Living It Up
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Living It Up
Plot
The 1954 Martin-and-Lewis romp Living It Up is an amusing remake of the 1937 comedy classic Nothing Sacred. More specifically, it is the film version of the Broadway musical Hazel Flagg, which was based on Nothing Sacred. The heroine of the original undergoes a sex change to become feckless Homer Flagg (Jerry Lewis), who is led to believe that he's dying of radiation poisoning. Manhattan newspaperwoman Wally Cook (Janet Leigh), hoping to improve circulation of her paper, convinces her boss, Oliver Stone (Fred Clark), to fete Homer as a hero with an all-expenses-paid trip to the Big Apple. Meanwhile, Homer learns from local doctor Steve (Dean Martin) that he isn't dying at all. But Steve talks Homer into taking advantage of the celebrity treatment bestowed on him by Wally, and a good time is had by all -- until medical specialist Dr. Egelhofer (Sig Rumann) insists upon examining Homer. Highlights include a hilarious bit at Yankee Stadium, and an energetic jitterbug number featuring Jerry Lewis and Sheree North. The handful of songs retained from Hazel Flagg include "Every Street's a Boulevard in Old New York." ~ Hal Erickson, RoviReview
Definitely inferior to its original source (the classic Nothing Sacred), Living It Up is nevertheless a tuneful and diverting little film. Fans of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis will find a great deal to enjoy, while their detractors will at least admit that Living has the benefit of being based upon a fine source and featuring some pleasant Jule Styne tunes. True, Living is very much watered down from Nothing Sacred (as well as from the Broadway musical that is its immediate source); it is totally missing in the cynical irony that permeated Ben Hecht's original, as well as the genuine emotion that Hecht somehow managed to inject into the story. But the setup does provide Martin and Lewis with plenty of opportunities to do their things, while at the same time providing a strong enough framework to keep them from straying too far away from the narrative. Highlights includes a truly hilarious scene at Yankee stadium and an amazing jitterbug between Lewis and the stunning Sheree North, as well as Martin's smooth handling of the lovely "How Do you Speak to an Angel?" Lewis also scores with his trio of foreign doctors routine. Janet Leigh does well as the reporter/love interest, and there are nice bits from a solid supporting cast. Norman Taurog's direction is lively, and the result is a pleasant little bit of fluff. ~ Craig Butler, RoviCast
- Dean Martin - Dr. Steve Harris
- Jerry Lewis - Homer Flagg
- Janet Leigh - Wally Cook
- Edward Arnold - The Mayor
- Fred Clark - Oliver Stone
Credit
Albert Nozaki - Art Director, Hal Pereira - Art Director, Nick Castle - Choreography, Edith Head - Costume Designer, Michael D. Moore - First Assistant Director, Norman Taurog - Director, Archie Marshek - Editor, Walter Scharf - Composer (Music Score), Daniel L. Fapp - Cinematographer, Paul Jones - Producer, Sam Comer - Set Designer, Emile Kuri - Set Designer, John P. Fulton - Special Effects, Gene Merritt - Sound/Sound Designer, Gene Garvin - Sound/Sound Designer, Melville Shavelson - Screenwriter, Jack Rose - Screenwriter, Ben Hecht - Book Author, Jule Styne - From Musical by, James Street - Short Story Author| Living Islam: The Last Crusade (1993 Film), Living Islam: The Challenge of the Past (1993 Film) | |
| Living Judaism: Giving and Happiness (1980 Film), Living Judaism: Giving and Taking (1980 Film) |
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Living It Up
This article is about the Martin and Lewis film. For other uses, see Living It Up (disambiguation).
| Living It Up | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster |
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| Directed by | Norman Taurog |
| Produced by | Paul Jones |
| Written by | Ben Hecht Jack Rose |
| Starring | Dean Martin Jerry Lewis Janet Leigh Edward Arnold |
| Music by | Walter Scharf |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | July 23, 1954 |
| Running time | 100 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
Living It Up is a 1954 film comedy starring the team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and released by Paramount Pictures.
The film was directed by Norman Taurog and produced by Paul Jones. The screenplay by Jack Rose and Melville Shavelson was based on the 1953 musical Hazel Flagg by Ben Hecht, in turn based on the story Letter to the Editor by James H. Street.
An earlier film, Nothing Sacred, had been made in 1937 by Selznick International Pictures (released through United Artists) with Carole Lombard and Fredric March, and directed by William A. Wellman. The 1954 version had original music by Walter Scharf, cinematography by Daniel L. Fapp, art direction by Albert Nozaki and Hal Pereira, and costume design by Edith Head.
Living It Up also features Janet Leigh, Edward Arnold, Fred Clark, Sheree North, and Sig Ruman.
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Contents
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Plot
Homer Flagg is a railroad worker in the small town of Desert Hole, New Mexico. His big dream in life is to visit New York City while he is young.
One day he finds an abandoned automobile at an old atomic proving ground. His doctor and best friend, Steve Harris, diagnoses him with radiation poisoning and gives Homer three weeks to live.
A reporter for a New York newspaper, Wally Cook, hears of Homer's plight and convinces her editor, Oliver Stone, to provide an all-expenses paid trip to fulfil Homer's life-long fantasy of seeing New York.
Steve, however, realizes that he made an error and Homer is only suffering from a sinus condition. Steve agrees to keep this new diagnosis a secret after Homer begs him ... particularly after meeting the attractive reporter. Steve announces that only he can provide medical treatment to Homer and must accompany him on the trip.
New York embraces Homer and he becomes a celebrity, with everyone following his every move in the paper. Homer even makes plans to marry Wally, despite the fact that she has fallen for Steve.
Meanwhile, editor Stone is anxious for Homer to die. Every day it is costing the newspaper money to support the dying man's extravagant requests, which includes ordering 3,000 shrimp cocktails for his hotel suite. Stone hires three specialists to examine Homer, who is given a clean bill of health.
To escape the fix that they have gotten themselves into, Homer fakes suicide. The newspaper gets the exclusive story. Wally gets married to Steve, and the two guys get new jobs in New York as street sweepers.
Production
Living It Up was filmed from October 19 to December 18, 1953. Sig Ruman, who plays Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer, played the same role in the 1937 version.
Re-release
The film was re-released with another Martin and Lewis film, Pardners in 1965.
Main cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Dean Martin | Steve Harris |
| Jerry Lewis | Homer Flagg |
| Janet Leigh | Wally Cook |
| Edward Arnold | The Mayor |
| Fred Clark | Oliver Stone |
| Sheree North | Jitterbug Dancer |
| Sammy White | Waiter |
| Sig Ruman | Dr. Emile Egelhofer |
| Richard Loo | Dr. Lee |
DVD release
The film was included on a five-film DVD set, the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Collection: Volume Two, released on June 5, 2007.
External links
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