Lewis wanted to flex those creative muscles, but first, he was going to secure a deal with Paramount Pictures. In 1959 the production company signed a new contract with Jerry Lewis Productions stipulating that he would get $10 million-plus 60% of profits for 14 movies over seven years.
That contract made Lewis the highest-paid Hollywood star at the time. It also gave him complete creative control over the final cut and guaranteed film rights after 30 years of release. This new studio power made him incredibly powerful. Barney Balaban, head of the production at Paramount, even told the media, “If Jerry wants to burn down the studio, I’ll give him the match!”
The TV Star
In the year 1956, Jerry Lewis was the star of Las Vegas, regularly performing at the Sands Hotel and Casino, and he was cashing it in. The comic signed a five-year contract with the Sands nightclub and paid him the same amount of money they paid Martin and Lewis as a duo. The live performances made up most of his career.
Lewis steadily continued with the casino and theater performances and, in 1957, even followed Judy Garland at New York’s Palace Theater. His success was unprecedented, even prompted his long lost pal Dean Martin and to call him up and congratulate him. His success then took him to TV, where he appeared on the show "What’s My Line?" between 1956 and 1966.
Hungry Jerry
Lewis hosted the Academy Awards consecutively in 1956 and 1957, and then a third time in 1959. The third time, the Oscars ran short, and so he improvised for 20 minutes, putting the audience in stitches. When his contract with Paramount Pictures ended, Lewis started searching for the next step.
Lewis loved comedy but felt that was lacking pathos. According to the comedian, "funny without pathos is a pie in the face. And a pie in the face is funny, but I wanted more."
Strange Habits
Sometimes, with a lot of power comes unusual behavior. Since the comedian was growing accustomed to ultimate creative control, his tendencies seemed to drift into creations that were not his.
The powerful comedian had a habit of re-editing other peoples' films. During his downtime, he would cut out all the parts of films he didn't like and would insist on playing his edited versions for anyone who came to visit his home.
The Workaholic
His first all Lewis film was "The Bellboy" in 1960, which he also starred in. The production took place in the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami and was produced on a relatively small budget with limited shooting time, but it succeeded anyway.
When Lewis was done with the shooing in the days, he would zip over to the hotel and perform in the evenings.