EXCLUSIVE:The Day The Clown Criedis getting another chance at the big screen.
Jam said he has executed a purchase agreement on the original script by Joan OBrien and Charles Denton.
Lewis took a hand in reshaping it as a starring and directing vehicle.
Jerry Lewis in ‘The Day the Clown Cried’Everett Collection
Jam is going back to the original screenplay.
He was accused of unabashedly chasing an Oscar.
Things get worse when he is overheard drunkenly mocking Hitler in a bar.
Jerry Lewis applying makeup in 1972 for his unreleased film ‘The Day the Clown Cried’Everett Collection
Hes turned over to the Gestapo and imprisoned in a Nazi camp for political prisoners.
That, and the subject matter, led to press coverage largely colored by derision.
I got approached 14 years ago by somebody I knew, who was a rabbi, Jam told Deadline.
Im thinking to myself, oh, great.
Now Im getting a script from a rabbi.
Hes such a nice man that I said, of course, sure, no problem.
And I said, no, Im so sorry.
He says, No problem.
Ill call you in a week.
He calls me a second week, and I still havent read it.
I dont take his phone call and I feel like a jackass.
I shut the door, tell my assistant to hold my calls and I start reading.
His mind-set quickly changed into passion.
The first 20 or so pages are a little clunky and felt very dated.
Then, I got into the story, I was so taken by the script.
When it was done, I was sobbing.
I ended up just going home.
I couldnt really do anything for the rest of the day.
I called him up and I said, I read and it is as powerful as you said.
I said, tell me you own the chain of title.
Ive been down the chain of title rabbit hole a few times.
And he is like, Yeah, I got it all.
Some unfortunately were missing signatures.
It was a complete disaster, Jam said.
But I decided that this movie is worth it, and I was going to take this on.
There was a lien put on the project 20 some odd years ago when Kushner-Locke had it under option.
They went into bankruptcy, but they didnt release their lien.
So I had to track down who was controlling their bankruptcy.
It was a whole ordeal.
Finally I managed to clean all that up, he said.
You really need a master craftsman to tell his story.
I was unable to do that..
I havent seen the movie, and I really dont have a desire to, Jam said.
Thats not the movie were going to make.
Jerry took the script.
And he rewrote it.
The movie that he shot was not our script, not the script that I own and control.
I just kind of wanted to distance myself from it.
The search resumes for the filmmaker wholl shoot in Europe.
It will be a really powerful film, Jam said.
Its ultimately a redemption story.
Its going to be difficult.
Jerry himself has said that he wasnt terribly pleased with the final product.
Part of the effort will be in clearing up misconceptions about Lewis film.
There was something about the Library of Congress having a copy and they could screen it, Jam said.
I think it was June or July of 2024, actually.
And they said, we dont have the film.
We just have some elements.
And I dont really care about that.
Theres the documentary about the movie being shown at Venice.
I tried to track down the filmmakers of that.
I emailed them their lawyers and Venice, just to see what it is theyre trying to do.
What Im here to do is to make the original script.
He said, Call me in two hours.
I called and he was in tears.
Why did you do this to me?
This is the most powerful thing.
So that helped me really feel that we are onto something here.
And again, this is an important movie that needs to get made.
Its an important movie.
Its an interesting perspective on what went on when it went on.
