Artists and Models (1955)

November 7, 1955 (US) • Comedy • 110m

Overview

A struggling painter begins taking inspiration from the dreams of his friend and roommate, a comic book fan who narrates an adventure story while he sleeps, but unbeknownst to the latter, the artist of his favorite comic book lives in the same building as they do with the model for her drawings.

Director

Frank Tashlin

Writers

Hal Kanter, Herbert Baker, Frank Tashlin

Top Billed

Dean Martin

Keywords

roommates painting male friendship comic book based on play or musical horoscope secret service boyfriend girlfriend relationship modeling foreign agent cartoonist abduction

Where to watch

Free / Included

Rent

Buy

Top Billed Cast

Dean Martin

Rick Todd

Jerry Lewis

Eugene Fullstack

Shirley MacLaine

Bessie Sparrowbush

Dorothy Malone

Abigail Parker

Eddie Mayehoff

Mr. Murdock

Eva Gabor

Sonia / Mrs. Curtis

Anita Ekberg

Anita

George Winslow

Richard Stilton

Jack Elam

Ivan

Herbert Rudley

Secret Service Chief Samuels

Richard Shannon

Secret Service Chief Rogers

Richard Webb

Secret Service Chief Peters

Alan Lee

Otto

Otto Waldis

Kurt

Kathleen Freeman

Mrs. Muldoon (uncredited)

Martha Wentworth

Fat Lady (uncredited)

Sara Berner

Mrs. Stilton (uncredited)

Art Baker

TV Commentator (uncredited)

Steven Geray

Kurt's Associate (uncredited)

Emory Parnell

Mr. Kelly (uncredited)

Ralph Dumke

Mr. Trimm (uncredited)

Clancy Cooper

Police Officer (uncredited)

Charles Evans

General Traynor (uncredited)

Carleton Young

Colonel Drury (uncredited)

Ann McCrea

Janet (uncredited)

Glen Walters

Masseuse (uncredited)

Larri Thomas

Masseuse (uncredited)

Dale Hartleben

Vulture Boy (uncredited)

Mickey Little

Vulture Boy (uncredited)

Patricia Morrow

Zuba Girl (uncredited)

Sue Carlton

Office Clerk (uncredited)

Max Power

Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Frances Lansing

Cigarette Girl (uncredited)

Don Corey

Man at Telescope (uncredited)

Frank Carter

Stage Manager (uncredited)

Rudy Makoul

Announcer (uncredited)

Mara Lynn

Dancer (uncredited)

Charlotte Lander

Dancer (uncredited)

Shirley Falls

Dancer (uncredited)

Jean Heidy

Dancer (uncredited)

Jane Adrian

Dancer (uncredited)

Audrey Saunders

Dancer (uncredited)

Esther Furst

Dancer (uncredited)

Edna Ryan

Dancer (uncredited)

Marcella Becker

Dancer (uncredited)

Susan Brown

Dancer (uncredited)

Georgia Holt

Model (uncredited)

Jack Deery

Stork Club Patron (uncredited)

Tom Ferrandini

Fashion Show Spectator (uncredited)

Charles Fogel

Stork Club Patron (uncredited)

George Ford

Spectator on Sidewalk (uncredited)

Tommy Summers

Elevator Boy (uncredited)

Crew

Richard Mueller

Other

Norman Luboff

Vocals

Walter Scharf

Music Arranger

Bill Avery

Still Photographer

Farciot Edouart

Visual Effects

Walter Scharf

Conductor

James Engle

Second Assistant Director

Frank Dugas

Assistant Camera

Richard Caffey

Second Assistant Director

Charles O'Curran

Choreographer

Buzz Boggs

Camera Operator

Marvin Weldon

Script Supervisor

Edward R. Morse

Casting

Neil Wheeler

Property Master

Jack Saper

Producer's Assistant

Harry Ray

Makeup Artist

Frank Caffey

Production Manager

Paul Nathan

Casting

Stanley Williams

Gaffer

Joe Stinton

Makeup Artist

Hugh Brown

Assistant Production Manager

Dean Cole

Hairstylist

Frank Tashlin

Director

Edith Head

Costume Design

Daniel L. Fapp

Director of Photography

Ed Fitzharris

Wardrobe Designer

John P. Fulton

Special Effects

Tambi Larsen

Art Direction

Hal Pereira

Art Direction

Sam Comer

Set Decoration

Arthur Krams

Set Decoration

Hal B. Wallis

Producer

Rudy Makoul

Dialogue Coach

Hugo Grenzbach

Sound Recordist

Gene Garvin

Sound Recordist

Hal Kanter

Screenplay

Wally Westmore

Makeup Supervisor

Herbert Baker

Screenplay

Harry Warren

Songs

Michael Davidson

Theatre Play

Charles C. Coleman

Assistant Director

Jack Brooks

Lyricist

Paul Nathan

Associate Producer

Don McGuire

Adaptation

Norman Lessing

Theatre Play

Frank Tashlin

Screenplay

Warren Low

Editor

Reviews

John Chard

⭐ 9/10

May 12, 2015

Happiness is just a state of mind my friend … when you pretend.

Rick Todd and Eugene Fullstack share an apartment, Rick is a struggling artist and Eugene is a comic book fan with very few marbles! Both men are struggling to earn money, but when Eugene starts telling the comic book adventures of Vincent the Vulture in his sleep, Rick spies an opportunity to make some money. Trouble is is that the gorgeous Bessie Sparrowbrush and Abigail Parker are about to enter the boys lives, and with the secret services from different countries interested in Eugene's dreams as well, love and government interests are going to meet head on - with the result being chaos!

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were a double act that had as many ups as they did downs, but something about their partnership tapped into the fluff entertainment market that entertained millions with a blend of crooning and idiotic pratfalling. Here with Artists And Models they manage to create an ode to joy that positively quakes with fun from the very first tremor of the opening sequence. If we were to dissect the film and analyse it piece by piece it would probably come up short of being a technical wonder and a genius smart piece of film making, but really why would anyone want to do that? Surely we enter a film like this in the hope of being taken away from the world? And few films in this genre can better lay claim to being so fun and full of love, friendship and care free abandon, all in one clean sweep. To me personally there is only Singing In The Rain that can portray better the beauty of living your life with a smile on your face, Artists And Models has everything one needs to cure the blues.

Sparkling as it does in Vistavision, Artists and Models delights the eyes as much as it lifts the heart, technically it scores high and it's boosted by a cast on optimum form. Jerry Lewis is hated as much as he is adored, I guess his bumbling buffoonery annoys if taken in regular doses, but when he was on form he is nothing short of a comic genius. Witness here in this film the quintessential Jerry Lewis turn, from a quite brilliant telephone to bath sequence via mime, to an interplay musical sequence with the fabulous Shirley MacLaine, these could surely make even the dead raise a smile.

Then there is Dino Paul Crocetti, those Italian looks so beloved by the ladies, sickeningly going hand in hand with a voice apparently sent from high above. Enjoy here a special sequence as Dean sings and dances with the children (sadly uncredited), every inch of the frame is filled with what makes the world go around. Shirley Maclaine, Dorothy Malone and the ever enjoyable Eddie Mayehoff all combine to make this one of the pinnacles of the Dean & Jerry partnership, it may not be your preferred genre, but everyone should let such an ode to joy into their lives just once. 9/10

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Notting Hill

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Status

Released

Original Language

Budget

$1,500,000

Revenue

$3,800,000

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Artists and Models (1955)

Hal Kanter, Herbert Baker, Frank Tashlin

Where to watch

Top Billed Cast

Crew

Reviews

John Chard

Recommended Movies

Finishing School

Notting Hill

She's the Man

Student Services

Status

Original Language

Budget

Revenue

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