Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River
Encyclopedia
Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River is a British made comedy film
produced by Walter Shenson
starring Jerry Lewis
and was released on July 12, 1968 by Columbia Pictures
. It was based on Max Wilk
's novel of the same name with the original Connecticut
locale moved to Swinging London
and Portugal
.
) is an American living in England. His passion is get-rich-quick scheme
s, and they have caused financial and personal grief for him as his wife, Pamela (Jacqueline Pearce
) is considering divorce if he continues with them.
Willy Homer (Terry-Thomas
) is a conman who plans to help George raise some quick cash by selling plans for a drill to a group of Arabians. The plans, which were stolen, are smuggled to Lisbon
with help from his accomplice, Fred Davies (Bernard Cribbins
). As they are about to trade the plans they realize that a double-cross is in the works. A series of chases follow next, and eventually the plans are revealed to be defective, making them worthless to everyone.
Distraught, George finds comfort in his wife and promises to never embark on any more get-rich-quick schemes. That is, until Willy shows up at his door with another one!
, has a cameo as the umpire at a baseball game.
This is Lewis' final film before the MPAA's film-rating system went in effect.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
produced by Walter Shenson
Walter Shenson
Walter Shenson was a film producer, director and writer, best known for producing the Beatles' films A Hard Day's Night and Help! ....
starring Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
and was released on July 12, 1968 by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. It was based on Max Wilk
Max Wilk
Max Wilk was an American playwright, screenwriter and author of fiction and nonfiction book.Formerly a resident of Ridgefield, Connecticut, he moved to Westport, Connecticut, where lived until his death February 19, 2011, at age 90...
's novel of the same name with the original Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
locale moved to Swinging London
Swinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Plot
George Lester (Jerry LewisJerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
) is an American living in England. His passion is get-rich-quick scheme
Get-rich-quick scheme
A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to acquire high rates of return for a small investment. The term "get rich quick" has been used to describe shady investments since at least the early 1900s....
s, and they have caused financial and personal grief for him as his wife, Pamela (Jacqueline Pearce
Jacqueline Pearce
Jacqueline Pearce is a British actress.-Career:Jacqueline Pearce trained at the British stage school RADA and at Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio in Los Angeles....
) is considering divorce if he continues with them.
Willy Homer (Terry-Thomas
Terry-Thomas
Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens was a distinctive English comic actor, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cads and toffs, with the trademark gap in his front teeth, cigarette holder, smoking jacket, and catch-phrases such as...
) is a conman who plans to help George raise some quick cash by selling plans for a drill to a group of Arabians. The plans, which were stolen, are smuggled to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
with help from his accomplice, Fred Davies (Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins, OBE is an English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over half a century who came to prominence in films in the 1960s, has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid 1950s, and as of 2010 is still an active...
). As they are about to trade the plans they realize that a double-cross is in the works. A series of chases follow next, and eventually the plans are revealed to be defective, making them worthless to everyone.
Distraught, George finds comfort in his wife and promises to never embark on any more get-rich-quick schemes. That is, until Willy shows up at his door with another one!
Production
It was filmed between May 15 and June 30, 1967 and the director, Jerry ParisJerry Paris
Jerry Paris was an American actor and director best known for playing Jerry Helper, the dentist and next door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie, on The Dick Van Dyke Show.-Life and career:...
, has a cameo as the umpire at a baseball game.
This is Lewis' final film before the MPAA's film-rating system went in effect.