The Geisha Boy

The Asian stereotypes are very questionable by today's standards, and the sentiment is laid on too thickly at times, almost sickeningly, but Geisha Boy is an amiable crowd pleaser featuring Lewis just before he really came into his own as a solo artist. Tashlin's work is typically handsome and economical, and while the film is never hysterical, it has plenty of heart. McCarthy is very appealing as the Japanese woman who takes a shine to Lewis, and the kid is cute.

Obviously problematic in some respects, and it contains more egregious sentimentality than many of Jerry Lewis' other movies. But I'm apparently the kind of simpleton that thinks Jerry Lewis interacting with a bunny is the funniest thing ever, so I kind of loved it? It helps that the entire film is a masterclass in the possibilities of Tashlinesque mise en scene.