That Kid: The Story Of Jerry Lewis by Richard Gehman

An Insider Biography of Slapstick King Jerry Lewis, the Martin & Lewis Phenomenon, and Hollywood Auteurship

Published in 1964 by Avon Books, Richard Gehman's That Kid: The Story of Jerry Lewis captures the meteoric rise and complex psyche of one of mid-century cinema's most polarising comedic figures. Tracing Lewis's path from his Newark vaudeville roots as Joseph Levitch to the 500 Club breakthrough in Atlantic City that paired him with crooner Dean Martin, Gehman chronicles the explosive decade of Martin & Lewis. The biography documents the duo's record-breaking runs at the Copacabana and the Paramount Theatre, the frantic mania of their television broadcasts, and the personal and professional fractures that culminated in their contentious 1956 split.

Following the breakup, Gehman details Lewis's transformation into a solo Hollywood powerhouse who secured unprecedented total creative control at Paramount Pictures. Writing, producing, and directing box-office hits such as The Bellboy (1960) and The Nutty Professor (1963), Lewis innovated movie set technology by pioneering the "video assist" monitor system. Gehman provides candid reporting on the stark contrast between Lewis's screeching, juvenile public persona—the manic archetype he dubbed "That Kid"—and the driven, insomnia-plagued perfectionist navigating studio friction, private philanthropy, and the fallout from his ill-fated 1963 ABC talk show.

Why You’ll Love This Book

Richard Gehman gives mid-century entertainment journalism, firsthand backstage access, and an examination of comedic ambition during Hollywood's Golden Age. A 1964 vintage paperback biography for film historians, students of physical comedy, and collectors of classic showbiz history alongside profiles of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and the Rat Pack era.