After what seemed to be an excessively long wait considering his lengthy career, comedy icon Jerry Lewis was honored today with a cement imprint in the courtyard of the TCL Chinese Theater (née Grauman), where his newly pressed hand and footprints will join the likes of everyone from Joe E. Brown to Marilyn Monroe. The short ceremony, held in the shadow of the famous Chinese facade, featured introductions from TCM’s own Robert Osborne and director Quentin Tarantino, who expressed an entire generation’s worth of respect for the star. Lewis took the stage last, sharp as ever, cracking loving jokes at the expense of the staff, fans, and photographers, and getting his hands and feet caked in cement for the sake of Hollywood immortality. He was also a special hero for the crowd of mostly fans in the bleacher area, repeatedly asking his personal friends in the front rows to sit down so the adoring crowd could see him. What a guy!
For more Lewis, The Nutty Professor screens tonight at the El Capitan at 6:15pm as part of the TCM Film Fest, and Tarantino himself is hosting a free retrospective of Lewis films throughout the day at the New Beverly theater, with prints from his own collection.
And feel free to follow me on Twitter for more—ahem—timely reports on the happenings around the fest!
Lewis can do it all! What a talent!