The Sad Sack

1957 film by George Marshall

For similarly named articles, see Sad Sack (disambiguation).

The Sad Sack

Original film poster

Directed by| George Marshall
Written by| George Baker
Edmund Beloin
Nate Monaster
Produced by| Hal B. Wallis
Starring| Jerry Lewis
David Wayne
Phyllis Kirk
Peter Lorre
Cinematography| Loyal Griggs
Edited by| Archie Marshek
Music by| Walter Scharf
Distributed by| Paramount Pictures

Release date

* November 27, 1957 (1957-11-27)

Running time

| 95 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $1.1 million[1]
Box office| $3.5 million (US rentals)[2][3]
1,878,519 admissions (France)[4]

The Sad Sack is a 1957 American comedy film based on the Harvey Comics character of the same title, created by George Baker. The film stars Jerry Lewis and Peter Lorre and was released by Paramount Pictures.

## Plot

[edit]

Private Meredith Bixby simply cannot fall in line with army procedure, even though he has had 17 months of training. A psychologist is assigned to turn him into a good soldier, so she enlists two fellow servicemen to help Bixby with his training. About the only thing that he can do right is remember things with his photographic memory.

Eventually they are assigned to a base in Morocco. One night they all head off to a bar where Bixby gets drunk on "Moroccan Delights", which he thinks are malteds. He gets involved with a femme fatale and is kidnapped by some Arabian renegades.

Abdul guards Bixby and makes him assemble a stolen cannon, knowing that Bixby had already memorized the assembly instructions back at the base. Bixby is eventually rescued by his fellow soldiers and they are all presented with medals of honor. However, when Bixby mishandles a rifle that suddenly goes off, he damages the drinking glasses of the General and two visiting French officers. The trio (who are drinking a toast) are not hurt, but misfit Bixby gets punished with KP duty, peeling potatoes.

## Cast

[edit]

* Jerry Lewis as Pvt. Bixby
* Phyllis Kirk as Maj. Shelton
* Peter Lorre as Abdul
* Liliane Montevecchi as Zita
* David Wayne as Corp. Dolan
* Joe Mantell as Pvt. Wenaslavsky
* Gene Evans as Sgt. Pulley
* Shepperd Strudwick as Maj. Vanderlip
* Mary Treen as Sgt. Hansen

## Production

[edit]

The film is based upon George Baker's comic book character. Hal B. Wallis purchased the film rights with the intention that the project would star the comedy team Martin and Lewis, but they split up before filming began. The Sad Sack was shot between March 18 and May 31, 1957 and released on November 27. It was re-released in 1962 as a double feature with another Jerry Lewis vehicle, The Delicate Delinquent, the first two films Lewis made without Dean Martin.

## Reception

[edit]

A Variety reviewer said that "the title, a hint of what the picture is about, and Jerry Lewis as star, communicate the message about this new Hal B. Wallis production. It's the old army game, done over. But it's fun. Not any imaginative explorations. Relying on the type of zanyism with which Lewis is readily identified. Fun for those who go for it".[5] Harold Whitehead of The Montreal Gazette said that "fans of his particular brand of comedy will undoubtedly have a fine time watching this film".[6]

On the other hand, Bosley Crowther of The New York Times had this to say:

> Those who remember Sad Sack, the cartooned G. I. of World War II whose troubles, as sketched by George Baker in Yank, were solace for many a soldier boy, will look in vain for that sweet character in the film that goes by his name and that came yesterday to Loew's State. Old Sad Sack is nowhere to be seen.

> Rather, the fellow here encountered is a blithe, bumbling, modern-day draftee who looks for all the world like Jerry Lewis in At War With the Army—and virtually is. That is to say, he's Mr. Lewis in a standard rumpled Army uniform, blinking his eyes, creasing his mouth, scratching his noggin and generally behaving like a fool. The major difference is that Dean Martin is not in this picture as a foil, and the story ends up in Morocco. No improvement whatsoever is noticeable.

> The only bit that reminded us remotely of Sad Sack is a fairly funny scene in which Mr. Lewis is put on "the couch" in the office of a Women's Army Corps psychiatrist. His mistaken suppositions of what's intended is somewhat like the famed anxieties of the old boy.

> For the rest, this loose-jointed service slapstick is a bundle of well-worn gags played around the forever fumbling G. I. who becomes the big hero in the clutch. There are forays in a WAC dormitory, encounters with the sergeant and a snarl with villainous gun-runners in Morocco. Mr. Lewis' partners are David Wayne and Joe Mantell. Female factors are Liliane Montevecchi as a big-eyed Moroccan dancing girl and Phyllis Kirk as the WAC "head-shrinker".

> All in all, it's a pretty feeble farce.[7]

## See also

[edit]

* List of American films of 1957

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "New York Sound Track". Variety. September 3, 1958. p. 30. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
2. ^ "Top Grosses of 1957". Variety. 8 January 1958. p. 30.
3. ^ "Top Grossers of 1958". Variety. 7 January 1959. p. 48. Please note figures are for US and Canada only and are domestic rentals accruing to distributors as opposed to theatre gross
4. ^ Jerry Lewis films French box office information at Box Office Story
5. ^ "Film Reviews: The Sad Sack". Variety. October 23, 1957. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
6. ^ Whitehead, Harold. "Sad Sack - Capitol". The Montreal Gazette. No. December 28, 1957. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
7. ^ Crowther, Bosley (November 28, 1957). "Screen: Jerry Lewis as 'The Sad Sack'". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 December 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* The Sad Sack at IMDb
* The Sad Sack at the TCM Movie Database

* v
* t
* e

Films based on Harvey Comics

Single films|

* The Sad Sack (1957)
* Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure (1999)

Franchises|

| Casper the Friendly Ghost|

| Live-action|

* Casper (1995)
* Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997)
* Casper Meets Wendy (1998)

|

Animated|

* Casper's Haunted Christmas (2000)
* Casper's Scare School (2006)

Richie Rich|

* Richie Rich (1994)
* Richie Rich's Christmas Wish (1998)

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by George Marshall

* The Committee on Credentials (1916)
* Love's Lariat (1916)
* A Woman's Eyes (1916)
* The Devil's Own (1916)
* The Man from Montana (1917)
* The Midnight Flyer (1918)
* The Adventures of Ruth (1919)
* Ruth of the Rockies (1920)
* Prairie Trails (1920)
* After Your Own Heart (1921)
* The Jolt (1921)
* The Lady from Longacre (1921)
* Hands Off! (1921)
* A Ridin' Romeo (1921)
* Why Trust Your Husband? (1921)
* Smiles Are Trumps (1922)
* Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande (1923)
* Where is This West? (1923)
* Men in the Raw (1923)
* The Back Trail (1924)
* Pack Up Your Troubles (1932)
* Their First Mistake (1932)
* Towed in a Hole (1932)
* Ever Since Eve (1934)
* Wild Gold (1934)
* She Learned About Sailors (1934)
* 365 Nights in Hollywood (1934)
* Life Begins at 40 (1935)
* $10 Raise (1935)
* Music Is Magic (1935)
* In Old Kentucky (1935)
* Show Them No Mercy! (1935)
* Can This Be Dixie? (1936)
* A Message to Garcia (1936)
* The Crime of Dr. Forbes (1936)
* Nancy Steele Is Missing! (1937)
* Love Under Fire (1937)
* The Goldwyn Follies (1938)
* Battle of Broadway (1938)
* You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939)
* Destry Rides Again (1939)
* The Ghost Breakers (1940)
* When the Daltons Rode (1940)
* Pot o' Gold (1941)
* Texas (1941)
* Valley of the Sun (1942)
* The Forest Rangers (1942)
* Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
* Riding High (1943)
* True to Life (1943)
* And the Angels Sing (1944)
* Murder, He Says (1945)
* Incendiary Blonde (1945)
* Hold That Blonde! (1945)
* The Blue Dahlia (1946)
* Monsieur Beaucaire (1946)
* The Perils of Pauline (1947)
* Variety Girl (1947)
* Hazard (1948)
* Tap Roots (1948)
* My Friend Irma (1949)
* Fancy Pants (1950)
* Never a Dull Moment (1950)
* A Millionaire for Christy (1951)
* The Savage (1952)
* Off Limits (1953)
* Scared Stiff (1953)
* Houdini (1953)
* Money from Home (1953)
* Red Garters (1954)
* Duel in the Jungle (1954)
* Destry (1954)
* The Second Greatest Sex (1955)
* Pillars of the Sky (1956)
* Beyond Mombasa (1956)
* The Guns of Fort Petticoat (1957)
* The Sad Sack (1957)
* The Sheepman (1958)
* Imitation General (1958)
* The Mating Game (1959)
* It Started with a Kiss (1959)
* The Gazebo (1959)
* Cry for Happy (1961)
* The Happy Thieves (1961)
* How the West Was Won (1962)
* Papa's Delicate Condition (1963)
* Dark Purpose (1964)
* Advance to the Rear (1964)
* Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966)
* Eight on the Lam (1967)
* The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz (1968)
* Hook, Line & Sinker (1969)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template