Geisha Boy, The (1958)

Jerry Lewis’s frantic, jerk-around comedy style here got its most suitable director, who saw him simply as a cartoon with no connection to real life. That’s because Frank Tashlin used to be a cartoonist himself, so the sight gags are often hilarious.

The comedy works less well when third-rate magician ‘The Great Wooley’ (Lewis) – whose rabbit, Harry Hare, is a lot cleverer than he is – joins an army USO tour of Korea and Japan and meets the beautiful Kimi Sikita (Nobu Atsumi McCarthy) and her cute little nephew, Mitsuo (Robert Kazuyoshi Hirano), who attaches himself to the entertainer in a way that complicates Gilbert’s life.

Yet even when the twee flies thick and fast, there’s some fun to be had – and Suzanne Pleshette and Marie McDonald are very easy on the eye.

Gilbert Wooley
Jerry Lewis
Lola Livingston
Marie McDonald
Mitsuo Watanabe
Robert Kazuyoshi Hirano
Kimi Sikita
Nobu Atsumi McCarthy
Mr Sikita
Sessue Hayakawa
Major Ridgley
Barton MacLane
Betty Pearson
Suzanne Pleshette
Ichiyama
Ryuzo Demura
Col Adams
Alex Geary

Director
Frank Tashlin