Jumping Jacks
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| Jumping Jacks | |
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| Directed by | Norman Taurog |
| Produced by | Hal B. Wallis |
| Written by | Brian Marlow Robert Lees |
| Starring | Jerry Lewis Dean Martin Mona Freeman Don DeFore Robert Strauss |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 11, 1952 |
| Running time | 96 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Jumping Jacks was filmed from Decebmer 3, 1951 through January 23, 1952. It was released on June 11, 1952 by Paramount.
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[edit] Plot
Chick Allen (Dean Martin) is a paratrooper. He invites his former partner, Hap Smith (Jerry Lewis), to help out with a show that he and the other soldiers are preparing. However, the general is unhappy with the quality of past shows and is threatening to eliminate them unless the quality improves, which is why Chick has invited Hap to help.
Hap, who has continued the nightclub act with a new partner, Betty Carter (Mona Freeman), poses as a soldier so that he can do one performance for Chick with the general in the audience. However, the show impresses the general so much that he arranges for the show (including Hap) to tour other camps. Fearing a court-martial, Chick and the rest of the performers pass Hap off as Private "Dogface" Dolan, while the real "Dogface" (Dick Erdman) goes into hiding.
Hap undergoes paratrooper training to keep up the ruse, but he is very accident prone. However, it works to his benefit as everything he does inadvertently is the 'correct military conduct'. The top sergeant (Robert Strauss) takes notice and praises him.
Unfortunately Hap still wants to remain a civilian and tries to sneak away at any chance he can get, which Chick always seems to prevent. During one of his escape attempts, which also corresponds to some war maneuvers that are taking place, Hap destroys a key bridge and captures an enemy general. His is eventually exposed as a civilian, but is sworn in as a paratrooper and becomes the bases' hero.
[edit] Trivia
- It was re-released on a double-bill with another Martin and Lewis film, Sailor Beware in 1957 and on another double bill with Scared Stiff in 1958.
