Swedish Article On "The Day the Clown Cried"
Jun 8, 2020 18:32:43 GMT
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Post by Jessica on Jun 8, 2020 18:32:43 GMT
I wanted to share this article I have about Jerry's visit to Sweden in 1971. He was there to find locations for "The Day the Clown Cried". The article is written in swedish, so I have translated it entirerly as well as posting the original attached. I thought this might be interesting to some.
JERRY LEWIS IN STOCKHOLM: Filming In Sweden with 300 Children
Jerry Lewis came to Stockholm yesterday. In a cold, delayed plane from Paris he finaly arrived at the airport an hour late. On his way to the VIP room, he felt more cold. It was minus 7 derees celsius (Around 20 farhrenheit) in Stockholm last night. Several surprises awaited in the VIP room. A horde of journalists from the press and TV. He looked kind of schocked and said to his producer, Nat Wachsberger, "Were we not supposed to go to Stockhom unnoticed? You're going to get back for this, Nat". There was no anger in his (Jerry's) voice. He took it all lightly with amusement. He joked with the journalists and almost scared one of them when he yelled "Boo" at him.
Filming
Why is Jerry Lewis in Sweden? Well, he's going to shoot a movie here in March/April and is here for a few days to look for locations. It's Jack Kotchack and Europa Film who's behind the visit. Jack as a producer and Europa Film is the owner of the studio Lewis will shoot in.
Unusual Film
It's not going to be a "usual" Jerry Lewis film. The film takes place at a concentration camp in Nazi Germany and ends with 300 children children are taken to the gas chamber. Why such a dramatic and tragic film with Jerry Lewis? Why not? Partly because that's the trend in movie busniess - dramatic and realistic. We live in history and learn about it from schools and everywhere. But we have not learned from the mistakes. About what happened in for example Germany 30 years ago.
Old idea
"I want to tell a story, although tragic, and if we go forward carefully, nothing can go wrong with the film." (says Lewis). The script is written by Joan O'Brien and Jerry Lewis has had this idea for almost 10 years.
Clown
In the film, Jerry is playing a clown who by mistake lands at a concentration camp. The elder prisoners are not amused by the clown, but gets well liked by the children. He tries to comfort the jewish children at the camp with his clown tricks. When the children are transported and taken away from their parents, the camp's commandant demands the clown to take away the children without making a scene. If he does, he is promised freedom. When they all arrive at the gas chamber, the clown can't abandon the youngsters and follows them into death.
In Trouble
"A comic is always someone who's in trouble", Jerry says. "Although this movie won't get a lot of laughs". The Day the Clown Cried is the title of the film and is preferably made in Sweden with about 300 swedish children, plus seven adults in supporting roles.
No barriers
"I chose Sweden for two reasons", Jerry Lewis says. It's for the climate. The film takes place in winter time and your winter is long. The other reason is for the language. There are no barriers, everyone can speak english which makes the job easier". He goes home on saturday and during the visit he is going to look at locations and find possible actors. Jerry has just finnished a long tour, including Olympic in Paris. There will probably not be moer TV shows or TV movies.
Bad Carpenter
"You make movies for the future", Jerry says. "To show a TV movie night after night for years, you do that for one night. I make movies because I'm a bad carpenter, or I should say I love movies as media and I can't do anything else." When asked if he knows any swedish actors, he denied. Not even Greta Garbo.
"No, she would probably not even talk to me", Jerry answered. He didn't get any further, because producer Nat Wachsberger waved in the background that their car had arrived and that it was time to head to the "secret" hotel in Stockholm.
JERRY LEWIS IN STOCKHOLM: Filming In Sweden with 300 Children
Jerry Lewis came to Stockholm yesterday. In a cold, delayed plane from Paris he finaly arrived at the airport an hour late. On his way to the VIP room, he felt more cold. It was minus 7 derees celsius (Around 20 farhrenheit) in Stockholm last night. Several surprises awaited in the VIP room. A horde of journalists from the press and TV. He looked kind of schocked and said to his producer, Nat Wachsberger, "Were we not supposed to go to Stockhom unnoticed? You're going to get back for this, Nat". There was no anger in his (Jerry's) voice. He took it all lightly with amusement. He joked with the journalists and almost scared one of them when he yelled "Boo" at him.
Filming
Why is Jerry Lewis in Sweden? Well, he's going to shoot a movie here in March/April and is here for a few days to look for locations. It's Jack Kotchack and Europa Film who's behind the visit. Jack as a producer and Europa Film is the owner of the studio Lewis will shoot in.
Unusual Film
It's not going to be a "usual" Jerry Lewis film. The film takes place at a concentration camp in Nazi Germany and ends with 300 children children are taken to the gas chamber. Why such a dramatic and tragic film with Jerry Lewis? Why not? Partly because that's the trend in movie busniess - dramatic and realistic. We live in history and learn about it from schools and everywhere. But we have not learned from the mistakes. About what happened in for example Germany 30 years ago.
Old idea
"I want to tell a story, although tragic, and if we go forward carefully, nothing can go wrong with the film." (says Lewis). The script is written by Joan O'Brien and Jerry Lewis has had this idea for almost 10 years.
Clown
In the film, Jerry is playing a clown who by mistake lands at a concentration camp. The elder prisoners are not amused by the clown, but gets well liked by the children. He tries to comfort the jewish children at the camp with his clown tricks. When the children are transported and taken away from their parents, the camp's commandant demands the clown to take away the children without making a scene. If he does, he is promised freedom. When they all arrive at the gas chamber, the clown can't abandon the youngsters and follows them into death.
In Trouble
"A comic is always someone who's in trouble", Jerry says. "Although this movie won't get a lot of laughs". The Day the Clown Cried is the title of the film and is preferably made in Sweden with about 300 swedish children, plus seven adults in supporting roles.
No barriers
"I chose Sweden for two reasons", Jerry Lewis says. It's for the climate. The film takes place in winter time and your winter is long. The other reason is for the language. There are no barriers, everyone can speak english which makes the job easier". He goes home on saturday and during the visit he is going to look at locations and find possible actors. Jerry has just finnished a long tour, including Olympic in Paris. There will probably not be moer TV shows or TV movies.
Bad Carpenter
"You make movies for the future", Jerry says. "To show a TV movie night after night for years, you do that for one night. I make movies because I'm a bad carpenter, or I should say I love movies as media and I can't do anything else." When asked if he knows any swedish actors, he denied. Not even Greta Garbo.
"No, she would probably not even talk to me", Jerry answered. He didn't get any further, because producer Nat Wachsberger waved in the background that their car had arrived and that it was time to head to the "secret" hotel in Stockholm.
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