618:. And those of you who saw the picture, it wasn't my true story. Paramount couldn't get a liquor licence. But it was a good picture... There were two girls in the picture, Jeanne Crain and Mitzi Gaynor. They were supposed to be in love with me in my early days of vaudeville. And I must have been stiff - I can't remember these broads at all. But they were in love with me throughout the picture, and sometimes I think Sinatra had more fun playing my life than I had living it. But that's the way the Pepsi pops, you know.
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Sinatra stated, "When I do a concert and someone coughs, I like that. I like the scraping of chairs. You get the feeling that it's really happening. I've always thought Lewis was one of only about four or five great artists in this century - one of them was Jolson - and I remember him screaming like the devil when he made a soundtrack" (from
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The filming of the movie was done mostly later in the day; Sinatra preferred to work at that time, and the filming schedule was tailored around this. Sinatra also insisted that all the musical scenes in the film, and songs therein, be recorded live on set to keep the performances more genuine.
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reviewer Gordon Gow stated, "One consolation in the glossy gloom of this downbeat drama is that Frank
Sinatra has sufficient talent and taste to break through the wall of embarrassment that is bound to arise between an audience and the film case-history of an unanonymous alcoholic."
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reviewer
Phillip K. Scheuer wrote, " catches the bitter inner restlessness almost too well...When Lewis, highball in hand, is reciting them his natural clown's grin takes the curse off their cynicism; from Sinatra the gags come out bitter and barbed."
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era. His decision to work elsewhere displeases his Mob employer, who has his thugs assault him by slashing his face and throat, preventing him from continuing his career as a singer.
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After many years, he eventually recovers and turns his acerbic and witty sense of humor into an act, when given a break as a stand-up comedian from singer
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would finance what was, for all intents and purposes, an independent feature film that was headed by Lewis and
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and author Art Cohn. Each of the four partners was paid a reported $ 400,000, along with 75% of the film's net profits.
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reported that
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commented on the "major job
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Sinatra did my life story, ladies and gentlemen, in a picture called
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This article is about the 1957 film. For the Alex Harvey album, see
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is a successful nightclub singer in
Chicago while working for the
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Films that won the Best
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503:The Joker Is Wild: The Story of Joe E. Lewis
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610:, he discusses his thoughts on the film:
535:All the Way: A Biography of Frank Sinatra
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
1133:Films based on works by American writers
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1143:Biographical films about entertainers
340:$ 3 million (US and Canadian rentals)
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579:Academy Award for Best Original Song
548:opened to mostly favorable reviews.
58:adding citations to reliable sources
509:for the film rights to his story.
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1068:American biographical drama films
655:. 11 September 1957. p. 73.
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1088:Films directed by Charles Vidor
515:reported in November 1955 that
476:Valerie Allen as Flora, Chorine
45:needs additional citations for
1073:American black-and-white films
1058:1950s biographical drama films
629:List of American films of 1957
23:. For the Batman episode, see
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1093:Films scored by Walter Scharf
675:. January 8, 1958. p. 30
606:On Lewis' 1961 comedy album,
1148:1950s English-language films
1078:American musical drama films
287:September 26, 1957
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1128:Films based on biographies
25:The Joker Is Wild (Batman)
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1063:1950s musical drama films
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649:"Copacabana, NY - Review"
146:Theatrical release poster
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21:The Joker Is Wild (album)
1123:Paramount Pictures films
577:This movie won the 1957
461:as Captain Hugh McCarthy
982:Hans Christian Andersen
854:Romance of the Redwoods
355:drama film directed by
1113:Films set in the 1940s
1108:Films set in the 1930s
1103:Films set in the 1920s
1083:Films about alcoholism
667:"Top Grossers of 1957"
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910:The Tuttles of Tahiti
870:Those High Grey Walls
790:The Mask of Fu Manchu
696:"It Is Now Post Time"
482:as Burlesque Comedian
1153:1950s American films
1098:Films set in Chicago
894:Ladies in Retirement
886:The Lady in Question
379:. The film is about
54:improve this article
998:Love Me or Leave Me
974:Thunder in the East
966:The Loves of Carmen
608:It Is Now Post Time
507:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
351:is a 1957 American
69:"The Joker Is Wild"
1022:A Farewell to Arms
942:A Song to Remember
776:Films directed by
541:Critical reception
526:The New York Times
517:Paramount Pictures
377:Paramount Pictures
375:, and released by
274:Paramount Pictures
264:Paramount Pictures
16:1957 American film
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1014:The Joker Is Wild
846:The Great Gambini
798:Sensation Hunters
733:The Joker Is Wild
722:The Joker Is Wild
616:The Joker Is Wild
562:Films and Filming
553:Los Angeles Times
546:The Joker Is Wild
467:as Georgie Parker
431:as Martha Stewart
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332:$ 2.4 million
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110:December 2023
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700:. Retrieved
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677:. Retrieved
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459:Barry Kelley
441:Eddie Albert
435:Jeanne Crain
429:Mitzi Gaynor
424:Joe E. Lewis
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393:Joe E. Lewis
390:
381:Joe E. Lewis
373:Eddie Albert
369:Jeanne Crain
365:Mitzi Gaynor
347:
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304:Running time
280:Release date
216:Eddie Albert
211:Jeanne Crain
206:Mitzi Gaynor
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52:Please help
47:verification
44:
862:Blind Alley
806:Double Door
702:30 December
595:All the Way
583:All the Way
401:Prohibition
399:during the
359:, starring
308:126 minutes
186:Produced by
152:Directed by
1053:1957 films
1047:Categories
926:Cover Girl
635:References
591:Sammy Cahn
493:Production
488:as herself
480:Hank Henry
337:Box office
295: (USA)
291:1957-09-26
256:Production
166:Oscar Saul
80:newspapers
698:. Reprise
600:Billboard
501:'s book,
391:In 1929,
235:Edited by
1006:The Swan
990:Rhapsody
623:See also
499:Art Cohn
321:Language
245:Music by
194:Starring
180:Art Cohn
172:Based on
950:Over 21
740:Variety
672:Variety
653:Variety
581:, for "
571:Variety
512:Variety
353:musical
324:English
313:Country
289: (
258:company
94:scholar
1033:(1960)
1025:(1957)
1017:(1957)
1009:(1956)
1001:(1955)
993:(1954)
985:(1952)
977:(1951)
969:(1948)
961:(1946)
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849:(1937)
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833:(1935)
825:(1935)
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801:(1933)
793:(1932)
735:review
585:", by
329:Budget
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958:Gilda
101:JSTOR
87:books
727:IMDb
704:2023
681:2019
589:and
414:Cast
387:Plot
371:and
73:news
737:in
725:at
537:).
422:as
397:Mob
178:by
56:by
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