That less talented comedian was Borscht Belt B-lister Sammy Petrillo. It turns out that the talents of Jerry Lewis become glaringly obvious when you are confronted with the odious sight of a much less talented comedian ripping off Lewis’ shtick. Loud, obnoxious, bleating comedy is something that just does not work for me, and if there is some sort of genius - or at least talent - buried beneath Jerry Lewis’ grating man-boy routine, I’m afraid I’ve not the strength to recognize it. And while I count Dean Martin as my favorite Rat Packer (even more so than Norman Fell, but maybe equal with Henry Silva), I absolutely cannot stand Martin and Lewis films because, cliche though it may be, I cannot stand Jerry Lewis. For example, I can’t stand The Bowery Boys. Among the things that never clicked for me is a lot of old time comedy - which is no big surprise since most modern comedy doesn’t click with me either. I’d been hearing for years how awful Brooklyn Gorilla was from people possessed of substantial strength when it comes to tackling the very worst cinema has to offer.ĭespite my predilection for old timey things like Cole Porter, waistcoats, and Louise Brooks, my adoration for the people and things of yesteryear is not without its critical eye. And as you might guess from the title, Bela Lugosi shows up (though he barely seems cognisant of the fact) to earn himself a little more morphine money and does indeed encounter a gorilla from - but not in - Brooklyn. Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla is a cheap and lazy starring vehicle for Martin and Lewis copycats Duke Mitchell (yes, the same Duke Mitchell who later went on to make Massacre Mafia Style) and Sammy Petrillo (yes, the same Sammy Petrillo who later went on to star in Doris Wishman’s Keyholes are for Peeping).
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