IIJS hosted a virtual screening of From Darkness to Light, a documentary exploring the making—and ultimate abandonment—of Jerry Lewis's Holocaust film, followed by a Q&A with Jerry Lewis's former archivist, Bob Furmanek.
In 1972, movie legend and comedy auteur Jerry Lewis gambled his career and his own money to direct and star in a Holocaust film called The Day the Clown Cried. A series of troubles ensued and the film never saw the light of day, becoming an object of fascination for 50+ years. The documentary From Darkness to Light chronicles the doomed production comprehensively (including new interviews with Lewis before his death) and breaks new ground in film history by including fully edited scenes from The Day the Clown Cried—the first time they have ever been publicly seen.
Bob Furmanek’s career in film includes working as the personal archivist for Jerry Lewis, co-writing a celebrated book on the legendary comedy team Abbott & Costello, delving deep into the making of all their films, and founding the 3-D Film Archive in 1990. For more on Bob and the 3-D Film Archive, please click here.
The Q&A is available to view in full below.
This event was made possible by the generosity of the Appel and Kaye families.
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