In some respects this doesn't feel your usual Hollywood movie. One gets the feeling that Jerry Lewis, now on his own without longtime partner Dean Martin, is drawing inspiration from foreign comics in how non-sequitur parts of the narrative seem. However, he is definitely influenced by American filmmaking, since he is spoofing the trend of juvenile delinquent flicks that were popular at the time.
Of course Lewis is no rebel without a cause, and he's not stuck inside a blackboard jungle. But he lives on a street that looks like it is situated in a rough section of town. And when he is accidentally picked up by the cops with some gang members his age, he inadvertently becomes part of a police lineup.
In typical Lewis style we have a bumbling and socially inept character who is not like the other boys. And his sensitivity or should I say delicate nature, attracts the attention of an experienced copper (Darren McGavin) who tells his boss (Horace McMahon) that he'd like to take the kid under his wing.
Some of the buddy bonding that occurs between Lewis and McGavin has slightly homoerotic vibes at first. That is until a sexy female lawyer (Martha Hyer) enters the picture. She and McGavin quarrel about what's best for Lewis. While sparring, the two somehow fall in love. The pair ultimately become surrogate "parents" to Lewis.
Meanwhile Lewis has decided he'd also like to be a cop, presumably to take the story in more outlandish directions. The police academy sequence is certainly humorous, and as expected, he fouls things up. More than once he hijacks the training with his screwy antics...like the humorous fingerprinting scene where he gets ink all over one of the instructors. Plus there is an amusing bit where Lewis tangles with a Japanese wrestler as part of a self-defense course. Ouch, that looks painful!
I have to admit that some of the hijinks feel a bit forced and some of the comic routines are a bit too stretched out to sustain laughs. But comedy is about taking risks, and Lewis is to be commended for trying, even for scenes that are not altogether very funny.
What I like most about the film is how character-driven it is. We want this nut to succeed and make something of himself. And that is exactly what happens in the end. After he graduates from the academy and becomes a full-fledged officer of the law, he attempts to help his neighborhood pals. There is also a girl (Mary Webster) that's been sweet on him, whom he now feels comfortable dating.
THE DELICATE DELINQUENT was a huge hit with audiences and proved that Lewis could carry a movie on his own, without help from Dean Martin. He would be one of Paramount's top moneymakers until 1965. In this picture, he forges ahead with the help of a good support system. Even if he doesn't seem grateful at first.
Of course Lewis is no rebel without a cause, and he's not stuck inside a blackboard jungle. But he lives on a street that looks like it is situated in a rough section of town. And when he is accidentally picked up by the cops with some gang members his age, he inadvertently becomes part of a police lineup.
In typical Lewis style we have a bumbling and socially inept character who is not like the other boys. And his sensitivity or should I say delicate nature, attracts the attention of an experienced copper (Darren McGavin) who tells his boss (Horace McMahon) that he'd like to take the kid under his wing.
Some of the buddy bonding that occurs between Lewis and McGavin has slightly homoerotic vibes at first. That is until a sexy female lawyer (Martha Hyer) enters the picture. She and McGavin quarrel about what's best for Lewis. While sparring, the two somehow fall in love. The pair ultimately become surrogate "parents" to Lewis.
Meanwhile Lewis has decided he'd also like to be a cop, presumably to take the story in more outlandish directions. The police academy sequence is certainly humorous, and as expected, he fouls things up. More than once he hijacks the training with his screwy antics...like the humorous fingerprinting scene where he gets ink all over one of the instructors. Plus there is an amusing bit where Lewis tangles with a Japanese wrestler as part of a self-defense course. Ouch, that looks painful!
I have to admit that some of the hijinks feel a bit forced and some of the comic routines are a bit too stretched out to sustain laughs. But comedy is about taking risks, and Lewis is to be commended for trying, even for scenes that are not altogether very funny.
What I like most about the film is how character-driven it is. We want this nut to succeed and make something of himself. And that is exactly what happens in the end. After he graduates from the academy and becomes a full-fledged officer of the law, he attempts to help his neighborhood pals. There is also a girl (Mary Webster) that's been sweet on him, whom he now feels comfortable dating.
THE DELICATE DELINQUENT was a huge hit with audiences and proved that Lewis could carry a movie on his own, without help from Dean Martin. He would be one of Paramount's top moneymakers until 1965. In this picture, he forges ahead with the help of a good support system. Even if he doesn't seem grateful at first.