Cracking Up (film)

Cracking Up
Theatrical Poster for the Belgian Release (Under its original title)
Directed by	Jerry Lewis
Produced by	Peter Nelson Arnold Orgolini
Written by	Jerry Lewis Bill Richmond
Starring	Jerry Lewis Herb Edelman Zane Buzby
Distributed by	Warner Brothers
Release date(s)	April 13, 1983 (France)
Running time	83 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Cracking Up is a comedy film directed by and starring Jerry Lewis. Originally titled Smorgasbord, it was filmed in June 1982 and only received limited distribution in the United States.

The film marked a one-time reunion with Bill Richmond, Lewis' screenwriting collaborator on such films as The Nutty Professor and The Patsy.

Plot

Warren Nefron (Jerry Lewis) is a klutz who cannot do anything right. He tells his psychiatrist, Dr. Pletchick (Herb Edelman), his problems. Through a series of flashbacks the viewer sees Warren's life story.

Warren is such a failure that even his many attempts to commit suicide fail. Eventually the psychiatrist uses hypnosis to cure Warren. However, although Warren is now cured, the psychiatrist has inherited all of Warren's problems.

Production

It includes many cameos, including Sammy Davis Jr., Dick Butkus, and Milton Berle. In December 1982, after filming completed, Lewis underwent triple-bypass heart surgery at the Desert Springs Hospital, Las Vegas NV.

Release

The film was released theatrically in some European countries, notably France, where it was released on April 13, 1983 by Warner Brothers, Belgium, and Italy. It made its U.S. debut in 1983 directly to cable and on videocassette. In May 1985 it was given a U.S. theatrical premiere during a two-day run at New York's Thalia Theater under its original title, Smorgasbord.

Home media

Warner Archives released the film on made to order DVD in the United States on May 18, 2010.

External links

• Cracking Up at the Internet Movie Database