The Nutty Professor | |
---|---|
Based on | Characters created by Jerry Lewis |
Release date | 1963–present |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | ~$146,630,000 (Total of 3 films) |
Box office | ~$459,300,909 (Total of 3 films) [a] |
The Nutty Professor franchise consists of American science fiction-slapstick comedies, [1] [2] [3] including three theatrical films, one straight-to-home video release, a musical stage play, and a theatrical reboot in development. Based on an original story by Jerry Lewis, inspired loosely by Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The plot of each installment centers around individuals with genius-level Intelligence, yet awkward and nerdy social skills. Upon meeting beautiful women, they develop potions that transform them into attractive, confident, albeit villainous alternate personalities who attempt to take over their original counterparts. The series explores the concept of self worth. [4] [5] [6] [7]
The original film was a success both critically and financially, and has earned the status of being regarded as a comedy classic. [8] It was ranked #99 by the American Film Institute on its 100 Years...100 Laughs list. [9] A direct-sequel was eventually released in 2008, albeit an animated straight-to-home video release. Lewis reprised his role, though the movie centered around his grandson instead. The film gained little media attention and received mainly negative reviews from critics. [10] Lewis continued involvement with the franchise as executive producer for the remake film and its sequel and then later served as director of a musical stage production in 2012. [11]
The remake starring Eddie Murphy and released in 1996, was a success at the box office and received positive reviews from critics. [12] [13] A sequel was released in 2000 to mixed critical reception. Though it fared well financially, it was far from the success of its predecessor. [14] [15] [16]
A reboot is in development, from Project X Entertainment. [17]
Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Nutty Professor | June 4, 1963 | Jerry Lewis | Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond | Ernest D. Glucksman and Arthur P. Schmidt | |
The Nutty Professor | June 28, 1996 | Tom Shadyac | David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein and Tom Shadyac & Steve Oedekerk | Brian Grazer and Russell Simmons | |
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | July 28, 2000 | Peter Segal | David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein and Paul Weitz & Chris Weitz | Steve Oedekerk and David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein | Brian Grazer |
The Nutty Professor: Facing the Fear | November 25, 2008 | Logan McPherson & Paul Taylor | Evan Spiliotopoulos | George Paige and Barbara Zelinski | |
Untitled reboot | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | James Vanderbilt, William Sherak and Paul Neinstein |
Professor Julius Kelp is a brilliant science teacher, at a university. However, he has a problem with attracting women due to his clumsy, awkward, inarticulate nature. Women deem him as unattractive. Kelp becomes obsessed with impressing a beautiful student named Stella. With his background in chemistry, Kelp decides to develop a potion that will change him into a different person. His new suave alter ego named Buddy Love, is challenged with winning Stella's affections before his short-supply of potion is depleted. [18]
Film historians regard The Nutty Professor as the most memorable film of Lewis’ long career. In 2004, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." [19]
Brilliant and obese scientist Sherman Klump invents a miraculous weight-loss solution. After a date with chemistry student Carla Purty goes badly, a depressed Klump tries the solution on himself. Upon taking the potion, Klump instantly loses 250 pounds. The side effects, besides becoming physically fit include a second personality who calls himself Buddy Love and is obnoxiously self-assertive, conceited alternate personality. Buddy proves to be more popular than Sherman, but his arrogance and bad behavior quickly spiral out of control. During these series of events, Klump must decide whether he enjoys popularity, or values self-respect. [20]
After choosing to love himself, over his popular and assertive alternate personality, Professor Sherman Klump has found love in a beautiful and kind woman named Denise. In preparations for their wedding, his undesired alter-ego named Buddy Love begins taking over. Though Klump has ceased taking his self-improving potion, Love continues to present himself and is determined to stay. After a number of appearances, Klump extracts his alternate personality's genes and decides rid the world of his pesky partner, at the risk of his own psychological decline. A laboratory incident including the accidental combination of the genes with dog hair, result in Buddy Love taking on his own existence outside of Klump's body. Unaware of the Love's new existence, the engaged couple begin to perfect a new rejuvenation formula and their fortune seems assured, until Love appears and steals it. Professor Klump's cognitive abilities continue to decline. In a final effort to defeat Buddy Love, the Professor develops a new and more potent formula that will degenerate the villain back to his state of genetic material. Using Love's canine DNA against him, he defeats him with the use of a tennis ball covered in the new potion. As Klump slips away, Denise helps him drink the genetic matter, restoring his genius intellect and resetting everything back to normal. The pair continue to prepare for their wedding, and are married. [21]
Released as an animated movie, it serves as a legacy-sequel to the original film, it follows the workings of Julius Kelp's grandson.
Harold Kelp is an aspiring inventor, who struggles to perfect his experiments. Intimidated by his grandfather's legacy, Harold has dreams of his failure taking the form of a giant monster. After coming into conflict with a group of angry individuals involved in one of his demonstrations, Harold decides to attend a science academy run by his grandfather, Professor Julius Kelp. Upon arriving at the school, Harold meets a beautiful woman named Polly McGreggor, with whom he becomes infatuated. Determined to win her affection, Harold finds and takes his grandfather's secret potion. The elixir unleashes Harold's confident, self-loving alternate personality that calls himself Jack. Though initially popular with the fellow students, Jack's outrageous behavior gets out of control and causes more mischief than Harold had anticipated. Due to Harold's continued time evolving into Jack, his grades begin slipping. Learning of Harold's actions, Julius once again takes the potion to become Buddy Love. In his alternate form as Buddy Love, Julius teaches his grandson to appreciate who he is and to be comfortable in his own skin. Harold's anxieties are accidentally unleashed by one of Professor Kelp's inventions, as the visionary monster from his nightmares. Harold bravely faces his fears, and defeats the creature. In doing so, Harold says goodbye to Jack once and for all before sharing a kiss with Polly. [22]
In August 2020, it was announced that a reboot of The Nutty Professor franchise was in development. James Vanderbilt, William Sherak and Paul Neinstein serve as producers, while the search for additional talent is ongoing. The movie is under development from Project X Entertainment. [17] [23] [19]
Key
- A dark gray cell indicates the character did not appear in that film.
- A V indicates the actor or actress lent only their voice for their character.
- A Y indicates an actor or actress portrayed a younger version of their character.
Character | Film | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Nutty Professor (1963) | The Nutty Professor (1996) | Nutty Professor ll: The Klumps | The Nutty Professor: Facing the Fear | ||
Professor Julius Kelp Buddy Love | Jerry Lewis | Jerry Lewis V | |||
Stella Purdy | Stella Stevens | ||||
Dr. Mortimer Warfield | Del Moore | ||||
Millie Lemmon | Kathleen Freeman | ||||
Warzewski | Med Flory | ||||
Mr. Elmer Kelp | Howard Morris | ||||
Mrs. Edwina Kelp | Elvia Allman | ||||
Professor Sherman Klump Buddy Love | Eddie Murphy | Eddie Murphy Myles Mason Y Jeffrey Michael Freeman Y Maurice Colquitt Y Kevin Michael Mondane Y | |||
Papa Cletus Klump | Eddie Murphy | ||||
Mama Anna Klump | |||||
Grandma Ida Mae Jenson | |||||
Ernie Klump, Sr. | |||||
Lance Perkins | |||||
Ernie Klump, Jr. | Jamal Mixon | ||||
Jason | John Ales | ||||
Dean Richmond | Larry Miller | ||||
Carla Purty | Jada Pinkett | ||||
Reggie Warrington | Dave Chappelle | ||||
Harlan Hartley | James Coburn | ||||
Denise Gaines-Klump | Janet Jackson | ||||
Leanne Guilford | Melinda McGraw | ||||
Issac | Gabriel Williams | ||||
Mr. Gaines | Richard Gant | ||||
Mrs. Gaines | Anna Maria Horsford | ||||
Harold Kelp Jack | Drake Bell V | ||||
Robin | Tabitha St. Germain V | ||||
Polly McGregor | Britt Irvin V | ||||
Zeke | Logan McPherson V | ||||
Ned | |||||
Brad | Andrew Francis V | ||||
Tad | |||||
Fear | Logan McPherson V | ||||
Dean Von Wu | Brian Drummond V |
Film | Crew/Detail | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Composer | Cinematographer | Editor(s) | Production companies | Distributing company | Running time | ||
The Nutty Professor | Walter Scharf | W. Wallace Kelley | John Woodcock | Paramount Pictures, Jerry Lewis Films | Paramount Pictures | 1hr 47mins | |
The Nutty Professor | David Newman | Julio Macat | Don Zimmerman | Imagine Entertainment, Brian Grazer Productions, Tom Shadyac Films | Universal Pictures | 1hr 35mins | |
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Dean Semler | William Kerr | Universal Pictures, Peter Segal Films, Imagine Entertainment, Brian Grazer Productions, Shady Acres Entertainment | 1hr 47mins | |||
The Nutty Professor: Facing the Fear | Mike Shields | James Boshier & Logan McPherson | Kaleidoscope TWC, Mainframe Entertainment Inc., The Weinstein Company | Genius Products | 1hr 15mins | ||
Untitled reboot | TBA | TBA | TBA | Project X Entertainment | TBA | [ to be determined ] |
Film | Box office gross | Box office ranking (per release year) | Budget | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All time worldwide | North America | |||
The Nutty Professor (1963) | $13,343,056 | $5,656,944 | $19,000,000 | #23 | not available | $7,630,000 | [24] [25] [26] [27] |
The Nutty Professor (1996) | $128,814,019 | $145,147,000 | $273,961,019 | #8 | #8 | $55,000,000 | [28] [29] |
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | $123,309,890 | $43,030,000 | $166,339,890 | #16 | #26 | $84,000,000 | [30] [31] |
The Nutty Professor: Facing the Fear | video sales/rentals not available | video sales/rentals not available | video sales/rentals not available | not available | not available | not available | |
Untitled reboot | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Totals | $265,466,965 | $193,833,944 | $459,300,909 | x̅ #11.75 [b] | x̅ #8.5 [c] | $146,630,000 |
Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore |
---|---|---|---|
The Nutty Professor(1963) | 85% (26 reviews)[ citation needed ] | — | — |
The Nutty Professor(1996) | 64% (55 reviews)[ citation needed ] | 62/100 (20 reviews) [32] | A- [33] |
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | 26% (88 reviews)[ citation needed ] | 38/100 (34 reviews) [34] | A- [33] |
The Nutty Professor: Facing the Fear | — | — | — |
A musical comedy adaptation ran on Broadway after a tryout production that opened at the Nashville Tennessee Performing Arts Center from July to August 2012. Lewis directed the musical, with choreography by Joann M. Hunter. The musical has a book and lyrics written by Rupert Holmes and music composed by Marvin Hamlisch, with scenery by David Gallo and costumes by Ann Hould-Ward. [35] [36] Michael Andrew was cast in the lead role as Professor Julius Kelp. [37] The plot closely follows the original film. The production received positive reviews for its choreography, songs, cast, set, and story. [38]
The accompanying novel written by the author of the musical's script, Rupert Holmes, received praise for its use of comedy as well as for the meaningful underlying message. [39]
Jerry Lewis was an American comedian, filmmaker, actor, humanitarian and singer, famously nicknamed as "The King of Comedy". His film career kicked off with the first of sixteen Martin and Lewis films with Dean Martin as his partner during their 10-year act, along with their radio series and live stage peformances.
Professor John I.Q. Nerdelbaum Frink Jr. is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely intelligent, though somewhat mad and socially inept. Frink often tries to use his bizarre inventions to aid the town in its crises but they usually only make things worse. His manner of speech, including the impulsive shouting of nonsensical words, has become his trademark.
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch was an American composer and conductor. He is one of a handful of people to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, a feat dubbed the "EGOT". He and composer Richard Rodgers are the only people to have won those prizes and a Pulitzer Prize ("PEGOT").
The Nutty Professor is a 1963 American science fiction comedy film directed, co-written by, and starring Jerry Lewis. The film also co-stars Stella Stevens, Del Moore, Kathleen Freeman, Howard Morris, and Elvia Allman. The score was composed by Walter Scharf. A parody of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, it follows weak-willed scientist Julius Kelp as he creates a serum that transforms him into a charismatic but narcissistic ladies' man, which he subsequently uses under his alter ego Buddy Love.
Rupert Holmes is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles "Escape " (1979) and "Him" (1980). He is also known for his musicals The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which earned him two Tony Awards, and Curtains, his AMC television series Remember WENN, and his novel Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide.
John Lamin Wood was an English actor, known for his performances in Shakespeare and his lasting association with Tom Stoppard. In 1976, he received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Stoppard's Travesties. He was nominated for two other Tony Awards for his roles in Sherlock Holmes (1975) and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1968). In 2007, Wood was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Wood also appeared in WarGames, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Ladyhawke, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Orlando, Shadowlands, The Madness of King George, Richard III, Sabrina, and Chocolat.
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps is a 2000 American science fiction comedy film directed by Peter Segal. It is the second and final installment in the Nutty Professor remake film series and the sequel to the 1996 film The Nutty Professor. In contrast to the previous film, subplots which are centered on the parents of protagonist Sherman Klump occupy a substantial part of the film.
Kathleen Freeman was an American actress. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, she portrayed acerbic maids, secretaries, teachers, busybodies, nurses, and battle-axe neighbors and relatives, almost invariably to comic effect. In film, she is perhaps best remembered for appearing in 12 Jerry Lewis comedies in the 1950s and 1960s and The Blues Brothers (1980).
Walter Scharf was an American musician, best known as a film, television and concert composer and arranger/conductor.
The Nutty Professor is a 1996 American science fiction comedy film starring Eddie Murphy. It is a remake of the 1963 film of the same name, which starred Jerry Lewis, which itself was a parody of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The film co-stars Jada Pinkett, James Coburn, Larry Miller, Dave Chappelle, and John Ales. Filming began on May 8, 1995, and concluded on September 8, 1995. The original music score was composed by David Newman. The film won Best Makeup at the 69th Academy Awards.
The Family Jewels is a 1965 American comedy film. It was filmed from January 18 to April 2, 1965, and was released by Paramount Pictures on July 1, 1965. The film was co-written, directed, and produced by Jerry Lewis who also played seven roles in the film. Lewis' co-star, Donna Butterworth, made only one other film, Paradise, Hawaiian Style, with Elvis Presley. Gary Lewis & The Playboys have a cameo in which they sing "Little Miss Go-Go"; their hit song "This Diamond Ring" is also featured.
The Patsy is a 1964 American comedy film directed by and starring Jerry Lewis. It was released on August 12, 1964, by Paramount Pictures.
The Big Mouth is a 1967 American comedy film produced, directed, co-written, and starring Jerry Lewis. It was filmed in San Diego and features Frank De Vol as an onscreen narrator.
Gary Lewis is an American musician who was the leader of Gary Lewis & the Playboys.
The Nutty Professor is a fictional character portrayed by Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor and its respective sequel, and by Eddie Murphy in the 1996 version and its 2000 sequel Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. Julius F. Kelp is an awkward and shy but intelligent and lively chemistry professor. Sherman Klump is a jolly, kind-hearted science teacher at Welman College. Murphy also played the rest of Klump's family in the sequel. Lewis was not fond of Murphy's characters, due to excessive fart jokes in the films.
Buddy Lester was an American actor and comedian who portrayed dozens of character roles in films and television. Although known for his appearances in Jerry Lewis’ comedy films, he was also regularly seen on popular television shows in the 1960s and 1970s. As a comedian, he was a fixture on the international nightclub circuit for several decades and was the younger brother of comedian Jerry Lester.
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps - Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to Peter Segal's 2000 comedy film Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. It was released on July 11, 2000, through Def Jam Recordings, as a sequel to 1996 The Nutty Professor Soundtrack, and mainly composed of R&B and hip hop music.
The Nutty Professor is a 2008 animated science fiction comedy film. It is the sequel to the 1963 live-action Jerry Lewis comedy of the same name and based on the story Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film is produced by Rainmaker Entertainment and The Weinstein Company and distributed by Genius Products. Lewis reprises his role of Julius Kelp and produces the film. Drake Bell provides the voice of Harold Kelp, Julius' grandson.
Michael Andrew is a jazz singer, bandleader and actor. He married Lea Andrew in 2007, and the couple resides in Orlando, Florida.
Barry W. Blaustein is an American comedy writer best known for his writing on Saturday Night Live and the screenplays for Coming to America, Coming 2 America and The Nutty Professor all written in collaboration with David Sheffield.
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