Sammy Petrillo R.I.P.

The world just got a little less stupid. Jerry Lewis impersonator Sammy Petrillo has passed away.

When Sammy was a teenager he asked himself whether he wanted a job or he wanted to be in show biz and fortunately for us he chose the latter. (When you're a dead ringer for Jerry Lewis these decisions come easy.) After a few years knocking around nightclubs Sammy teamed up with Dean Martin impersonator Duke Mitchell and together they starred in the feral Poverty Row romp Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla (1952). Not long after the release of the movie the long arm of Jerry Lewis prevented Mitchell and Petrillo from securing work and the team reluctantly dissolved. In 1961 Sammy took a solo turn in the Doris Wishman nudie Shangri-La (featuring "trick photography by Weegee") and in 1972 he essayed multiple roles in Wishman's abstinence-provoking Keyholes Are For Peeping. Somewhere in there Sammy created the concept for The Munsters TV show and invented the prank phone call record (My Son The Phone Caller). Duke met his reward in 1981 and Sammy kept on being Sammy right up until this past weekend. Beloved by those who loved him and hated by the rest, Sammy's legacy will endure as long as public domain copies of Brooklyn Gorilla litter 99 cent bins at checkout counters across the land.

Here's couple of clips from Shangri-La that feature Sammy at his effervescent best. Whether cavorting with nudists, historic wax figures or Duke Mitchell impersonators, Sammy's off button was nowhere to be found.    (NSFW)

Comments

[Listener #109577]

Hey, whatever. How much worse (better?) could Sammy be than Jerry himself? I mean, really! At least we've still got Gilbert Gottfried!

Eeeaagh!

[Kevin]

Sammy was regarded as a genius ... in Pittsburgh.

[Dale]

Great stuff. BL meets a BG seems as good as anything Dean and Jerry did, to me anyway. But Duke Mitchell sounds a bit like Fred Flintstone channeling Dean. Thanks and a lift of the lynch lid.

[Spazz]

Dale-it's funny that you should mention that. Duke was the "elvis-like" singing voice of Fred Flinstone.

[Dale]

Alan Reed didn't sing his own stuff? Interesting.

[RANDY HAUCK]

IS "Shangri-La" OUT ON DVD?
THANKS,
RANDY

[forked tongue]

"Cavorting with Nudists" is going to be my next band's name.

(Note for the record: I am 55 years old, have never been in a band, and don't sing or play an instrument.)

[Stuart Hersh]

Hi, I am Sammy's Cousin, Stuart.

This message is for "David The Spazz" as I cannot find a more direct way of contacting him.

I've been looking for years for a copy of Shangri-La and could not find it (I would've liked a copy for Sammy) Now, all of a sudden, searching the web, I see this clip that you posted and I'm amazed! I really would love a copy of this on dvd or vhs, whatever you can do, if possible so I can share it with the family.

I miss him very much, he lit up any room that he came into with humor and quick wit.

Thank you. "David", you can write to me directly at [email protected]

Thanks!
Stuart

[EJ]

A great piece of ketch! I Love it!