''The Delicate Delinquent'' is an American

VistaVision VistaVision is a higher resolution, widescreen variant of the 35 mm motion picture film format which was created by engineers at Paramount Pictures in 1954. Paramount never used anamorphic processes such as 2.55: 1, CinemaScope but refi ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

starring

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

, released on June 6, 1957 by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. It was the first film to star Lewis without his longtime partner

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

and marked Lewis' debut as a producer and screenwriter.

Plot

Janitor Sidney L. Pythias is mistaken for a gang member and arrested along with three juvenile delinquents, Artie, Monk and Harry. Police officer Mike Damon believes that he can help a wayward youth as a cop had once done for him. He is given a month by Captain Riley to set a boy straight, provided that he allow socialite Martha Henshaw assist him in the effort. Sidney's secret ambition is to be a policeman. He also wants to impress Patricia, a student nurse who lives in his building, by making something of himself. Mike and Martha bicker while working with Sidney, who is permitted to attend the police academy, over the objections of Artie, Monk and Harry. Artie is accidentally shot by a gun in Sidney's possession, endangering his future with the police force, but it is Monk who is responsible. Cleared of all blame, Sidney becomes a cop, determined to set a good example for youths, while Mike and Martha fall in love.

Cast

as Sidney Pythias *

Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...

as Mike Damon *

Martha Hyer Martha Hyer (August 10, 1924 – May 31, 2014) was an American actress who played Gwen French in ''Some Came Running'' (1958), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her autobiography, ''Finding My Way ...

as Martha Henshaw *

Horace McMahon Horace McMahon (May 17, 1906 – August 17, 1971) was an American actor. He was one of Hollywood's favorite heavies. McMahon began his acting career on Broadway, then appeared in many films and television series. In 1962, he received a P ...

as Capt. Riley * Mary Webster as Patricia *

Richard Bakalyan Richard Bakalyan (January 29, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor who started his career playing juvenile delinquents in his first several films. Early life Richard Bakalyan was born on January 29, 1931, in Watertown, Massachuset ...

as Artie *

Robert Ivers Robert Ivers, also known as Bob Ivers, (December 11, 1934 – February 13, 2003) was an American actor who appeared in films and television in the 1950s and 1960s. Background Ivers was born in Seattle, Washington. He attended Tucson High Schoo ...

as Monk * Joseph Corey as Harry *

Emory Parnell Emory Parnell (December 29, 1892 – June 22, 1979) was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career. Early years Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Parnell trained as a musician at Morningside ...

as Sgt. Levitch *

Frank Gorshin Frank John Gorshin Jr. (April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He made many guest appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ''Tonight Starring Steve Allen''. As an actor, he played the Riddler on the ...

as Wise Guy on Street *

The Great Togo (January 11, 1946 – November 28, 2016) was a Japanese professional wrestler. He was an executive director of Pro Wrestling Noah. Sumo career In July 1961, Haruka Eigen began wrestling as a sumo. He was part of the Tatsunami stable. He quit su ...

as himself

Production

*''The Delicate Delinquent'' was filmed from September 5 through October 12 of 1956 and is based upon a script entitled ''Damon and Pythias'' inspired by the

Damon and Pythias The story of Damon (; grc-gre, Δάμων, gen. Δάμωνος) and Pythias (; or ; or Phintias, ) is a legend in Greek historic writings illustrating the Pythagorean ideal of friendship. Pythias is accused of and charged with plotting against ...

legend.

stepped in to fill the role of a police officer that was originally written for Dean Martin, who refused to play the role, ending the

Martin and Lewis Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis. They met in 1945 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Martin w ...

partnership. Although the credits show a copyright date of 1956, the film was released the following year, a common practice in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

. *Lewis, who also produced the film, played a juvenile, although he was 30 years old at the time. *The romantic interest was provided mainly by actress

, who in 1966 married

Hal B. Wallis Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing '' Casablanca'' (1942), '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and ''True Grit'' (1969), along ...

, producer of the

films. Hyer's wardrobe was created by longtime Paramount costumer designer

Edith Head Edith Head (October 28, 1897 – October 24, 1981) was an American costume designer who won a record eight Academy Awards for Best Costume Design between 1949 and 1973, making her the most awarded woman in the Academy's history. Head is consi ...

. *Comedian/impressionist

makes an early dramatic appearance as a gang member.

Box office

The film cost just under $500,000 to produce, but it grossed about $6 million.

Re-release

''The Delicate Delinquent'' was rereleased in 1962 on a double bill with another Lewis film, '' The Sad Sack'' (1957).

Home media

The film was released on DVD on October 12, 2004 and again on July 22, 2019.

References

External links

* * *
''The Delicate Delinquent''
at

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delicate Delinquent, The 1957 films 1957 comedy films American comedy films American black-and-white films Films about juvenile delinquency Films set in New York City Paramount Pictures films Films based on classical mythology Films produced by Jerry Lewis 1950s English-language films 1950s American films