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The Disorderly Orderly

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The Disorderly Orderly
Theatrical lobby card
Directed byFrank Tashlin
Screenplay byFrank Tashlin
Story byNorm Liebermann
Ed Haas
Produced byPaul Jones
StarringJerry Lewis
Susan Oliver
Glenda Farrell
Kathleen Freeman
Karen Sharpe
Narrated byPaul Frees
CinematographyW. Wallace Kelley
Edited byJohn Woodcock
Russel Wiles
Music byJoseph J. Lilley
Color processTechnicolor
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • December 16, 1964 (1964-12-16)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2,700,000 (US/ Canada rentals)[1]
1,434,122 admissions (France)[2]

The Disorderly Orderly is a 1964 American comedy film released by Paramount Pictures, and starring Jerry Lewis. The film was produced by Paul Jones with a screenplay by director Frank Tashlin, based on a story by Norm Liebermann and Ed Haas.

Plot

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Jerome Littlefield is an orderly at a hospital. His dream is to be a doctor, but he has a problem that prevents it from becoming a reality: when he hears of a problem that a patient is having, psychosomatically he begins to suffer those symptoms as well.

Susan Andrews, an old high school friend, is brought to the hospital after a suicide attempt. Littlefield recognizes her as the girl he has had a crush on since then. Eventually Andrews falls for Littlefield and they kiss. Littlefield later realizes that his problem with suffering from other people's symptoms was a direct result of his obsession with Andrews. Now that he has overcome that, his problems go away and he finally becomes a doctor.

Cast

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Production

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The Disorderly Orderly was filmed at the Greystone Park and Mansion in Beverly Hills, California with costumes designed by Edith Head.

Soundtrack

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The title song, sung over the opening credits, is performed by Sammy Davis Jr. The title song "The Disorderly Orderly" was written by songwriter Earl Shuman.

Reception

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While Howard Thompson of the New York Times (December 24, 1964) liked a few comedic bits and praised some secondary performers, he generally panned The Disorderly Orderly writing, "[The film] runs dry at the end of the first third — like a juiceless watermelon — and splits open, with about the same results."[3]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 60% rating based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 5.95/10.[4]

Home media

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The film was released to Region 1 DVD on October 12, 2004[5] and March 15, 2021.

References

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  1. ^ This figure consists of anticipated rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Big Rental Pictures of 1965", Variety, 5 January 1966 p 6
  2. ^ Box office information for film at Box Office Story
  3. ^ New York Times: New Jerry Lewis Film Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "The Disorderly Orderly". Rotten Tomatoes.
  5. ^ "DVD Talk".
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