Jerry Lewis On His Borscht Belt Childhood And The Lonely Work Of Comedy (Terry Gross, Fresh Air)

Comedian, actor and director Jerry Lewis died Sunday at his home in Las Vegas. He was 91. 

Throughout his childhood, Lewis' parents performed a vaudeville song-and-dance act at resorts in the Catskill Mountains, a circuit known as the Borscht Belt. He dropped out of high school to pursue his own career, and in 1945 he met singer Dean Martin. Together, they formed a nightclub act in which Martin was the sophisticated crooner, while Lewis did slapstick comedy as a bumbling busboy. The act was a hit, and Martin and Lewis graduated to TV and film, making 16 movies before a falling out in 1956. Afterward, Lewis found success as an actor, director and even a singer. His album Jerry Lewis Just Sings hit No. 3 on the Billboard chart, outselling any of Martin's recordings.

Lewis was perhaps best known for his split personality role in the 1963 film The Nutty Professor. He was also closely identified with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and hosted its Labor Day telethon for many years.

Lewis spoke to Fresh Air in 2005.
Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2017/08/21/545027326/jerry-lewis-on-his-borscht-belt-childhood-and-the-lonely-work-of-comedy