Post by Classickat on Oct 12, 2020 8:36:32 GMT
Interviewer: You have an interesting story about working with Jerry Lewis, don’t you?
Sally: "Yes, that was before I heard about his somewhat legendary reputation with the ladies. (laughs) In the summer of 1955 I signed a contract with NBC to do six weeks work on the Colgate Comedy Hour (which had undergone a name change to the Colgate Variety Hour). Though the show was hosted by several different comedians, I was thrilled to learn that I would be working that summer with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Even though they were feuding with each other by then, I still was very excited because they were still enormously popular as a comedy team. Jerry and Dean were so much fun to be around.
The Colgate Comedy Hour was broadcast live each week which meant that I had to join the AFTRA union, of which I had not been a member previously. Well, Jerry evidently took a romantic shine to me as soon as he met me and he offered to pay for my union card, which I thought was kind of unusual, but I took him up on it as I really wanted the job.
The shows I did with Dean and Jerry were great. We would do different comedy skits each week and I would play a sexy nurse one week and maybe a secretary the next week and a girl in a bathing suit the following week. And, sometimes, there would be four of us girls introducing Dean and Jerry to the audience at the beginning of the show (just like Jackie Gleason would do later on in the 1960s, when he taped his TV show from Miami Beach).
As time went on, I noticed during rehearsals that Jerry was becoming more and more attentive towards me. But, I didn’t mind it too much as I was learning how to flirt with a man and then how to run away as quickly as possible afterwards. (laughs) I knew I had to escape him because I still had a couple more shows to do and I didn’t want to lose my job over something stupid like a false rumor going around that I was having an affair with Jerry Lewis. I mean, I knew I could be replaced at any time if people started believing that.
So, I always managed to outrun him and still have fun on the show and then on the last week of work one of the other girls came up to me and said, ‘Jerry is looking everywhere for you.’ At almost the same time, the assistant director came over to me and said, ‘Sally, we were all looking for you. Jerry wants to talk to you about your AFTRA card.’ Um…okay. I don’t know if Jerry Lewis expected me to show up in his dressing room with a check in hand, or what, but obviously, I didn’t go. You know, I never heard another word from him after that. (laughs)
A few months later, there was a big call over at Paramount for dozens of background girls for a new film that Jerry and Dean were starring in, called Artists and Models. Even though my agent knew what had happened between Jerry and me, he sent me over there for an interview. Well, I heard that Jerry took one look at my name on the call list and said, ‘In no way, shape or form is Sally Todd to work on this picture.’ And, needless to say, I didn’t.
So, that’s the story of my almost-romance with Jerry Lewis. He’s still around, God love him."
- Sally Todd
www.john-odowd.com/writings/sally-todd-interview-page-2/
Sally: "Yes, that was before I heard about his somewhat legendary reputation with the ladies. (laughs) In the summer of 1955 I signed a contract with NBC to do six weeks work on the Colgate Comedy Hour (which had undergone a name change to the Colgate Variety Hour). Though the show was hosted by several different comedians, I was thrilled to learn that I would be working that summer with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Even though they were feuding with each other by then, I still was very excited because they were still enormously popular as a comedy team. Jerry and Dean were so much fun to be around.
The Colgate Comedy Hour was broadcast live each week which meant that I had to join the AFTRA union, of which I had not been a member previously. Well, Jerry evidently took a romantic shine to me as soon as he met me and he offered to pay for my union card, which I thought was kind of unusual, but I took him up on it as I really wanted the job.
The shows I did with Dean and Jerry were great. We would do different comedy skits each week and I would play a sexy nurse one week and maybe a secretary the next week and a girl in a bathing suit the following week. And, sometimes, there would be four of us girls introducing Dean and Jerry to the audience at the beginning of the show (just like Jackie Gleason would do later on in the 1960s, when he taped his TV show from Miami Beach).
As time went on, I noticed during rehearsals that Jerry was becoming more and more attentive towards me. But, I didn’t mind it too much as I was learning how to flirt with a man and then how to run away as quickly as possible afterwards. (laughs) I knew I had to escape him because I still had a couple more shows to do and I didn’t want to lose my job over something stupid like a false rumor going around that I was having an affair with Jerry Lewis. I mean, I knew I could be replaced at any time if people started believing that.
So, I always managed to outrun him and still have fun on the show and then on the last week of work one of the other girls came up to me and said, ‘Jerry is looking everywhere for you.’ At almost the same time, the assistant director came over to me and said, ‘Sally, we were all looking for you. Jerry wants to talk to you about your AFTRA card.’ Um…okay. I don’t know if Jerry Lewis expected me to show up in his dressing room with a check in hand, or what, but obviously, I didn’t go. You know, I never heard another word from him after that. (laughs)
A few months later, there was a big call over at Paramount for dozens of background girls for a new film that Jerry and Dean were starring in, called Artists and Models. Even though my agent knew what had happened between Jerry and me, he sent me over there for an interview. Well, I heard that Jerry took one look at my name on the call list and said, ‘In no way, shape or form is Sally Todd to work on this picture.’ And, needless to say, I didn’t.
So, that’s the story of my almost-romance with Jerry Lewis. He’s still around, God love him."
- Sally Todd
www.john-odowd.com/writings/sally-todd-interview-page-2/