lewis collection.

Other Repositories

Jerry Lewis donated papers related to his film career to the University of Southern California in 1969, where they reside as part of the Cinematic Arts Library.