Hollywood or Bust

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This article is about the film. For the 1986 computer game, see Hollywood or Bust (game). For the TV series, see Hollywood or Bust (TV series).

Hollywood Or Bust

Directed by	Frank Tashlin
Produced by	Hal B. Wallis
Written by	Erna Lazarus
Starring	Dean Martin Jerry Lewis Pat Crowley Maxie Rosenbloom Anita Ekberg
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	December 6, 1956
Running time	95 minutes
Country	USA
Language	English
Box office	$3.3 million (US) A comedy starring the team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The picture was filmed from April 16 to June 19, 1956 and released on December 6, 1956 by Paramount Pictures, almost five months after the Martin and Lewis partnership split up.

Malcolm Smith (Jerry Lewis) wins a brand new automobile at a raffle. Steve Wiley (Dean Martin), a gambler from New York, obtains a counterfeit of the winning ticket and also claims that the car is his. The raffle's manager declares them both winners and that they can split the car any way that they want. Steve wants to sell the car, but Malcolm wants to drive it to Hollywood to meet the actress Anita Ekberg.[edit]Plot

Steve claims to know her and agrees to drive to Hollywood with Malcolm, secretly planning to steal the car. Malcolm brings along his dog, a huge Great Dane named Mr. Bascomb who foils Steve in his many attempts to make off with the car.

Along the way they pick up Terry (Pat Crowley), an aspiring dancer, who has a job for her waiting in Las Vegas. Once there, Malcolm gets his "lucky feeling" and wins $10,000 at a casino. In addition, the woman of his dreams, Anita Ekberg, is also at the hotel and Malcolm finally gets to meet her, with hilarious results.

Steve begins to show a change of heart. He not only agrees to go along with Malcolm to Hollywood without stealing the car, but he also proposes to Terry.

Malcolm spoils the mood by telling them that he no longer has any of his casino winnings, having used it on a gift for Anita. Steve decides to retrieve the gift and they head to Paramount Pictures to locate her. After some back-lot adventures, they find Anita, who agrees to return the gift in exchange for the services of Mr. Bascomb in her next movie.

[edit]Cast

Dean Martin ... Steve Wiley
Jerry Lewis ... Malcolm Smith
Pat Crowley ... Terry Roberts
'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom ... Bookie Benny (billed as Maxie Rosenbloom)
Anita Ekberg ... Actress Anita

[edit]Finale for Martin and Lewis

This was the last film that Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin appeared in together. According to Lewis in his autobiography, he and Dean did not speak to each other off camera during the entire film shoot. In addition, Lewis claimed that this is the only one of his films that he has never seen, citing it as too painful to watch.

[edit]Cultural references

In Paramount's 1972 film The Godfather, a scene of the Las Vegas strip, including a shot of the Sands Hotel marquee showing an appearance by Martin and Lewis, was taken from this film.