Artist EXPOSE'            JOE E LEWIS!
                 SINGER, COMIC, LEGEND!                       THE JOKER IS WILD!          RSS FEED

      A New Tale.....Celebrates a Legend!

“I went on a diet, swore off drinking and heavy eating, and in fourteen days I lost two weeks” - JOE E LEWIS

"I don't like money actually, but it quiets the nerves."
                                         -JOE E LEWIS
                                                                             
"A friend in need is a pest." - JOE E LEWIS

"I have enough money to last me the rest of my life. As long as I don't buy anything." - JOE E LEWIS

      JOE E LEWIS  Singer, Comedian, Icon!
                           by  Stuart Leventhal

Joseph Klewan Lewis, also known as Joe E. Lewis, was born on January 12, 1902 in New York City. A very prominent comedian and singer in the 1920’s, Joe E Lewis later reinvented himself and his career in the 1950’s and 60’s, dropping singing to perform as a standup comedian. With fast, dry delivery, his jokes poked fun, mostly at himself and his lifelong battles with his vices of gambling and drinking. Lewis’s style of humor was an instant success, as his jokes hit home with many post-Great Depression, post-Prohibition Americans who could relate to Joe’s punch lines personally. Jokes like; “A man is not drunk if he can lie on the floor without hanging on.” And “I always wake up at the crack of ice.” Became staples in his shows and endeared Lewis to the working class stiffs of the times. Cementing his relationship with his audience was Joe’s fearless playful delivery of jokes that cracked on his celebrity friends from his past music career.

Here was a guy who knew intimately and still partied regularly with the Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin crowd, who were American Icons at that time period. In his act, Joe E Lewis would routinely make nonchalant references to the last time he was out drinking with his super star friends. “I’m only as drunk as the next guy.” Joe would declare. “And the guy sitting next to me is Dean Martin.” Frank, Dean and the other celebs, loved and revered Joe even more for the ribbings they took. The American night club audiences ate up Lewis’s celebrity one liners and underground Hollywood anecdotes too, partly because it helped them envision their idols as real people, plus Joe E Lewis always included himself in the ribbings.

“I told my doctor I get very tired when I go on a diet. So, he gave me pep pills. Know what happened? I ate faster.” And, “I’ve been on such a losing streak that if I had been around at the time, I would have taken General Custer and given odds.” were jokes that were easy for the public to relate to. Lewis’s signature trademark was making fun and light of his own afflictions; “I distrust camels and anyone else who can go a week without a drink.” Making light of his vices (Drinking, smoking, gambling and failure at dieting …) that a lot of the troubled public shared or at least were quite familiar with, after living through the trying times of the Great Depression, Prohibition and War, bonded Joe E Lewis to his fans quickly helping catapult Joe E Lewis into becoming an iconic symbol and one of the most famous comedians and singers in the United States. Joe E Lewis’s popularity grew to enormous proportions lasting throughout several decades.

Joe E Lewis started his career in the main cabarets of Chicago appearing at the famous Green Mill Gardens, an entertainment venue commonly frequented by many comedians, actors and celebrities of that time included Charles Chaplin, Eddie Cantor and the gangster, Al Capone.

Near the start of Lewis’s career Joe was singing at the Green Mill Gardens, earning quite well for his performance. He was offered more money to perform at a rival club, a club that was against Al Capone’s popularity and overall contentment called The Rendezvous. At the time, many lieutenants of Al Capone, owned a large portion of the Green Mill Gardens. Capone’s cronies were insisting Lewis renew his contract, in order to have him sing and perform permanently at their club. Lewis refused.  Joe did not want to renew his contract, not only because he was being offered more money by The Rendezvous, but the move would mean more exposure and be better for his career in the long run.

The rivalry between the two clubs already angered many of Capone’s lieutenants, especially Al’s top enforcer, Jack ‘Machinegun’ McGurn. Following the refusal of Lewis to re-sign, McGurn threatened Lewis with violence and a potential attack if he did not come back to the Green Mill Gardens to perform on time. McGurn was obsessed with wanting his club to be the best of the best of Chicago’s night life which meant, having the best singers, which at that time, meant having Joe E Lewis.  McGurn refused to listen to Lewis’s view that he could accomplish more in his career by going to the other rival club. The Mobster gave Lewis an ultimatum. “Come back or else.” Joe refused then went off to perform at the Rendezvous.

Three of McGurn’s henchmen stormed Lewis’s hotel apartment attacked got a hold of him and beat Lewis savagely, pounding him with their high caliber pistols in the head and then proceeded to carve his face, widely open cutting part of his left ear, throat and tongue. Lewis was so severely injured that he was hospitalized for a very long time. Joe’s recovery time was very long and delicate. He had skull fractures, mild brain damage and many other lessor but still serious injuries consistent with a severe beating. Joe was unable to speak for several years and it took almost a decade for him to properly adjust to his new lifestyle and eventually regain his confidence to attempt getting back on track with his career.

Al Capone was shocked by what McGurn had done, however, he did not call out McGurn for his actions since he was Al’s principal lieutenant. Al Capone instead gave Lewis over $10,000 in cash, in order for him to get established and start to rebuild his career once again, which Joe effectively would succeed in accomplishing, in the long run.

With a new lifestyle and the world changing around him, Lewis started once again singing in nightclubs, bars and entertainment venues; however, his overall singing talent and voice pitch were not as high quality as they were before his unfortunate showdown with the Chicago mobsters. Due to Joe’s brutal injuries, inflicted by the beating that he suffered, specifically the throat cutting, Joe was never able to fully regain his remarkable singing voice. To both his own chagrin as well as his fans, he quickly discovered his singing talent had diminished quite significantly in terms of scope.

Being a natural, true performer, Joe E Lewis, while performing, if he sensed his audience’s lack of enthusiasm, he was able to quickly and spontaneously switch gears then interject a little humor, usually using himself and sometimes even his voice as the punch line. This impromptu sense of humor, often saved what, for any other singer, would have been disastrous performance. Lewis’s impromptu comedy ability on stage as well as his caustic, yet endearing sense of humor off stage, led to colleagues and friends prompting Joe to try stand-up comedy without his singing. Audiences loved Joe E Lewis, the comedian, from day one. His career as a stand-up comedian quickly grew to be as big as his singing career had been then grew even bigger. Joe E Lewis was once again on top of the world and a complete success.

Lewis effectively flourished in the world of stand-up comedy landing some major roles on TV shows, movies and even sponsored a few entertainment shows he personally created on his own. Joe also had the chance to establish a very long lasting friendship with Frank Sinatra. Sinatra portrayed Joe E Lewis in a film called ‘The Joker is Wild’ which premiered in 1957. ‘The Joker is Wild’ was based closely on Joe’s real life ordeals. The movie went on to become one of the best gangster movies of all time. In the film, Frank Sinatra sings a classic Sammy cahn and Jimmy van Heusen number, ‘All the way’ which won an Academy Award for Best Song.

Frank Sinatra also gave Lewis a chance to uplift his dormant singing career by signing him up with his own record label, Reprise Records, in which Lewis was able to show off his singing talent and many samples of his work as a stand-up comedian.

Given his horrific ordeal at the hands of brutal mobsters, the gripping details of his long but eventual recovery and his miraculous rebirth of his show business career, plus all the ups and downs of his life, Joe E Lewis became recognized as a true iconic symbol of American culture, as well as being an example of the gangster era of the roaring twenties and the mob’s influence on America’s entertainment industry thru the 1930’s. Joe E Lewis also become an inspiration and an icon among his show business peers in both music and stand-up comedy.

Lewis was a heavy smoker, drinker and a gambler; activities that may have helped Lewis to be able to recover from his attack over a prolonged period of time. But, these vices also plagued Joe E Lewis his whole life. Lewis died on June 4, 1971 in New York City and was buried at the Cedar Park Cemetery in Emerson, New Jersey.


“Joe E Lewis kills me…In a delightful sort of way!” – Dorothy Kilgallen
“I used to only kill quarts…Now I kill gallons!” – Joe E Lewis
        *From an ad for an engagement at the Copacabana, New York City

Joe E Lewis is rumored to have been the only Chicago comedian who could make gangster Al Capone laugh. Yet it was Al Capone's top muscle man Jack (Machine Gun) McGurn who ordered Lewis's brutal near life-ending attack.

Theatrical release poster Directed by Charles Vidor Produced by Samuel J Briskin Screenplay by Oscar Saul Starring Frank Sinatra Mitzi Gaynor Jeanne Crain Eddie Albert Music by Walter Scharf Cinematography Daniel L. Fapp Editing by Everett Douglas Studio Paramount Pictures Distributed by Paramount Pictures Release date(s) September 26, 1957 (USA) Running time 126 minutes Country United States Language English Box office $3 million USA

 PRO-COMEDY-U
Joke Writing!  MORE Laughs!
Joe E Lewis mentored many stand-up comedians!

           CLASSIC
     JOE E LEWIS
          JOKES!

"They had me on the operating table all day. They looked into my stomach, my gall bladder, they examined everything inside me. Know what they decided? I need glasses."

"There is only one thing that money won't buy and that is poverty."

"It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor - As long as you've got money."

"I distrust camels, and anyone else who can go a week without a drink."

"I drink to forget I drink."

"Whenever someone asks me if I want water with my scotch, I say I'm thirsty not dirty."

"It pays to get drunk with the best people."

"I Played all the joints. In fact, I've been hangin around joints all my life. I been around so many joints I should a been an osteopath."

"The way taxes are you might as well marry for love."

"I'm still chasing girls. I don't remember what for but I'm still chasing them."

"You are only young once. But if you work it right, once is enough."

"I'm not drinking anymore. But I'm not drinking any less either."

"I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I lost was fourteen days."

"Routing for the Yankees is like routing for US Steel."

"You can lead a horse to water, but if you can get him to roll over and float on his back then you got something."

"If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."

"If you drink like a fish, don't drive. Swim."

"Phil Harris sees a psychiatrist once a week to make him stop drinking-And it works! Every Wednesday between five and six, he doesn't drink."

"Los Vegas is the only town in the country where you can have a good time without enjoying yourself."

"The way taxes are today, you might as well marry for love."

FREE QUOTES!

           JACK BENNY on JOE -
"Joe E Lewis met Harry Truman at the White House. The President asked if there was anything he could do for him. "Well," Said Joe. "I've had some bad horses lately, Mr. President. Can you get me an advance on my social security?"

     FRANK SINATRA And The Production Of 'THE JOKER IS WILD'
                                                  by Stu Leventhal

'The Joker is Wild’ is the biographical story of Actor, Comedian, Night Club Singer, Joe E Lewis who was a major attraction in nightclubs from the 1920s to the early 1950s. The bestselling book was authored by Art Cohn and publish‘ed by Random House (1955). ‘The Joker is Wild’ was adapted into a movie in the form of an American musical drama in1957, directed by Charles Vidor and starring Frank Sinatra, Mitzi Gaynor, Jeanne Crain and Eddie Albert. The movie won the 1957 Academy Award for Best Original Song, for Frank Sinatra’s heartfelt rendition of "All the Way" by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn. When the film was re-released some years later, the title was changed for a period to All the Way in order to draw off of the immense popularity of the film's theme song, which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard. In the public’s eye, the title of the song ‘All the way’ from the moment of its release would, from then on, become synonymous with Frank Sinatra’s attitude and philosophy for living life and the moxie with which Sinatra conducted himself privately and publicly.

The ambience of living life ‘All the way’ would stay with Frank Sinatra throughout the rest of his career, till the end of his life (May14, 1998). The ‘All the way’ mantra was reinforced and cemented in later years when Frank added to his repertoire, a song that would become his signature tune for eternity, ‘I did it my way’ song lyrics by Paul Anka and set to the music of the French song ‘Commed’habitude’ by Claude Francois and GillesThibault. To this day, ‘My Way’ is the most covered song in history.

Frank Sinatra read Art Cohn's best selling book and was immediately taken by Joe E Lewis’s story. When Joe E Lewis turned down a reported $150,000 from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for the film rights to his life story, Sinatra decided to buy the rights to the book himself. Variety reported in November 1955 that Paramount Pictures would finance what was, for all intents and purposes, an independent feature film which was headed by Joe E Lewis, Frank Sinatra, Director Charles Vidor and Author Art Cohn. Each of the four partners were paid a reported $400,000, along with 75% of the film's net profits. The New York Times would report that Sinatra's share was in the region of $125,000 along with 25% of the film's profits.

The Joker Is Wild opened to mostly favorable reviews:

Los Angeles Times reviewer Philip K Scheuer. “Sinatra catches the bitter inner restlessness almost too well…When Lewis, highball in hand, is reciting them [the drunk monologues] his natural clown’s grin takes the curse off their cynicism. From Sinatra, the gags come out bitter and barbed.”

Films and Filming reviewer, Gordon Gow, “One consolation in the glossy gloom of this downbeat drama is that Frank Sinatra has sufficient talent and taste to break through the wall of embarrassment that is bound to arise between an audience and the film case-history of an un-anonymous alcoholic.”

Variety commented on the “Major job Sinatra does…alternately sympathetic and pathetic. Funny and sad.”

Sinatra and Lewis became very close friends during the filming of the movie and their friendship lasted many years after, until their deaths. “I've always thought Lewis was one of only about four or five great artists in this century - one of them was Jolson - and I remember him screaming like the devil when he made a soundtrack." (from All the Way: A Biography of Frank Sinatra)

Joe E Lewis used to enjoy chiding Frank with comments like, "You (Sinatra) had more fun playing my life than I had living it."

    The Joker Is Wild - (1957) Paramount Pictures Corp. A.M.B.L. Productions

Cast:

Frank Sinatra as Joe E. Lewis          Mitzi Gaynor as Martha Stewart
Jeanne Crain as Letty Page              Eddie Albert as Austin Mack
Beverly Garland as Cassie Mack      Jackie Coogan as Swifty Morgan

Barry Kelley as Captain Hugh McCarthy
Ted de Corsia as Georgie Parker     Leonard Graves as Tim Coogan
Valerie Allen as Flora, Chorine         Hank Henry as Burlesque Comedian

Storyline
Frank Sinatra plays Joe E. Lewis, a famous singer turned comedian of the 1930s-50s working the night club circuit. The movie opens in gangster run Chicago in the midst of Prohibition. Joe E Lewis is a young, talented singer performing in speakeasies managed by the Mob. Joe’s main, steady gig is singing at the 777 Club a speakeasy owned by Gangster Georgie Parker, where Joe has begun to build a nice following and is fast gaining a reputation as a fine performer. Joe’s popularity comes to the attention of another Mobster from a different mob family who owns the Valencia a classy night club on the other side of town. The owner of the Valencia offers Joe the high liner spot if he comes to sing at his place. Mobster Georgie Parker (played by Ted De Corsia) warns his lead singer not to try to leave his club to sing for his competitor. “This is America.” Joe declares. “I got a right to sing where ever I want.”

“You got a right to die where ever you want.” Is the reply Joe gets.

Ignoring his current employer’s threat Joe goes to sing at the classy, Valencia night club taking his piano player Austin Mack (played by Eddie Albert) with him. Mobster Georgie Parker quickly sends his thugs to kill Lewis. Lewis miraculously survives a brutal attack but his vocal cords are cut and he cannot sing. Several years later, his buddy tracks him down, discovering Lewis has been supporting himself by playing the comedic stooge in low budget vaudeville acts. Joe’s buddy tries to help him rejuvenate his singing career with little success but while on stage, Joe is unable to hit the big notes. Realizing he’s losing his audience, Joe attempts to sway them by tossing out a few jokes and discovers he’s got a natural talent for improvisation comedy. Slowly as his confidence grows Joe’s act becomes more and more about jokes interspersed with his singing. Lewis meets Letty Page (played by Jeanne Crain). They fall in love and Letty inspires Joe to follow up on an offer to become a standup comedian. Lewis rebuilds his show business career but never quite gets over his addiction problems; smoking, drinking and gambling which he developed during his long recovery period after his attack, while he was falling in and out of bouts of self-doubt and depression. Ironically his addictions became the basis for the punch lines he uses in his comedy routine which help to make Joe a smash success. Unfortunately, the addictions also work to wreak havoc in his personal life.

In the Michael Freedland biography of Frank Sinatra, All the Way, Film Composer, Walter Scharf recalled that the filming of The Joker Is Wild centered completely around Sinatra's schedule: "We did things the French way - which sounds a lot more sexy than it really is. It meant that we started work at noon and worked through to about seven in the evening." Not everyone liked this routine since it often meant missing dinner with their own families but Sinatra laid down the law, saying "My theory is, actors are creators. Anyone else who creates something is allowed to do it when he wants to. What we have to do - playing a love scene, for example - is difficult to do at nine a.m. I work better, sing better, later in the day. That's why I only record at night."

For all of the musical numbers in the film, Sinatra demanded that they be recorded live in a real nightclub in order to capture the spontaneity of the performance. Lip-synching was not acceptable to him. "When I do a concert and someone coughs, I like that," Sinatra remarked. "I like the scraping of chairs. You get the feeling that it's really happening.” (from All the Way: A Biography of Frank Sinatra.)

As for Sinatra's performance as Lewis, Scharf noted that the singer "was consciously studying Joe E. Lewis. He finished sentences with a question mark. He would take an adverb and use it as something he would say afterwards." He certainly captures the comedian's cynical side on stage with such cutting lines as "A friend in need is a pest" or makes light of his own alcoholism with such famous remarks as "You're not drunk enough if you can still lie on the floor without hanging on." In fact, the least convincing aspect of The Joker Is Wild is Sinatra's recreation of Lewis's stage act; it's more likely to arouse pity than laughter. Jokes about inebriation, hangovers and gambling might have been funny during Prohibition but now they seem like desperate cries for help. Certainly what works best in the film is Sinatra's morose self-pity and despair which hits a peak in an early scene when he returns to consciousness after his hospital ordeal. Seeing his bandaged head and barely able to speak, the full impact of what has happened to him hits and he begins to claw at the door, moaning like a wounded animal. It's as powerful a moment as anything he did in From Here to Eternity or The Man with the Golden Arm (1955).

The final scene in The Joker Is Wild is anti-climactic in more ways than one. Talking to his reflection in a glass window, Lewis vows to clean up his act and stop drinking after his wife has left him. In real life, Lewis never quite managed to quit the bottle.

Sinatra sings his heart out in The Joker Is Wild which includes Frank's versions of such popular standards as "I Cried For You," "If I Could Be With You," "Chicago," "Swinging on a Star," and "Out of Nowhere." Unfortunately two songs were omitted because of their sexually suggestive lyrics - "Greatest Little Sign in the World" by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn and "The Bird Song" by Ben Oakland and Eddie Maxwell.

In addition to Sinatra, The Joker Is Wild is well cast with particular standout roles for Eddie Albert as his loyal accompanist Austin, Beverly Garland as Austin's no-nonsense wife Cassie, Jeanne Crain as Letty Page, the beautiful socialite that Lewis drives away, and Mitzi Gaynor as Martha, a chorus girl who becomes Lewis's wife.

The Joker Is Wild opened to generally favorable reviews with most critics praising Sinatra's performance. Los Angeles Times reviewer Phillip K. Scheuer wrote that Sinatra "catches the bitter inner restlessness almost too well...When Lewis, highball in hand, is reciting them [the drunk monologues] his natural clown's grin takes the curse off their cynicism; from Sinatra the gags come out bitter and barbed." And Gordon Gow in Films and Filming noted that "One consolation in the glossy gloom of this downbeat drama is that Frank Sinatra has sufficient talent and taste to break through the wall of embarrassment that is bound to arise between an audience and the film case-history of an unanonymous alcoholic."

‘The Joker Is Wild’ features one of Sinatra's best dramatic performances since his 1953 career comeback in From Here to Eternity. Watching the movie, one can’t help noticing the parallels between Joe E. Lewis, the gangland connected entertainer Frank Sinatra portrays and rumors of Sinatra’s own possible connection to the Mafia that surfaced throughout his career.

*Fans can catch a glimpse of the real Joe E. Lewis, performing as Lancelot Pringle McBiff in the 1942 army musical, Private Buckaroo or playing himself in the Frank Sinatra detective drama, Lady in Cement (1968).