***Spoiler Alert*** People hating on this movie are not true JL fans. This film may not be on par with his magnum opus, 1963's "The Nutty Professor" and everything he did afterwards should be viewed in that light. However, "The Big Mouth" is comedy gold; especially the scenes involving fellow comedy-legend, the rubber-faced, double-talking, cross-eyed manic magic of Charlie Callas. Heck, the 3 parts where Lewis hides out from the Mob inside a kabuki theater, onstage joining the cast in full kabuki-makeup, ad-libbing gibberish Japanese lines is absolutely side-splitting entertainment and still makes me convulse in laughter 50 years later.

Jerry died yesterday at age 91, God rest his soul. Do yourself a favor and go rent the underrated 1967's "Big Mouth", and watch a comic legend at his finest.

I read the reviews for this film before I tried watching and I found my reaction was somewhere in the middle. Some described it as being among Jerry Lewis' worst films, though I think films like "Which Way to the Front?", "Cracking Up", "Slapstick of Another Kind" and "Three on a Couch" are much, much worse. And, it certainly is no work of great genius like some have said. It's a decent little time-passer with a few faults.

When the film begins, Jerry is fishing and somehow hooks onto someone in a wetsuit. The guy ends up being a gangster who could be Jerry's double and he tells Jerry about some hidden loot. As for Jerry, he wants to do the right thing and tries to get police and others to listen to his account of catching the man...but no one seems willing to listen. And, as for the gangsters who shot the man Jerry caught, they are now looking for the fisherman because they think the dead man must have told him about the money. Despite this being the theme, the movie is almost plot less at times, a bit like "The Bellboy"...which isn't all bad since this earlier Lewis film is among his best. Now I am not saying all the silliness or Jerry's dressing up like the Nutty Professor work most of the time...but it is pleasant and diverting during much of the film. Overall, no bomb nor work of genius but a generally decent little film that will offer a few laughs...just a few. There certainly could have been more laughs and Charlie Callas was simply awful...but fortunately he was only used sparingly in the picture. Also awful was Lewis' embarrassingly bad imitation of Japanese folks...a definite low- point in the film...or in any film that came out that year.

By the way, look quickly and you might spot Rob Reiner in his film debut. You'll also see Colonel Sanders...though he is pretty obvious!