It may not be a tale as old as time, but the story of the weird professor who decides to dose himself with a special potion in order to make himself more attractive to his crush is one that seems to have a particular currency.
Though the 1996 film starring Eddie Murphy is the one that many people these days are familiar with, there was an earlier version that starred (and was directed by) the very famous comedian Jerry Lewis. Each of them has certain things that are particularly enjoyable about them, and each of them is hilarious in its own right.
JERRY LEWIS: The Library Of Congress
The Jerry Lewis version of The Nutty Professor is not only thought by many to be one of the best performances put on by Jerry Lewis it was also chosen to be included in the Library of Congress as part of the National Film Registry. Thus, it’s not just that the film is truly hilarious (though it is); it’s also recognized as an important film, as one that has had an influence on subsequent filmmaking (it was even adapted into a stage musical in 2012). It was inducted in 2004.
EDDIE MURPHY: The Many Faces of Eddie Murphy
One of the most noteworthy things about the 1996 version of the film is the fact that Eddie Murphy played no fewer than seven characters. In addition to his sexy alter ego Buddy Love, he also portrays most of the members of Professor Klump’s family. Of course, it’s no secret that Eddie Murphy is a comic genius, able to evoke laughter with almost every performance. In this role, he shows that he’s also able to transform into several distinct characters with such ease that all you can do is sit down and admire him.
JERRY LEWIS: The Zany Energy of Jerry Lewis
As brilliant a comedian as Eddie Murphy is, one also has to pay respect to Jerry Lewis. Though a lot of younger audiences might not know him very well, during his heyday in the era of classic Hollywood, he was known as one of the best comedy actors around. He was especially well-known for his partnership with Dean Martin, and between the two of them they would star in several critically and commercially successful comedies. Lewis would go on to be very successful in a number of other venues, including raising awareness for muscular dystrophy.
EDDIE MURPHY: Jada Pinkett Smith—Enough Said
What can you say about Jada Pinkett Smith? She’s one of those actresses that manages to elevate whatever material she appears in, and that is certainly the case with The Nutty Professor. Though of course Eddie Murphy is the highlight of the film, Smith also is positively radiant as Eddie Murphy’s love interest. Not only is she a truly radiant stage presence, you can’t deny that Smith also has a wicked sense of comic timing. She truly is a treasure in this film, and in every other film and television series in which she has appeared.
JERRY LEWIS: The Joys of Classic Hollywood
For a lot of people today, classic Hollywood conveys a certain kind of film, one that their parents and grandparents might have watched. The 1962 The Nutty Professor is very much a product of the classic Hollywood era, though by the time it came out the old system was already on its last legs.
However, it is precisely its old-time feel that makes the film such a joy to watch, a reminder of the sorts of comedies that films used to make, a little drop of nostalgia for those who want to experience the past.
EDDIE MURPHY: The Strangeness of the Nineties
On the flip side of the time question, the 1996 version of The Nutty Professor is very much a product of the 1990s. It was one of those glorious times in Hollywood when people of color were starring in a lot of their own films. At the same time, its comedy is also very much of the time. There’s a lot of sort of gross-out comedy involved, a reminder of what it is that people found funny in the years before the turn of the millennium. Thankfully, the film has still aged well and is still a joy to watch.
JERRY LEWIS: Buddy Love and Dean Martin
Though Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis starred in several films together and had a rich and productive partnership, when they parted ways in the middle of the 1950s it was anything but amicable. Small wonder, then, that rumor has it that Dean Martin makes a bit of an oblique appearance in the film as Buddy Love, the libidinous (and rather obnoxious) alter ego of Professor Kelp. Lewis insisted that this particular claim isn’t true, but one wonders if the gentleman doth protest too much. Then again, maybe Buddy Love is just another aspect of Lewis’s personality.
EDDIE MURPHY: The Earthy Humor of Eddie Murphy
One of the highlights of the 1996 film is the particularly earthy humor that Eddie Murphy brings to his role, both as the main character of Professor Klump as well as the members of his family. There is a particular moment at the dinner table in which the family engages in a flatulent contest that is, somehow, both simultaneously both hilarious and disgusting. While this particular brand of humor may not be to everyone’s taste, somehow Eddie Murphy makes it work. Sometimes, when a star has charisma, they can get away with anything.
JERRY LEWIS: Inspiring The Simpsons
One of the most recognizable and hilarious characters in The Simpsons universe is Professor Frink, the rather strange but brilliant scientist. Anyone who has seen The Nutty Professor will recognize many of Professor Frink’s mannerisms.
More than that, there are several episodes in which Professor Frink, like Professor Kelp, becomes a sexier version of himself. In a bit of a quirk of fate, Jerry Lewis actually makes an appearance in The Simpsons. In fact, he plays the voice of Professor Frink’s father. You have to love the cleverness of The Simpsons.
EDDIE MURPHY: Best Makeup
Though Eddie Murphy’s performance is part of what makes The Nutty Professor such a hilarious film, even the best performance needs the help and support of makeup artists to bring these characterizations to life. That is certainly the case in this film, in which the makeup allows Murphy to transform into several members of the Klump family. In fact, the makeup was so well-regarded that it was awarded the Best Makeup Oscar at the 69th Academy Awards, beating out other films Ghosts of Mississippi and Star Trek—First Contact. Not too shabby for a comedy!
