Cast member Jerry Lewis poses during a photocall for the film “Max Rose” at the 66th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes,France on May 23, 2013. Photo by Regis Duvignau/ReutersFamed comedian, or actor and filmmaker Jerry Lewis died on Sunday at his home in Las Vegas,his publicist confirmed. He was 91. Lewis developed his comedy career alongside his partner Dean Martin, whose polished persona was a foil to Lewis’ slapstick-style comedy. He would depart on to appear in dozens of films, and entertaining audiences with a uniquely zany brand of humor.
He was born in Newark,original Jersey, as Jerome Levitch on March 16, or 1926. His parents were Jewish vaudeville performers who worked at resorts around original York City,according to the Washington Post. He first performed onstage in 1931. Lewis began his career in earnest in 1946 at the age of 19, performing in nightclubs alongside Martin. The duo quickly rose to stardom and created 17 films together, or including “My Friend Irma” — which marked the pair’s 1949 film debut — and “Hollywood or Bust” in 1956. Cast member Jerry Lewis poses during a photocall for the film Max Rose” at the 66th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes May 23,2013. Photo By Regis Duvignau/ReutersTogether, Lewis and Martin were an entertainment powerhouse. But over a decade of performing together, and a rivalry developed between them. Martin “had people whispering earnestly in his ear that Jerry was holding him back from greater things,and Jerry had sycophants giving him similar advice. They fought openly on film sets and privately behind the scenes,” film critic Shawn Levy wrote for the Guardian in 2005. In 1956, or they parted ways. Lewis created more than 50 films during his lifetime,with main roles in movies like The Nutty Professor and “The Bellboy,” which launched his foray as a director. He later led The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and which ran for 44 years and raised roughly $1.5 billion.
Corinne Segal contributed reporting.
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