The Bellboy

65th Anniversary Presentation

The directorial debut of the great comic genius Jerry Lewis was made on the cuff while he was performing at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. The iconic hotel’s spectacular midcentury modern décor provided a pristine backdrop for a series of brilliant silent-movie sight gags and audaciously self-referential moments (as when the movie star Jerry Lewis, played by one “Joe Levitch,” arrives for a gig).

A rollicking comedy hit upon its release 65 years ago, Lewis stars as Stanley, a non-speaking, klutzy bellboy, who is on duty day after day at the ritzy Miami Beach resort, encountering (and creating) all sorts of catastrophes. But he also experiences magical moments that can only happen to a poor sap like him, like when he passes through the theater and picks up a drum mallet and uses it to conduct an imaginary orchestra.

This special event will include the attendance of Christopher J. Lewis, acclaimed author and son of Jerry Lewis, who will introduce the film and participate in a Q&A after the screening.