The Nutty Professor

Although highly regarded in France, most of the solo Jerry Lewis films received fair to partly cloudy reviews in the U.S. (maybe his material is funnier if you don't speak English), with the best of the lot being this 1963 takeoff on Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Lewis stars as nerdy university chemistry professor Julius Ferris Kelp, who--in a bid to win the affections of student Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens)--develops a concoction that turns him into Buddy Love, a suave, egotistical jerk of a nightclub singer (and more than a few have noticed the connection between the professor's rude, womanizing alter-ego and Lewis' former partner Dean Martin, not to mention Lewis' own darker side). Making its second appearance on DVD, this "special edition" release of The Nutty Professor boasts a rich digital transfer, fine Dolby Digital 5.1 or restored mono sound, and a handful of solid extras, including a sparse commentary track by Lewis and singer Steve Lawrence, a pair of half-hour documentaries on the film and Lewis's career, and deleted scenes. A steal at $14.99, this is recommended. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—June 17, 2014—Paramount, 96 min., not rated, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $49.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD and first on Blu-ray, 1963's The Nutty Professor features a fine transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras include audio commentary by filmmaker and star Jerry Lewis and singer and actor Steve Lawrence, the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Jerry Lewis at Work” (30 min.) and the new “Jerry Lewis: No Apologies” (21 min.), “Perfecting the Formula” behind-the-scenes footage (16 min.), bloopers (14 min.), deleted scenes (10 min.), promos (4 min.), screen tests (3 min.), a brief clip of “Jerry at Movieland Wax Museum” with commentary by son Chris Lewis, and bonus DVD copies of The Nutty Professor, Cinderfella (1960), and The Errand Boy (1961), as well as the audio CD Jerry Lewis: Phoney Phone Calls 1959-1972, a new director's letter from Lewis, Lewis's 96-page illustrated “Being a Person” guide written for the crew, a 48-page storyboard book, and a 44-page cutting script with Lewis's notes. Bottom line: a handsome collector's edition for the Blu-ray debut of this quintessential Lewis comedy.]