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PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Monday 11 April 2016
Friars Club hosts 90th birthday
tribute for Jerry Lewis
Inductee Steve Miller performs at the 31st Annual Rock and Roll HILLEL ITALIE growing old from speakers Professor” and his stage
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Barclays Center on Fri- AP National Writer including Richard Belzer, performance in “Damn
day, April 8, 2016, in New York. NEW YORK (AP) — At the Freddie Roman and Max Yankees.” A compilation
Friars Club tribute for Jerry Alexander. When the sub- of pre-taped greetings in-
Associated Press Lewis’ 90th birthday, many ject did turn to Lewis, the cluded Steven Spielberg,
of the jokes were not about kidding around turned to Al Pacino and Don Rickles,
Jerry Lewis. praise as Lewis was hon- who urged Lewis “to go to
There were R-rated wise- ored as a comic master, bed early.”
cracks Friday night about inspiration, and, for Belzer, The mood heated up as
Donald Trump, Monica a savior. the night unfolded. Belzer
Lewinsky, doctors, sex and “My mother was very physi- stripped to a T-shirt to show
cal; she used to be beat off the Jerry Lewis tattoo
me up or give me an en- on his arm and singer Jack
ema for punishment,” said Jones removed his jacket
Belzer, one of Lewis’ closest and tie, bore down on “The
friends. “Once in a while Impossible Dream” from
I would do a Jerry shtick “Man of La Mancha” and
... and my mother would got a standing ovation for
laugh and sometimes not hitting some impossible
hit me.” high notes.
About 200 people
squeezed into the first floor Lewis, who had the final
dining room for the 90-min- word, can be the most sen-
ute event. Lewis, whose timental and irascible of
birthday was last month, comedians. He has been
sat to the side of the dais, known to roast a few audi-
where he laughed and ence members and on Fri-
cried. day night he skipped any
The Friars Club has long summaries of his career
been like a second home and scolded the crowd
for Lewis, whose name ap- for not cheering louder, or
pears on the front of the perhaps not as loud as it
building and whose pic- did for Jones. Attendees
tures hang inside. Before laughed and applauded
the tribute, he sipped on throughout the show.
a soda in the first floor bar, “A performer can stand
otherwise known as the Billy there and feel empty, be-
Crystal Room, and dined cause he has done very
upstairs with such friends well, but he doesn’t hear
as Robert De Niro and Jim anything of any conse-
Carrey. A birthday card in quence,” Lewis said, noting
the lobby was signed by that the entertainers were
comedian Gilbert Gott- not paid for the tribute.
fried and former “Saturday “They deserve a lot more,
Night Live” writer Alan Zwei- so let’s consider the fact
bel, among others. that a performer will be
The tribute touched upon there for you to entertain
many of the highlights of you and all they want from
Lewis’ long and singular you is an acknowledge-
career, from his partner- ment that they’ve been
ship with Dean Martin to there, OK?”
such movies as “The Nutty OK. The crowd clapped.q
