Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down is a 1970 animated showcase for various caricatured Jerry Lewis characters, all based on characters from the 1965 film The Family Jewels, and styled in a fashion similar to Archie's TV Funnies and the Groovie Goolies.[1] The title is a variant of the deciding question on the game show To Tell the Truth: "Will the real __________ please stand up?"[2] Like most 1970s-era Saturday morning cartoon series, Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down contained an adult laugh track.
| Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott |
| Developed by | Lee Rich |
| Directed by | Hal Sutherland |
| Voices of | Howard Morris Jane Webb David Lander |
| Theme music composer | Richard Delvy Ed Fournier |
| Opening theme | "Please Sit Down" |
| Ending theme | "Please Sit Down (reprise)" |
| Composers | Jeff Michael George Blais |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Norm Prescott Lou Scheimer |
| Production company | Filmation |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 12, 1970 – September 2, 1972 |
Though Jerry Lewis contributed to some of the scripts, he did not voice any of the characters. The central character of Jerry Lewis was voiced by David Lander, who would later be better known for his role of Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley.[3]
Premise
editAs with all of their wilder comedies, such as those mentioned above and later shows like Uncle Croc's Block and The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty, Filmation stuffed the episodes with slapstick jokes, and the rubbery, gangly animated version of Lewis was well realised and similar to his depiction in DC Comics' long running comic book title, The Adventures of Jerry Lewis (originally published as The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis prior to the dissolution of their show business partnership). Among the recurring characters were Chinese detective Hong Kong Flewis and his rotund son, One Ton Son; his father, Professor Lewis; and his sister Geraldine (and her pet frog, Spot). Presumably, the series takes place somewhere in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut tri-state area, since in one episode, Jerry sees a road sign that reads "Atlantic City. 216 miles".
In the series, Jerry worked for the Odd Job Employment Agency under the supervision of the obnoxious Mr. Blunderpuss. A typical episode found Jerry being assigned a job, and making a complete shambles of it in his harmless, naive way.[4]
Notably wild in their style were the opening credits and commercial bumpers. The theme song was sung in a contemporary "bubblegum" style, with the song interrupted before the end of its final verse with the title of the show intoned in a scolding manner by an announcer (Howard Morris) who stretched out the word "please" and shouted "sit down".
Along with Groovie Goolies, this was one of the first Filmation series to feature the rotating Lou Scheimer/Norm Prescott "wheel" credit. Previous shows featured a standard credit with Scheimer's name above Prescott's. It was also Filmation's first show to feature director Hal Sutherland's name written in fancy lettering.
Cast
edit- David Lander as Jerry Lewis
- Howard Morris as Mr. Blunderpuss, Ralph Rotten Lewis, Professor Lewis, One Ton Son, Hong Kong Flewis, Uncle Seadog, additional voices
- Jane Webb as Geraldine Lewis, Rhonda (Jerry's girlfriend)
Episodes
editThis article needs an improved plot summary. (May 2022) |
| No. | Title [5] | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Computer Suitor" | September 12, 1970 | |
| 2 | "Crash Course" | September 19, 1970 | |
| 3 | "2 ½ Ring Circus" | September 26, 1970 | |
| 4 | "Good Luck Charm" | October 3, 1970 | |
| 5 | "Out to Launch" | October 10, 1970 | |
| 6 | "Watch of the Rhino" | October 17, 1970 | |
| 7 | "To Beep or Not To Beep" | October 24, 1970 | |
| 8 | "How Green Was My Valet" | October 31, 1970 | |
| 9 | "Movie Madness" | November 7, 1970 | |
| 10 | "Rainmaker" | November 14, 1970 | |
| 11 | "Jerry Goes Ape" | November 21, 1970 | |
|
Jerry encounters a man who's been turned into a gorilla. Only a Native American princess can break the spell, but it's easier said than done. | |||
| 12 | "Haunted House Guest" | November 28, 1970 | |
| 13 | "Penthouse" | December 5, 1970 | |
| 14 | "Shipboard Romance" | December 12, 1970 | |
| 15 | "Hokus Pokus" | December 19, 1970 | |
| 16 | "Double Trouble" | December 26, 1970 | |
|
Professor Lewis's newest invention creates a macho clone of Jerry. Jerry pursues this clone and Rhonda, who are on their way to Atlantic City, where Rhonda has entered a beauty contest. | |||
| 17 | "Jerry" | January 2, 1971 | |
| 18 | "Double Oh-Oh" | January 9, 1971 | |
References
edit- ^ Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981. Scarecrow Press. pp. 109–110. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ Scheimer, Lou (2015). Creating the Filmation Generation (2nd ed.). TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 75–76. ISBN 978-1-60549-044-1.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 908–909. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 698. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- ^ "Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down Episode Guide - Filmation". Archived from the original on April 25, 2013.