The Bellboy

The slapstick genius of Jerry Lewis is at its most gleefully inventive in the comedian auteur’s gag-packed, almost free-form first outing as director (as well as writer and producer). He brings his touchingly gawky persona to the role of Stanley, a bumbling bellhop at the ritzy Fontainebleau Hotel in Florida’s Miami Beach. Guests may come and guests may go, but Stanley is on duty day after day at the posh resort, encountering all sorts of catastrophes. None other than Walter Winchell provides narration, while fellow comedy legend Milton Berle makes a cameo appearance as himself.