The Day the Clown Cried

In 1972, one of the most infamous "lost" films ever was directed and starred in by Jerry Lewis, who was well-known for his comedies like The Nutty Professor in the 1960s. At the movie The Day the Clown Cried, a clown in a concentration camp run by the Nazis amuses the kids even as they go into the gas chambers. His first dramatic role was supposed to be in that.

Although copies of the movie do exist, they are often only known to have shown at exclusive and infrequent showings. Others have had the opposite reaction, stating the film was actually wonderful and dealt with a dreadful subject in a surprising way. Harry Shearer, who saw the movie in 1979, praised it as "absolutely incorrect."

Lewis donated a copy to the Library of Congress just before he passed away with the stipulation that it not be viewed until 2024. Lewis had long wanted the movie buried away. So maybe we'll see it sometime. simply not yet.

Directed by: Jerry Lewis
Screenplay by: Jerry Lewis
Story by: Joan O'Brien, Charles Denton
Produced by: Nat Wachsberger