The Sad Sack

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The Sad Sack

Directed by	George Marshall
Produced by	Hal B. Wallis
Written by	George Baker Edmund Beloin Nate Monaster
Starring	Jerry Lewis David Wayne Peter Lorre
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	November 27, 1957
Running time	95 minutes
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Sad Sack was a 1957 Paramount Pictures film starring Jerry Lewis and Peter Lorre.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Lewis plays Private Meredith Bixby, who cannot fall in line with army procedure, even though he has had 17 months of training. A psychologist (Phyllis Kirk), is assigned to make him into a good soldier, and she enlists two fellow servicemen to help Bixby with his training. About the only thing that he can do right is remember things with his photographic memory.

Eventually they are assigned to a base in Morocco. One night they all head off to a bar and Bixby gets drunk on "Moroccan Delights", which he thinks are malteds. He gets involved with a femme fatale (Liliane Montevecchi) and is kidnapped by some Arabian renegades. Adbul (Peter Lorre) guards Bixby and makes him assemble a stolen cannon, which Bixby had already memorized the instructions to back at the base. Eventually Bixby is rescued by his fellow soldiers and they are all presented with medals of honor.

[edit] Production

The film is based upon George Baker's comic book character. Hal Wallis purchased the movie rights with the intention of it starring the comedy team Martin and Lewis, but they split up before filming began. The movie was shot between March 18 and May 31, 1957 and released on November 27. It was re-released in 1962 on a double bill with another Jerry Lewis film, The Delicate Delinquent.