Back in 1957, Dean Martin wasn’t thrilled when Jerry Lewis handed him the role of a uniformed police officer in their movie The Delicate Delinquent. “Dean said, ‘We’re partners. I should at least be a detective!’” Deana Martin, Dean's daughter, recalls to Closer. “But Jerry insisted, ‘No, that’s the part.’ This was the tipping point for Dean, who felt like Jerry wasn’t taking his acting career seriously anymore.”
The Breakup That Shocked Hollywood
After the legendary comedy duo of Martin & Lewis disbanded, Jerry’s star continued to shine brighter than ever. By 1959, he inked a $10 million, seven-year contract with Paramount, which was a record at the time. While the public adored Jerry for his lovable and awkward characters, there was a darker side to him that many didn’t see.
The Lonely Beginnings
Jerry was born into a family of vaudeville performers and learned how to make people laugh from a young age. “Jerry was an only child who was mostly raised by his grandmother because his parents were always away performing,” explains author Shawn Levy, who wrote King of Comedy: The Life and Art of Jerry Lewis. “His parents were so distant that they barely attended his bar mitzvah.”
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At the tender age of 19, Jerry dropped out of high school to chase his dreams as a comedian. It was during this time that he met Dean Martin, and their partnership was nothing short of magical. “They became an overnight sensation, going from earning $1,500 a week to making millions,” shares Deana Martin.
The Aftermath of Success
When the act split after a decade, Jerry’s ego and relentless work ethic took over. In just eight years, he churned out 16 films, raking in millions for the studio. His immense success made him almost immune to criticism. “Jerry’s workaholic tendencies and unchecked ego turned him into a different person,” says Deana. “He became a man who didn’t take no for an answer.”
As Jerry’s fame and fortune grew, so did his tendency to bully others. “When fame and money hit all at once, even the strongest men can lose their way,” Jerry admitted in his 2006 memoir Dean and Me: A Love Story. Those around Jerry had to walk on eggshells. In 1964, during a costume fitting for The Disorderly Orderly, Jerry made a move on actress Karen Sharpe. “He grabbed me and started fondling me. He even unzipped his pants,” Karen, now 87, recalls. “I was shocked and refused him.”
A Complex Legacy
Instead of firing Karen, Jerry forbade the entire cast and crew from speaking to her for the duration of the weeks-long filming. Women weren’t his only victims. “Jerry bullied employees, journalists, young performers, and anyone else he felt had less power than him because he could,” explains Levy. “The deep loneliness and worthlessness from his childhood never left him.”
Despite his flaws, Jerry contributed significantly to charity. For six decades, he hosted the annual Labor Day telethon for muscular dystrophy, raising approximately $2.6 billion. “Seeing kids realize there is hope gives me more joy than anything else,” Jerry once said. However, his personal life was fraught with challenges. His marriage to Patti Palmer ended in 1980 after 35 years, and their eldest son, Gary, blamed Jerry for the suicide of his brother Joseph in 2009, calling Jerry “a mean and evil person.”
When Jerry passed away, he left his sons and their children out of his will. Yet, in moments that mattered, Jerry reached out to Dean Martin. In 1987, when Dean’s son Dean Paul Martin Jr. died in a plane crash, Jerry attended the funeral but stayed in the background. “Jerry didn’t want to make it about himself,” recalls Deana. “Later, he called my dad, and they talked for an hour. He was a true friend.”
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