The story around Jerry Lewis‘s allegedly terrible and near-unwatchable Holocaust drama “The Day The Clown Cried” is the stuff of legend. The movie, filmed but never fully completed or released, has been described by the very few who been able to view it, as an artistic folly that widely misses the mark. Telling the story of a German circus clown (played by Lewis) arrested by the Gestapo after mocking Hitler, who is eventually forced by the Nazis to perform and help lead Jewish children to concentration camp gas chambers, Lewis’ effort was apparently misguided at best and a total failure at worst. But the question remains: is it really that bad?
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While it’s not the whole film, a 31-minute condensed cut of “The Day The Clown Cried” has landed online (it’s not embeddable — you’ll have to watch it here) and offers the most extensive look yet at Lewis’s movie, which until now, has only seen portions of footage surfacing. This version uses material from “Der Clown,” a recently aired German documentary about the movie, re-enactments of the script and more to provide a broad overview of the movie. And while it doesn’t look good, it’s not quite the car crash that has been part of the movie’s aura for decades.
Though it was somehow first put online two months ago, I can’t imagine it’ll stay up for too much longer, so watch it while you can. Otherwise, your next chance to view it will be in 2025. Last year, Lewis donated his films and work to the Library of Congress, including “The Day The Clown Cried,” but with the caveat the picture not be screened for ten years. So, take a look, and let us know what you think. [Mass Live]
Update: The clips no longer exists, but there is some footage below.