Lewis’s film “Cinderfella” took the classic fairytale and turned it on its head. In this movie, in particular, Jerry perfected the combination of zany comic sequences, solid storytelling, and emotion.
In the 1960 film, he played the “enchanting princess” while Anna Maria Alberghetti took on the role of the “charming prince.” Needless to say, it was a hit.
The Bellboy
Paramount was not happy about financing an almost 'silent movie' since that era was long over, but Lewis wanted to play a mostly mute bellboy. The funding was withdrawn, and so the actor fronted the money from his own pocket, all $950,000 of it.
The film also marked the pioneering method of a video assist system, allowing Lewis the ability to see his actions during scenes and thus perfecting the actor/director balancing act.
Revolutionary Filmmaking
The technique involved using cameras, and multiple monitors to instant show the performance immediately. This saved time and allowed him to complete most of his films on time and under budget.
The directing continuing and he released "The Ladies Man" and "The Errand Boy" (both in 1961). Fun fact "The Errand Boy" happened to be one of the earliest films about the movie-making biz and a lot of it was shot in the offices at Paramount.
The Nutty Professor
In 1963 Lewis co-wrote, directed, and starred in the hit comedy "The Nutty Professor." The film gave a satirical spin on the old classic "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." In it, he played the nerdy and awkward professor Julius Kelp who formulates a serum that turns him into a handsome yet arrogant ladies' man.
The film was highly acclaimed and was selected to be in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2004 due to it being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Julius Kelp became a huge part of modern culture and recently even got its own emoji. In "The Simpsons," Professor Frink is a character based on Julius Kelp, and of course, Eddie Murphy starred in the 1996 remake.
‘The Ladies Man’
Speaking of the ladies' man (one thing Lewis certainly was), he, of course, made another film on the subject, aptly called "The Ladies Man," The 1961 film told the story of yet another awkward nebbish who works at a female-only boarding house.
The sequence with the criminal and the hat is considered to be the funniest bit of his career. He once again achieved great laughs with that sweet taste of sentimentality.