Visit to a Small Planet (1960)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

I remember seeing this move in it's original rum in the Central Square Theatre when I was a kid, but I read the play years later in my high school library in a book of plays from that year.I still remember Fred Clark as the Dad whom I knew from TV shows like The Burns and Allen Show. There where many sight gags in the movie which made me laugh uproariously at the time, and I remember sharing many scenes to old friends in the projects just afterwards.One I remember particularly was when Kreton (Lewis) played some bongos without touching them as the drummer(Buddy Rich, whom I didn't know THEN) angrily played the drum.I also remember Joan Blackman's boyfriend as Earl Holliman. He was one of those who I knew better in television on a lot of westerns and an early Twilight Zone episode, and a character part in Forbidden Planet.Many actors I learned about much after the fact from TV versions or reruns.I loved this movie then, and I love it even more now.I still don't understand or get those who hate Jerry Lewis in films, but I certainly understand those who didn't like him as a person.Having met him one time in a local TV Show when I brought him a portrait I had done, he didn't look at me much as he told me his wife took those. Her name was Patty and she was wonderful though, as she loved my drawing and thanked me profusely. She even introduced me to her son, whom I believe is now working for Jerry's business answering fan mail.I think this is one of his best, and it only gets better with each viewing. I don't think Gore Vidal's play would work since it was more of a satire of the McCarthy hearings, and wouldn't hold as well as this movie.

"Visit to a Small Planet" is an early Jerry Lewis solo film. Apparently, it was originally a teleplay and then a very successful Broadway play and I have no idea how close all this is to the film. However, considering that the author was NOT at all pleased with the casting of Lewis, I assume the projects are very, very different.The planet begins in some sort of far off world across the universe. A crazy guy (Lewis) makes a nuisance of himself and constantly talks about how fascinated he is by humans that the big boss-man (John Williams) decides to allow him to visit this insignificant place--to get it out of his system. There, he meets a nice family and hangs out with them--getting into all sorts of adventures.Some of the film is quite funny (such as when Jerry drinks for the first time). However, most of it is just pleasant light-hearted fun. However, the longer the film goes, the less fun it becomes. It's unusual to see a film fade like this one did, but the final portion lost momentum and had some flat moments that were clearly overdone. Worst were the beatnik scene (at first, it wasn't bad) and the final scene with the spaceship was just awful. Also, occasionally Lewis mugged a bit too much--something that he had a tendency to do a bit too often in his films. Overall, a flawed but pleasant diversion.cute drunk scene and ceiling excessive mugging (such as the bongo scene)

Thank you Cinemax for dusting off this rare gem. You don't get too many chances to see this on the tube. The idea of Jerry Lewis popping in from 8 million light years away in his saucer to help Gen. Lee's troops fight the "damn yankees" should be enough incentive for anyone to make time for this and it doesnt disappoint. Unfortunately Jerry miscalculated and landed on Earth 100 years later-he's a student, not a very smart one but he is majoring in the "Earth" so his natural curiosity brought him down for a short stay, much to the frustration and eventual amusement of his mentor Mr. Delton on his home planet where his every move is monitored on the first 60" wide screen I can remember seeing. The movie is just hilarious with sight gags galore. I thought I was going to fall out of my chair watching Jerry take his first glass of whiskey and then walk up the wall and stand on the ceiling to have a conversation with his host. And the Beatnik scene at the "Hungry Brain" is a real keeper although many probably wont get it-beatniks were the 'way cool' hipsters that preceded the flower child movement of the 60's. Koo koo baby! Earl Holliman is very funny in an early role and Joan Blackman is scrumptious as Holliman's love interest that he can never seem to keep his hands off of. She later appeared in two Elvis flicks so you know she's got to be pretty hot. Just a great movie and I think ranks in Lewis' top three with The Bellboy and The Errand Boy. Don't miss it. 9/10

This is a rare one to be seen around, so you may want to watch it just because you might never see it again... but don't expect the same quality as other Jerry Lewis movies. Although there are some really funny scenes, Kreton is not half as funny as that other crazy alien, Mork (played by Robin Williams), and the movie lacks action and moves on very slowly through a thin plot a a lot of standard gags.