Homer Flagg is a railroad worker in the small New Mexico town of Desert Hole. One day, he finds an abandoned automobile at an old atomic proving ground. His doctor and best friend, Steve Harris, diagnoses him with radiation poisoning and gives Homer three weeks to live. A big city reporter hears of Homer's plight and convinces her editor to provide an all-expenses paid trip to New York.
Acting
Jerry Lewis at peak physical comedy — every limb is a weapon of mass destruction.
Direction
Norman Taurog keeps the chaos tight; no gag overstays its welcome.
Production
Glorious retro-futuristic NYC — the city as candy-colored dream factory.
Director
Norman Taurog
Jerry Lewis
Homer Flagg
Dean Martin
Dr. Steve Harris
Janet Leigh
Wally Cook
Edward Arnold
The Mayor of New York
Fred Clark
Oliver Stone
Sheree North
Jitterbug Champion
Sammy White
Waiter
Sid Tomack
Master of Ceremonies
Sig Ruman
Dr. Emile Egelhofer
Richard Loo
Dr. Lee
Raymond Greenleaf
Conductor
Walter Baldwin
Isaiah Jackson
Fay Roope
Man
John Alderson
Yankee Catcher (uncredited)
Art Baker
Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during peak atomic anxiety, the film treats radiation poisoning as a punchline — a fascinating example of 1950s denial-as-coping-mechanism. Audiences laughed at what they feared most.
This was the fourth Martin & Lewis film together and their first in Technicolor; Paramount rushed it into production to capitalize on their nightclub breakthrough. The atomic angle was added specifically for 'topical relevance.'
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
US
