Artists and Models, which provided the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis duo with its finest screen hour, is a dizzily self-reflexive play on movie illusion.
Eugene Fullstack (Lewis) is a comic book addict whose colourful dreams are transcribed – and secretly sold – by Rick Todd (Dean Martin). They are mirrored by two women – sultry graphic artist Abby (Dorothy Malone) and ditzy Bessie (Shirley MacLaine).
Director Frank Tashlin’s endlessly inventive game of permutation and combination between these four characters builds up to a great piece of burlesque mayhem: Eugene and Bessie’s delirious détournement of the kitsch romantic ballad Inamorata.
The plot launches without warning into an international espionage intrigue (enter Eva Gabor), and a splendid musical demonstration of image-and-sound artifice (When You Pretend).
Rick Todd
Dean Martin Eugene Fullstack
Jerry Lewis Bessie Sparrowbrush
Shirley MacLaine Abigail ‘Abby’ Parker
Dorothy Malone Mr Murdock
Eddie Mayehoff Sonia/Mrs Curtis
Eva Gabor Anita
Anita Ekberg Richard Stilton
George Winslow Ivan
Jack Elam Secret Service Chief Samuels
Herbert Rudley Secret Service Agent Rogers
Richard Shannon Secret Service Agent Peters
Richard Webb Otto
Alan Lee Kurt
Otto Waldis
Director
Frank Tashlin
You May Also Like
Alex In Wonderland (1970) Alex (Donald Sutherland), a young long-haired Hollywood director, wrestles with success while his wife, Beth (Ellen…
American Graffiti (1973) Four California teenagers get a final, nostalgic glimpse of innocence before facing college and life in…
Astronaut, The (1972) Set in the near future (1981!), the Americans are about to complete their first mission to…
Silver Lode (1954) In this gripping Western, John Payne stars as Dan Ballard, a respected and well-liked rancher in…
Abductors, The (1972) Three cheerleaders (a blonde, a brunette and a redhead) are kidnapped by slavers who tie them…
Andromeda Strain, The (1971) Penned by science thriller guru Michael Crichton - a former doctor himself - there's no glossing…
Adam and Eve (1956) While other films of the time were banned and condemned by the Catholic Church because of…
Analyze This (1999) Robert De Niro gives one of his best comedy performances to date in this feel-good Mafia…
