Odds & Ends not in my book, Part 2

Since I got so much positive feedback about last Sunday’s blog, I thought I’d continue with the trend, using these bits and pieces for fun filler.

My father worked with Jerry Lewis for many years. Back in the Dark Ages (the early 1950s), Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis starred in a variety show called the Colgate Comedy Hour. Jerry was fresh and young and hadn’t developed into an egotistical monster yet, and he and Dean were perfect together. 

Slice of nostalgia for you:

My mother once told me that back then, Jerry was so hysterically funny (and dirty) in person, she’d laugh until her ribs and stomach ached hours afterward. But cut to the 1960s, when Dad was working on Jerry’s solo show, and things weren’t so much fun anymore. I have vague memories of my father coming home from work, slamming things around and uttering things I won’t repeat. To say he didn’t like Jerry Lewis was an epic understatement.

He wasn’t alone, of course. I once spoke with a woman who was doing a program on Jerry; she was calling my dad’s apartment and I happened to be there, going through his things. I told her my father had passed away, and she asked me if I knew how he’d felt about Jerry Lewis. She said, and I quote: “People tend to feel one of two ways about him — they either think he walks on water, or they want to hold him under water.” I laughed and assured her that my father belonged in the latter category.

Anyway… while going through a chest of drawers, I found a fun little souvenir. (A few of you who know me in person have seen this; most of you have not. And I apologize in advance for the dreadful picture quality.) It was a cigarette lighter, with a caricature of Jerry Lewis plus his signature on the front.

(My thumb is over the top of it for a reason.) I turned it over, and saw that Jerry had taken something sharp and scratched the date and a message:

The date was “12/8/67.” The message is a little weird — personally, “To Eddie, love, Jerry” would have made more sense. (Always a proofreader, that’s me.)

But let’s go back to the front of the lighter. Apparently, after receiving this gift, my father scratched in a little message of his own.

Did I mention my father didn’t like Jerry Lewis? 😀 (He did like Dean, though.)

I still can’t look at this thing without cracking up. Ah, Dad, I miss you.

And speaking of my book, I’d like to give Hermione a huge THANK YOU for this. ♥

Happy Hump Day!

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