FirstWitch
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Deanna
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Janis
One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
SnoopyStyle
Malcolm Smith (Jerry Lewis) wins a car in a lottery but degenerate gambler Steve Wiley (Dean Martin) scams the contest with a counterfeit ticket. Malcolm is a dedicated fan of famed actress Anita Ekberg driving across the country to Hollywood. Steve pretends to be her neighbor and joins him on the drive. Steve fails to steal the car and they lose it to an armed old lady. They get the car back and pick up aspiring dancer Terry Roberts on her way to Vegas.This is the final movie for this legendary pairing. Things got so bad that the guys barely conversed off screen. They are still very professional in their performances. I'm sure their split affected the critical reception at the time. This has the broad comedy and song singing that one expects from this duo. It is not that offensive except for the native stopover and various old fashion stuff. Much of it is a picturesque travelogue. It is not the deepest of movies but one wouldn't expect one here.
JKlein9823
I caught this on YouTube soon after the great Jerry Lewis passed away. I always love to read the "backstories" about films, so I read about it in Wikipedia and IMDb before I watched it. This was the comedy team's final film, and the two barely spoke to each other off camera during the shoot. You can't tell that from the finished film, because the chemistry between the two is there. Because the version I saw on YouTube turned off the audio whenever there was a song (for music copyright reasons), I can't comment on the music, but I am sure that it was good. Enjoyable, frothy comedy.
MartinHafer
This is the final Martin & Lewis film before their breakup. It begins with gambler Dean getting in trouble for gambling debts and the mob sends a tough guy (Maxie Rosenbloom) to beat him up unless he pays. However, instead of paying him off, Dean convinces Maxie to wait, as he's got a scheme to steal a brand-new convertible--thus paying off his debt and then some. It seems that these is a car giveaway at the local movie theater and Dean had the same printer make an extra set of tickets--then he can claim the prize. He figures that whenever there's a raffle, the winning ticket isn't usually the first or second one drawn, as many ticket holders don't bother to come to the theater. But, unfortunately, his plan falls apart when the winning ticket holder IS there (Jerry) and the two men both try to claim the prize. Instead of giving them two cars, the theater owner says they should share the car--and Dean plans on just stealing it the first chance he gets. So, Dean convinces movie-crazy Jerry to go with him to Hollywood so he can introduce him to Anita Ekberg (not a bad plan, as MOST heterosexual men in 1956 would quickly fall for this angle!). Naturally, however, the plan does NOT go smoothly and there are comic situations galore--thanks in many cases to Mr. Bascom (see the movie to find out more about him) and better than normal writing.This is the only Martin & Lewis film I hadn't seen up to today and I always expected it to be terrible. After all, the team soon broke up and reportedly the two couldn't stand each other and barely spoke during production. But you really couldn't see this in the finished product--a clever movie with some nice gags. It also has a nice, leisurely pace that works well--surprisingly well. Considering the end product is so good and the film relies less than normal on Jerry's over-the-top histrionics than many of their films, it's a shame they went their separate ways. In a few cases, however, Jerry's shtick went on way, way too long was the over-acted bullfight scene and his expressions during the craps game. Still, a nice blend of comedy, music and romance--I wish I'd seen this one sooner. Certainly not great but quite enjoyable.In Las Vegas, be sure to keep a close eye on the marquees they pass on their way through town.
Petri Pelkonen
Dean Martin plays Steve Wiley, a gambler with bad debts and Jerry Lewis is Malcolm Smith, a huge movie lover who wants to go to Hollywood to meet Anita Ekberg.And then there is a car raffle where Steve wins a car with a fake ticket and Malcolm wins it with a real one.So they're both off to Hollywood with Malcolm's dog Great Dane and Terry Roberts (Pat Crowley), a girl they meet along the way.A very pretty lady, if I may add.By the way, Dean Martin's daughters Claudia, Deana and Gail can be seen in the movie.Frank Tashlin's Hollywood or Bust (1956) is a good and funny comedy which offers you some good laughs.One good and funny scene is where Jerry sings the song of the dog food commercial and then there's of course the one where the dog goes for a ride with the car.A dog behind the wheel is always funny.This was the last movie Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis did together.There were personal conflicts that ended the relationship.They were such a hilarious duo and they did lots of great films together.But as you know,nothing lasts forever.Luckily they didn't stay as enemies forever.In 1976 Frank Sinatra reunited them on stage and they stayed as friends till Dean's death in 1995.While making this film there was lots of anger between them but you can hardly see it.This isn't all time best of Martin and Lewis but it's very enjoyable anyway.Jerry Lewis has said he hasn't seen Hollywood or Bust because it's much too painful for him to watch.Good movie, bad memories.
