Hollywood or Bust main backdrop
Hollywood or Bust main poster

Hollywood or Bust

Visit website

6.1/10 • 66

1956-12-061h 35m

Comedy

A COAST TO COAST FUN TOOT!

The last movie with Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin together, is a satire of the life in Hollywood. Steve Wiley is a deceiver who cheats Malcolm Smith when he wins a car, claiming that he won it too. Trying to steal the car, Steve tells Malcolm that he lives in Hollywood, next to Anita Ekberg's. When Malcom hears that, they both set out for Hollywood and the adventure begins...

Directors
Frank Tashlin
Writters
Erna Lazarus
Editors
Erna Lazarus, Howard A. Smith

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin

    Steve Wiley

  2. Jerry Lewis

    Jerry Lewis

    Malcolm Smith

  3. Pat Crowley

    Pat Crowley

    Terry Roberts

  4. Maxie Rosenbloom

    Maxie Rosenbloom

    Bookie Benny

  5. Anita Ekberg

    Anita Ekberg

    Actress Anita

  6. Willard Waterman

    Willard Waterman

    Manager Neville

  7. Richard Karlan

    Richard Karlan

    Sammy Ross

  8. Richard Alexander

    Richard Alexander

    Western Actor

  9. Leon Alton

    Leon Alton

    Casino Patron

Reviews1

View Reviews
John Chard Avatar

John Chard

May 12, 2015

8/10

The boys sign off with unbridled joy. Malcolm Smith loves the movies and especially Anita Ekberg. Getting one of his lucky feelings, Malcolm buys a ream of raffle tickets to win a car. Sure enough he wins, but so does gigolo gambler Steve Wiley, who, not unsurprisingly has won by less than honourable means. Refusing to give out two cars, the promotion merely tells the men that they will have to share the car. Much to Steve's annoyance as he has debts to pay. So deviously he agrees to drive with Malcolm to Hollywood, planning to ditch him at the first chance he gets. Only he hadn't figured on Mr. Bascom, Malcolm's Great Dane who's along for the ride, and an encounter with the pretty Terry Roberts. Yep, it's safe to say this is not going to be an ordinary road trip. With their relationship deeply fractured at this time (this was their last film together), it's something of a surprise to find that Hollywood Or Bust is one of the finest films that Dean Martin (Steve) and Jerry Lewis (Malcolm) made. Everything that made the duo so massively popular is in here, even into the bargain daring to cast a satirical slant to the whiles and trials of Hollywood itself. A lot of the credit has to go to director Frank Tashlin. Tashlin, who was also at the helm for arguably the boys career high point Artists & Models, keeps the whole thing zippy, steering the duo in a direction to which they simply could not fail. Sure enough the humour is almost juvenile at times, and yes Dean of course croons and tries to bed the girl (a spiky Pat Crowley as Terry), but it's got such a sense of joy to it, the kind of joy that much like Artists & Models, can really lift the blues. Stand out songs from the Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster score are "A Day in the Country" and "It Looks Like Love", whilst it will be tough not to giggle at some of the antics of Mr. Bascom and the irrepressible Lewis, particularly with one particular movie parody. Anita Ekberg comes and joins in the fun later in the piece, just in time for the riotous carnage that you know is around the corner. If the sight of a Great Dane driving a car is not funny to you? Well chances are you should avoid this film completely. But that would be a shame for it's a delightful film, brisk and cheeky, it's most definitely one that's in desperate need of reappraisal from the grumpy brigade because it's a real blues lifter. 8/10

Media

  • Hollywood or Bust poster
  • Hollywood or Bust poster
  • Hollywood or Bust poster
  • Hollywood or Bust poster
  • Hollywood or Bust poster
  • Hollywood or Bust poster
  • Hollywood or Bust poster

Recommendations

  • Don't Torture a Duckling main backdrop

    Don't Torture a Duckling

    7.3

  • Rock-a-Bye Baby main backdrop

    Rock-a-Bye Baby

    6.8

  • The Pixar Story main backdrop

    The Pixar Story

    7.5

  • The Family Jewels main backdrop

    The Family Jewels

    6.4

  • Pardners main backdrop

    Pardners

    6.7

  • The Killing main backdrop

    The Killing

    7.7

  • The Banshees of Inisherin main backdrop

    The Banshees of Inisherin

    7.5

  • The Jungle Book main backdrop

    The Jungle Book

    6.9

  • Three Floors main backdrop

    Three Floors

    6.3

  • French Tech main backdrop

    French Tech

    6.5

  • The Handmaiden main backdrop

    The Handmaiden

    8.2

  • A Star Is Born main backdrop

    A Star Is Born

    7.5

  • Oppenheimer main backdrop

    Oppenheimer

    8.1

  • That Obscure Object of Desire main backdrop

    That Obscure Object of Desire

    7.4

  • Vanquish main backdrop

    Vanquish

    5.3

  • Cobweb main backdrop

    Cobweb

    6.5

  • Anatomy of a Fall main backdrop

    Anatomy of a Fall

    7.5

  • Forever Young main backdrop

    Forever Young

    6.6

  • The Silent Hour main backdrop

    The Silent Hour

    6.6

  • Parasite main backdrop

    Parasite

    8.5

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
singingcross country trip