NPR

Jerry Lewis Was Many Things, But He Was Not A Fool

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the Jerry Lewis he knew, and how the comedian wanted to make people laugh.
Jerry Lewis jokes with photographers on May 26, 1982, during the 35th International Movie Festival in Cannes.

Jerry Lewis could make people laugh with a sneeze. My mother remembered being in an old freight elevator with Jerry at the Chez Paree nightclub in Chicago as it rose slowly in silence to the show floor. Jerry Lewis sneezed. He didn't twist his lips or

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