Movie review – “The Delicate Delinquent” (1957) **

The break up of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis meant that Lewis’ next few films saw other actors in the “Martin” role – there was Darren McGavin in this one and David Wayne in The Sad Sack. And while it’s customary for people to say everyone thought Jerry would be the okay one in the aftermath of the breakup, surely even he had a few moments without Dean? They were dispelled with the box office response to this movie, which was solid – even if it’s not well remembered today.

It’s a send up of the juvenile delinquent film, a sub genre popular in the mid 50s in the wave of Rebel Without a Cause. McGavin is a cop determined to prove to his superiors that not all the delinquents are bad – he uses as a test study a kid who isn’t a delinquent at all, Jerry Lewis. McGavin was an entirely different actor to Dean Martin, far more intense and “real”. When McGavin invites Lewis back to his place, that would have seemed normal for Dean Martin because they’re established as friends from previous films but here is full of gay subtext – you never quite get why McGavin is so interested in Lewis as a project, especially as he’s not a delinquent (he isn’t in a gang, and doesn’t even have any gang friends). Later, when McGavin flirts and snaps with Martha Hyer (playing a social worker – she later married Hal Wallis in real life), it's far more angry than it would have been with Martin. Also, no Dino means it’s Jerry who sings a big serious ballad. Urgh!

Half-way through this film tells into a service comedy when Lewis enlists in the police force (it means he can do a variation on his old service comedy boxing routine - a fight with a Japanese wrestler) . There’s also a bit of social realism when Lewis tries to persuade a delinquent to turn good - which works, as the delinquent reveals Jerry isn't guilty of a certain crime. So the movie does take itself seriously in spots - something that would become increasingly common in Jerry's solo movies. The best bits are Jerry's screams of cowardice in the face of gangs and police at the beginning.