There seems to be some confusion surrounding his real name; although he was supposedly born “Joseph” according to many legal documents,s his name was “Jerome.” Still, the actor dropped those names altogether and went with Jerry as the official name, both on and offstage.
The reason for this was so that he would not be confused with other prominent figures, namely Joe E. Lewis and Joe Louis.
Giving Up Too Soon
Of course, every entertainer experiences a little bit of rejection, and Lewis certainly got a whiff of that. One of his first shows in the Burlesque House in Buffalo did not go too well and he ended up getting canceled.
To make ends meet, Lewis worked at the snack counter and then as a theater usher at the Paramount Theatre and Loew’s Capitol Theatre in New York City. He was starting to go off the path, but then this wise father stepped in and set him straight.
The Borscht Belt
Max Coleman, a popular comedian at the time (who worked with Lewi's father,) together with Lewis's father, convinced the burgeoning comic to get back on that horse and try again. The famous "Record Act" eventually made its way to comedian Irving Kaye, who loved it.
Immediately Coleman became his manager and guardian, landing him a string of Borscht Belt appearances (a nickname for the summer resorts in the Catskills frequented by the Jewish community between the 1920s and 1960s.)
The Funniest Friendship in Showbiz
After World War II ended, the up-and-coming comedian hit the nightclub scene and shot to fame. There he met the one and only Dean Martin, and thus, a new era of the comedy bromance began. Audiences around the county instantly fell in love with the super-duo: The suave king of cool, Dean Martin, and the zany and hilarious Jerry Lewis.
They two met each other at the Glass Hat Club in New York City. The connection was instant, and on July 25, 1946, they began performing at Atlantic City’s 500 Club as "The Martin and Lewis Act."Soon. It was the perfect act.
The Martin and Lewis Show
"The Martin and Lewis Show" contained the perfect mix of coolness and zaniness, and audiences could certainly attest to the fact that they weren't too bad to look at either. It was also the unique chemistry and free-flowing improvisational bits that led to their stardom. Naturally, the comedy duo went from having their own nightclub act to their very own radio show "called The Martin and Lewis Show."
They made their debut on "Toast of the Town" in 1948 and soon after on the "The Ed Sullivan Show." By the year 1950, Martin and Lewis appeared on the "The Colgate Comedy Hour," a shows that involved stand-up songs, dialogues, and dances.