Directed by Norman Taurog, with a story by Danny Arnold, who also wrote the screenplay with Edmund Hartmann, this Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin comedy is full of laughs especially if you like Lewis's antics: his many voices and physical humor. If you're a fan of golf, you will enjoy seeing Ben Hogan and Sam Snead (among others) swinging the clubs. The cast also includes Donna Reed, Barbara Bates, Joseph Calleia, Fred Clark, Clinton Sundberg, Marjorie Gateson, and Romo Vincent (among others).The story is pretty straightforward, and is aided by a plot device or two, to enable the headlining duo to show their stuff: Martin plays a suave character who's a natural golfer and terrific singer (in fact, this is the film in which he first sings his signature song, "That's Amore", which was nominated for an Academy Award); Lewis plays Martin's doormat and "brother-in-law to be", who always finds himself in odd, funny situations. Reed plays Martin's country club gal, Bates plays Lewis's fiancée. Calleia plays Martin's dad (Argentina Brunetti, his mom); Gateson plays Reed's mom, and Sundberg plays their butler. Clark plays the latest boss to fire Lewis's character. Vincent plays the boys' agent, who discovers their real talent doesn't lie on the links.The film opens with Joe Anthony (Martin) and Harvey Miller Jr. (Lewis) looking out their window to their adoring fans; apparently, they're a comedy pair much like Martin & Lewis. Their story is told in flashback by their agent Eddie (Vincent): Harvey Sr. (Donald Randolph) was a professional golfer and Harvey Jr. is pretty terrific too, only he has to give it up since he can't play in front of crowds. Over the years he worked in various sport related jobs, but gets fired from his latest by Mr. Baxter (Clark), whom he's dubbed Old Skinhead, when he takes his fiancée Lisa (Bates) to see Ben Hogan play in a tournament. Harvey then inadvertently trashes the entire department store's sporting goods department and more. Joe's Papa (Calleia) is a fisherman, but Joe gets seasick so he hits the road and does various odd jobs himself until he finally returns home to find his sister Lisa is engaged to Harvey, who's just started to work as a golf tutor. Harvey discovers that Joe is a "natural" (golfer), and because Joe's father, who now owns an Italian restaurant, needs $500 to buy a boat to return to fishing, Harvey becomes Joe's caddy and the two enter a country club tournament whose prize for 1st place is (wouldn't you know?) $500.Once they're at the club, attractive Joe is pursued by the tournament's registrar Kathy Taylor (Reed), and Harvey is sent to bunk with the other caddies. Initially Joe protests the treatment of Harvey as less than his partner, but he quickly learns the benefits of the high life and begins to treat his future brother-in-law as one of the lesser classes. After a couple of scenes during which each lead gets to exhibit their talents (Martin sings while Lewis does slapstick "gags", the latter attracting the attention of a laughing rotund Eddie), and Joe wins the tournament, he's invited to stay at Kathy's before the big $10,000 tournament while Harvey follows in a truck full of livestock with his golf clubs. Nancy Culp appears briefly (uncredited) as a drunk's wife. To escape the Taylor's watch dogs, Harvey pretends to be a guest at the Taylor's estate, and eventually gets invited, by Kathy's mother Grace (Gateson), to assist their butler Charles (Sundberg), serving the other guests. By this time, Joe has adjusted quite well to the good life, and treating Harvey as a servant. A simple misunderstanding between Joe and Kathy, she thinks Lisa is his fiancée instead of Harvey's, causes Joe to get the boot. But eventually he returns with great fanfare to the big tournament and mayhem abounds at the golf course ... after which Eddie signs the singer and his sidekick to a contract. There's a brief mistaken identity gag at the end - Kathy and Lisa mistake (the real) Martin & Lewis for Joe and Harvey.

The Caddy (1953) *** (out of 4) Joe Anthony (Dean Martin) and Harvey Miller (Jerry Lewis) are big stars on the stage but it wasn't always like that. A reporter wants to know where they came from so we flashback to when Miller was about to marry the sister of Anthony. Before doing so the two men decide to try and win money playing golf since Miller at one time was great but just couldn't play in front of people. Soon they begin to take off but things take a turn when Anthony becomes interested in a woman (Donna Reed).THE CADDY is another successful teaming between Martin and Lewis. The film is certainly one of the better ones that the duo made together as there are plenty of nice laughs, a good supporting cast and then there's the soundtrack, which includes Martin's greatest hit "That's Amore." Apparently both Martin and Lewis were very goof golfers so I'm sure both were jumping at the chance to play around on the golf course and this here leads to a lot of fun.Some of the film's highlights include real life golfers who are used in the film and of course Lewis' crazy antics are there to mess everything up. One of the funniest sequences happen inside the locker room where Lewis gets soap in his eye because he doesn't know how to operate the water. Another funny sequence takes place early on in a department store where Lewis causes chaos. It's not all Lewis here as Martin gets a nice role as well but once again he gets the "mean guy" role. He's certainly good in the part and there's no question that "That's Amore" turned out to be one of the greatest moments of his career. Reed and the supporting cast are fun as well.THE CADDY certainly isn't a flawless movie but there's enough charm and laughs to make it worth watching.

It May be Hard to Believe Revisiting Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Today, as a Musical-Comedy Team They were Once Considered the Cream of 1950's Entertainment. Immensely Popular and Rolling Along with the Highest of Salaries these Two Mediocre Talents were what Passed for Genius in the World of Light Entertainment in the Eisenhower Era.They weren't Bad but Great is not an Adjective that comes Immediately to Mind. Popular is More Like it, and Popular They Were. They Must have had Something because the Box-Office Cash Registers Rung and the Duo were in Demand on TV, Nightclubs, and in the Movies.This Movie is just One More of the Mediocrities that the Team Produced that was Formulaic to the Extreme and Hardly a Stretch for the Performers. Jerry can get Laughs but the Ego Never Fails to get Involved. For Example, He couldn't let Dino be the Crooner, Lewis had to Sing and Sing a lot. He even had to Weasel in on "That's Amore" with His Obnoxious Whine. It is Possible that if Lewis could have just let Things Unfold Naturally with the Strengths of the Two, They could have been even More Respected Critically, Better Remembered, and Possibly the Act would have Stayed Together Much Longer.But Jerry Lewis could Not Help Himself. So in this OK Movie He Warbles Songs and does Everything He can to Upstage not Only Dean but the Whole Movie. Even Donna Reed is Wasted in a Pitifully Bland Role, Fresh off an Oscar. The Fat Man Yucking it Up at Jerry in Every Turn is a Prime Example of the Self Congratulatory Lewis.

This has always been my favorite of the Martin & Lewis films. It just all comes together, and whether you prefer Dean (as I do) or Jerry, there's something for everyone.The film starts at the Paramount Theater in New York, where actual footage of the crowds outside the Paramount to see Martin & Lewis is used. Here it's Anthony & Miller -- a vaudeville team, whose rise to stardom we see in flashback. The boys open with one of their best duo-numbers -- "What Would You Do Without Me". From there we see Dean as the young man who gets away from the fishing business his father runs in San Francisco. We also meet Jerry, a sad sack who loses one job after another. Dean comes home and meets Jerry, who is engaged to Dean's sister. A party ensues and Dean sings one of his signature songs -- "That's Amore". It's a delightful production number in his parent's Italian restaurant. Troubles begin when Dean enters a local golf tournament...and begins rubbing elbows with the upper class, while Jerry (as caddy) is relegated into the background. Meanwhile, at a country club affair, Dean sings one of his best movie ballads to date -- "You're The Right One" -- to his love interest -- Donna Reed (surprisingly, this film followed her performance in "From Here To Eternity"). Will Dean break training for love? Will Jerry survive a visit to a baronial estate? Will the estate survive Jerry being a waiter? And then it comes down to the big golf tournament! Will Dean win? No...but he and Jerry will begin their life in show business. It's all great fun.Dean Martin is very comfortable here, and why not...he was Italian (as the role called for) and played golf. Jerry Lewis was what Jerry Lewis always was, but here does it pretty pleasantly. Donna Reed is fine as the love interest. Joseph Calleia as Dean's papa is fine, as are the rest of the supporting cast.Highly recommended as one of Martin & Lewis' early films.