Artists And Models (1955)

A Greenwich Village artist (Dean Martin) and his comic book obsessed room mate (Jerry Lewis) are struggling to make ends meet. But when Martin pitches a comic book based on Lewis's nightmares to a publisher (Eddie Mayehoff), they're in the money! But Lewis's dreams unintentionally contain a genuine secret rocket formula which has both the Secret Service and foreign spies after them. Quite possibly the best of the Martin and Lewis vehicles, the film profits from having Frank Tashlin at the helm. The former cartoonist translates the animated lunacy of comics and cartoons into the live action hijinks and the result is some of the best gags in the Martin & Lewis canon. A visit by Lewis to a message therapist is a scream as he's literally bent and twisted like a pretzel. Shirley MacLaine and Dorothy Malone provide the romantic interest for the guys while Anita Ekberg and Eva Gabor provide eye candy. There are enough songs for the film to qualify it as a musical but with one exception, a lovely ballad called Innamorata, the songs are pretty forgettable. Edith Head did the inventive costumes. With Jack Elam, Steven Geray and Kathleen Freeman.