In the 1960s, he began directing and it was another successful venture.
Jerry Lewis made the right decision when he decided to venture into music. His album was a huge success, topping the Billboard 200 charts and selling 1.5 million copies. While he had dedicated a lot of time to music, he still loved making movies. His interest in the film industry was so strong that he wanted to do more than just act. He also wanted to direct.
Jerry’s first film behind the camera came in 1960 with the comedy ‘The Bellboy’, which he also produced and starred. The film was a huge success and proved that Paramount Pictures had made the right choice in giving Lewis so much control. Lewis seemed to be able to do no wrong.
Jerry taught a class on film directing that included several notable students
Jerry’s first big role as a filmmaker was ‘The Bellboy,’ but it wasn’t his last. He soon developed a habit of spending as much time in front as behind the camera. He was so good at his job that he taught a film-directing class at University of Southern California.
Lewis spent many years as a teacher, teaching students marketing, distribution and post-production along with specific skills relating to the filming of comedies. Lewis’ classes were not only notable for this. Jerry Lewis taught several famous students who were not yet famous. The likes of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were aspiring directors who wanted to learn from the very best.
