Stella Stevens on why Jerry Lewis snubbed her (Dean!)

[lezwitch]

For the record, Jerry Lewis's version of "The Nutty Professor" (with Stella Stevens) was made in 1963...not "1996 or so". 1996 was the Eddie Murphy remake.

[truthseekerAnn]

...cont...For those interested in the research; Mr Williams begun working on numerous of Mr. Lewis' films, many as uncredited art director or sketch artist for storyboards and set concepts.

* Portrait artist

* Realism

* Worked mostly in oils on canvas.

* Clients were Hollywood stars such as Yule Brynner, James Cagney, Jerry Lewis, Peter Lorre, Loretta Young, and John Wayne.

* Commissioned work also included the celebrities family portraits, their children, animals and homes.

Stella/Beautiful!

[truthseekerAnn]

I came across a painting of a 'Lewis Family Pet portrait' painted by Fred Williams doing research.

The tag on the collar of the cat reads 'Purdy Cat' I found it a little amusing.Just a coincidence? Purdy Cat - Stella Purdy. :) I was trying to ID a little girl in another painting dated 1962 by the same artist. The white cats look to be one of the same. Nutty Prof came out in 1963? Fred was as a Hollywood makeup artist in cinema projects. Introduced to Jerry Lewis, in 1960's.

[SenorZorrozzz]

She's still beautiful!

[TracyAndersonFoxhunt]

all because Jerry Lewis is a very petty human being

[JhonathanFree]

Jerry lewis is an asshole. Everybody in the industry knows this.

[lcolby11]

ya gotta see Stella Stevens in Jim Brown movie Slaughter OMG she was hot

[catholicpriest1]

There are no small parts, just small actors.

[JubalCalif]

Very interesting interview. The lovely & talented Stella Stevens still looks FANTASTIC! Thanks for posting this! Very intriguing to hear of how Jerry Lewis treated her after she'd worked with his ex-partner, Dean Martin.

[lray1948]

Stella was born in Hot Coffee, Mississippi, right outside of Collins

[panhead58ful]

why is Jerry always sucking on a losenge

[totaljett]

Whe do you know you're not getting the whole story. When a woman is telling it. I wouldn't invest much in what she says.

[MikeyPikeyPix]

I was working as an usher in a theater on Broadway in New York city in the early 1970"s. Jerry Lewis had come there to watch the movie playing. After the show when he came out, he screwed his face up so he couldn't be recognized. As he passed me I said Hi to him. He ignored me and kept going. Later one of the other ushers said he did that because he didn't want to draw attention to himself. I always thought that that was odd behavior.

[doubtful100]

How very small of Jerry Lewis to have behaved that way.

[sd02231]

Jerry Lewis was funny and handsome. He left the coolness to Dean. Jerry did just fine on his own after the breakup. Especially after Paramount signed him to a contract in 1958 for $10 million plus ownership of his films. All you morons commenting negatively here have no idea how big a star he was even without Dean. Get a clue or shut up.

[9ballguy]

Jerry was obviously intimidated by Dean's huge success. I've met Stella and she's a delight. She was warm, funny and witty.

[Hadeydeppio]

jerry was probably really busy.

but what happened between him and dean that they didn't speak to eachother?

[TheJohnnyCotts]

@Hadeydeppio Depends on who you ask. Jerry says they were just busy with their own lives. They lived only a few miles apart. Others say Jerry didn't want to talk to Dean unless they could be friends again like they were before they got famous.

[SlimJimfrWpg]

Jerry Lewis was never funny...or handsome and cool ... and he didn't speak to her for 20 years probably because she said NO ... when he asked her to have sex with him (can you blame her?)

[NiagaraFalls4424]

I really think Jerry Lewis was more jealous at Dean Martin than Dean Martin ever was at Jerry Lewis.

I mean Martin was both the Stud Man plus the Best Funny Straight Man Act Ever. Even Jerry Lewis admitted Dean Martin made him not the other way around.

[mdivinc]

WOW, she still looks great! Really!

[Gnillob802]

Always weird to me that Jerry was good friends and worked with Frank Sinatra (on the Telethons), Peter Lawford (film), Sammy Davis, Jr. (film and stage) during the rat pack days (which was really up until Sammy's death in 1990). Jerry even teamed up with Sammy for a Vegas run during the Cannonball days. They were employed in Las Vegas and saw each other (or worked together) frequently, but Jerry somehow avoided Dean. How is that even possible? Each other's name must have come up in conversation.

[boothl232]

Maybe Frank et al. were such good friends that they never brought up the subject of Dean to Jerry (or vice versa) or the feud.

Just like when I'm with my good friends I don't bring up the subject of their ex-wife.

It's called being a true friend, being civil. Which apparently is lost to people these days.

[Gnillob802]

I can understand that, but all through the 60's and 70's is an awful long and "swinging" time, I'm sure it came up once or twice. I'm sure there was a situation where Dean or Jerry was in the room while the other was on the phone or walking down a hallway, something like that. Also professional interest in the other's gigs which would include Dean in a film or stage show. I find it all fascinating and there's a funny film there somewhere, even if it might be mostly fiction.

[TheJohnnyCotts]

@Gnillob802 According to Jerry Lewis' book, he did attend a Rat Pack nightclub performance in Vegas in the early 60's. He stayed in the back of the room, out of view of Frank, Dean and company. He said it was a great show, and joked that "Dean replaced me with four other guys".

[Gnillob802]

@TheJohnnyCotts Sorry, but I pretty much consider that "avoiding Dean."

[Ghettoflame1]

Wow, those folks are still young.

[xxNIKEDAN63bb]

In interviews, Jerry always says that he and Dean were never mad at each other after they broke up. It is obvious though that Jerry resented Dean durning all those years.

[cmcb09]

Jerry was an amazing actor, but no offense to him hes a bit full of it. A lot of his claims seem to be hot air, don't get me wrong I love what he does for the MDA with his yearly Jerry's Kids Marathon and his obvious hard work on that field. But his claims "oh there never was a feud that was just a myth" and all of his other things. Seriously needs to get over himself. Was he funny, yes, was he sweet yes still is. But being humble is also a trait worth learning.

[TheFrogger15]

YES.....I agree with you. Mr. Lewis has one of the biggest ego's in Hollywood.

[EmpressDR]

I think it's more about that he was hot for her, but she wanted him as a mentor, so they never had sex. But they were great in Nutty Professor.

[MrsXantipa]

they never had sex???oh come on!!!! to the real world!!!

[ohhhwolfy]

I'd have to guess this is from the early or mid-90s.

[zzzzz87]

She's aged so well

[lumpagogo]

media:

What is the date of this interview?

Thanxx!

Lump

[Sassycat61]

I think that Jerry had a monster crush on Stella, but he was married at the time. Supposedly they had an affair, but he probably was not too jazzed that she worked with Dean, so I do think she speaks the truth. Looks like they are friendly again though, and i'm happy about that. They were great together in Nutty Professor, and it's one of my favorite movies due to their great chemistry.

[andysott]

hey, yer only stella stevens hes jerry lewis, no comparison. he is a much bigger star.

[LazlosPlane]

The list of truly great entertainers who many say were "monsters" is endless: Danny Kaye (yes, Danny Kaye) Jackie Gleason, Al Jolson (at times) Jerry Lewis, etc, etc... and.. so what?

Beethoven was no picnic. Does that mean we should look at his symphonies differently? Picasso was a bastard, apparantly, so does that change the depth of his genius? Uh-uh.

What do we want of are artists? Isn't it enough that the elevate us, ennoble us, through their art?

[MrsXantipa]

People should learn to distinguish between a man's personal life and his art, and it's such a pitty they don't.. you are so right!

[LazlosPlane]

Unfortunately we live in a celebrity bullspit gossip obsessed culture of morons and youth-oriented stupidity.

There is no bigger tragedy to occur to our culture than the fact that the terms, "show business" and "entertainment' has lost their meaning entirely.

[0toHero]

Well spoken. And why should we even CARE?

Are people's lives so bankrupt that they have to pry into someone else's??

[problem49]

Yes, evidently. We live in an age where the opinion of a minor celebrity can trump proven medical science, to the fatal detriment of innocent children. I am referring to Jenny McCarthy's campaign against immunization. In a perfect world she and her fake boobs would be behind bars for wilfull dissemination of misinformation, but unfortunately, no such charge exists.

[ytcomposer]

@LazlosPlane: Wait. Danny Kaye? Seriously? I never learned that. I knew the others were, but Kaye? I'd love to hear details. ^_^

[amgervinus]

Why didn't she marry him?

Jerry was perfect.

[Aliyeenah]

She didn't marry him because he never asked her to.

[TheJohnnyCotts]

@amgervinus Jerry was already married. He and his first wife were together from about the mid-40's until the early 80's. However, he did cheat. His wife told him early on "I know there's temptation, but if you stray, I don't want to know about it."

[MalubaySyecado]

Jerry Lewis worked with Frank Sinatra (telethon), Sammy Davis Jr (film appearances and director), Peter Lawford (director) and Joey Bishop (talk show), not to mention Henry Silva (Ocean's Eleven and Cinderfella). Its amazing how he avoided Dean Martin. Had to be impossible. I don't quite buy this story. There is always another side.

[DoreExodus212327]

frank sinatra used to snub a lot of people too. it elevates her self importance to think he wasnt speaking to her. when you work with someone and the project is finished you might never see them again. the fact is she knew they were feuding and went to work with dean so what does she expect?

[etrax2000]

Frank could have slapped one of your kids but when he called you had better answer. Frank could be spiteful and shut down quite a lot of acts if they got on his nerves. Stella tells it as it was she was there. There are many spiteful stars. Working with Dean only made Jerry feel inadequate as again the good looking guy got his prized female, thats what she meant when she said she had been his leading lady in one of his films and Jerry was very possesive.

[MrsXantipa]

Oh really? Why didn't he slap the guys who abducted his own son?? They did time in prison, got out early for good behavior and at least one of them, the leader, did good business by himself after getting out of prison!! Real, proven facts!

[MrsXantipa]

Oh really? So how come Big Frank never "slapped' his own son's abductors, those who kidnapped Frank Sinatra Junior??If Frank was so dangerous, how come the abductors of his own son spent only legal time in prison, nothing else ever happened to them, and as an example, the leader of the abductors, after leaving prison early for good behavior, had his own business going on until present days, never harassed by anybody??

[hirdy6]

It's unfortunate that from many reports Lewis is not a very pleasant person. However with his charity work I believe he has done much more good for the world than harm.

[tomanyasses]

its sad all of the greats were probably treated not so good the rest of the people were busy fighting for there own life.its still like this now look at some of the actores what they say now.

[trusttheprocess80]

traduccion please?

[waltandrus]

Geez! Jerry can be a meticulous pain in the butt(so can I!) but such a great talent and has done SO much for MD, film and comedy!!!

[story147i]

hahahaha!

[lady1326]

I think it's amusing how every story has different sides, and it's downright funny how time and space can separate two people and effectively distort a person's point of view. Just because two people run in different circles and don't happen to cross each other's paths on a regular basis, does not mean one (or both) of them has been snubbed. If you think about it, it really is an amusing thought.

[dejahoje]

In the comments to "The Nutty Professor", Jerry praised Stella all the time. It was almost annoying! Bah!!

[ArtanisRegnis]

Quick, somebody put some smelling salt under bagzie's nose.

[deanmartin1066]

Second the motion. Also, one under mediafunhouse for actually taking the question seriously.

[bagzie]

How the fuck could he not have spoken to her if she was his leading lady in 'Nutty Professor'. They would have shared dialogue!!!!????

[mediafunhouse]

This was shot in 1997 or so, and yes, she still looks pretty terrific. Jerry didn't speak to her for years *after* "The Nutty Professor," when she appeared in the two movies with Dean (which were both after "Nutty"). She did note that Jer has mellowed out and invited her backstage when he was doing "Damn Yankees" in her neck of the woods (L.A.?). Up until that time he wasn't speaking to her.

[MoeGreensRightEye]

@bagzie That is the dumbest reply I've ever read on youtube.

[artb50]

I don't know when this was but Stella looked great. I always liked her.

[ohhhwolfy]

Yes, Stella looks great!

Actresses from the '60s were so much more beautiful than those of today. Strangely enough, Elvis had some of the best as love interests in his movies: Ann-Margaret, Nancy Sinatra, Yvonne Craig, Donna Douglas...and Stella.