Sadly those writing about his 60+ year legacy of publicly doing good and making people laugh, feel it necessary to point out that he wasn't always politically correct... yet fail to reiterate the obvious: he grew up in a time when handicapped people were openly mocked and no 'A' list stars were putting much effort into raising money to support their cause.

As a kid I watched the telethon year after year and thought he was a hero.

I have to say as a preemptive response, it kind of brought it to attention. Thou Seems no negative responses

Martin & Lewis’s popularity is hard to imagine today. I doubt any current artist even approaches what they had. His amazing longevity can be seen in how people were introduced to him. I was born in 70, and primarily remember him as the telethon guy, but for my parents he was a movie star, and older folks remember the act.

I was born in 1966 and loved watching his movies on TV as a kid.

Gilbert Gottfried has a podcast where he interviews older Hollywood types and Jerry comes up quite a bit. I'm sure they will do a memorial episode soon if anyone wants to hear firsthand stories.

Is he speaking in that Gilbert Gottfried voice the whole podcast long?

Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin were so phenomenally popular and accomplished individually, that I sometimes soft-forget that Lewis and Martin were the Lewis and Martin in Lewis & Martin.

And the only thing that makes me feel older than seeing this thread, 8 hours old, with only six comments, is my joints.

I just saw him in this documentary 8 hrs ago, Dying Laughing (2016) [0]

[0] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5068712/

Jerry's boat anchored in San Diego

https://goo.gl/photos/UWyNtbTjYP1jxHdv7

As someone who doesn't follow entertainment & pop culture closely, how is this related to HN?

One of more arguments: "as a filmmaker of great personal force and technical skill, he made many contributions to the industry, including the invention in 1960 of a device — the video assist, which allowed directors to review their work immediately on the set — still in common use."

Jerry Lewis was the first nerdy (anti)hero in movies that I saw. I remember very little of his films, I was very young when spanish TV used to air them, but I can say his usual character was funny and likeable.

In death, we shed who we where in live- it becomes somewhat unimportant, what matters now lives on as our family and the thoughts we put into other peoples heads - our legacy.

I will always fondly remember the anarchic errand boy, mocking the grandeur of some peacocks at meetings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4v8UdkTx30

RIP.

I spent the first ten years of my life thinking he was the same guy as Jerry Lee Lewis.

I read that "first ten years" part and find it remarkable you were able to focus on that in the early parts - eg. the first year drooling all over yourself, spitting up, but still confusing Jerry and Jerry Lee ...

Hey nice laaaady! Bring me some more smushed peas. Mine fell out.

I am only just now finding out that he wasn't.