Smorgasbord (Cracking Up)

media release: PG, 1983, 83 min. 

Director: Jerry Lewis

Cast: Jerry Lewis, Foster Brooks, Milton Berle

Jerry Lewis’ last vehicle as director and star is a gleefully chaotic collection of sketches packed with inspired physical antics and absurd situations. From a hilariously over-waxed doctor’s office to a restaurant nightmare to a wildly digressive scene depicting surgery without anesthetic, the film delivers one inventive gag after another with the fearless energy of Lewis’ early comedies. Long overlooked because of poor distribution, Smorgasbord is proudly presented by the Cinematheque in honor of the comedy legend’s centennial.