When many people think of Jerry Lewis, they think of the rubber-faced goof who was one of the kings of physical comedies when he was at his heyday. Only a few of them will recall that he was also a fantastic musician, especially on the drums, where he could more than hold his own with masters like Buddy Rich – honestly, look up the Rich/Martin drum battle on YouTube.
He also had a great ear for guitar and singing, which he puts on display from this movie clip. This is taken from the movie “Rock-A-Bye Baby,” which came out in 1958. Lewis has a guitar strapped over his shoulder, and he kicks off a big band segment. Even with his antics, you can tell that he’s very good at music.
At first, he bellows in tune with the music while still playing. The girl who has fallen for him watches nearby with three baskets, each one containing a baby. After he finishes the guitar part, he hands it off and does a dance number. Lewis is quite nimble on his feet. After that, he sits down at his drum kit – here’s where the girl puts earmuffs on the babies’ heads – and mashes out a fantastic drum solo to end the song.
While the film itself is adorable (I personally have watched it several times), this scene is a brilliant showing off of Lewis’ talents with instruments, song, and his infamous goofy dancing. Every Lewis move will leave you smiling.
