Jerry Lewis, the slapstick-loving comedian, innovative filmmaker and generous fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, died August 20 after a brief illness, said his publicist, Candi Cazau. He was 91.
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Lewis monkeys around with Pierre, a 5-year-old chimpanzee, in 1950, during Lewis' early Hollywood days.
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Lewis joined forces with singer Dean Martin in 1946 and they became a hugely popular duo. Martin and Lewis were comedy partners for 10 years.
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Martin, center, kisses actress Denise Darcel, as Lewis feigns irritation. The pair were at a golf event in 1953 in Eastchester, New York.
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Lewis and Martin parted less than amicably in 1956. Both had long and successful careers after their breakup.
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In 1960, Lewis starred in and directed "The Bellboy," a silent-film-style story of pratfalls and adventures.
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Lewis' film heyday was the '60s. Here, he stars with Susan Oliver in 1964's "The Disorderly Orderly."
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Lewis and his wife, Patti, sing in an impromptu New York performance in 1955. They divorced in 1982.
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Lewis and his family in 1967. He also had a daughter with his second wife.
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Lewis stars in "The Nutty Professor" in 1963. Lewis also directed the film.
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Lewis was the longtime spokesman for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Here, Lewis visits President John Kennedy at the White House with Bobbie and Kerrie Whittaker, the 1963 national poster children for the association. Also shown, from left, are actress Patty Duke and the children's parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. Leigh Whittaker.
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Lewis tries out a Jerry Lewis special in 1971. The ice cream special was offered by a Troy, New York, pharmacy where Lewis worked as a young man. Lewis' former boss, Ben Silberg, helps eat the giant sundae.
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Lewis arrives at Nice Airport on his way to the Cannes Film Festival in 1979. Lewis was hugely popular in France, where in 1984 he was awarded the Legion of Honor, the country's highest tribute.
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Lewis with Robert De Niro in a scene from "The King of Comedy" in 1982. Lewis' part in the film was a rare serious role.
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Lewis married Sandra Pitnick in 1983.
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Lewis performs with the United States Army Reserve Band before receiving the the military's highest civilian award in 1985. The Medal for Distinguished Service was awarded to Lewis for his role in fighting muscular dystrophy.
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Lewis brings former CNN host Larry King to tears with a joke in 1999.
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Lewis wipes away tears at the 39th Annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon in 2004. In 2011, Lewis and the Muscular Dystrophy Association announced they were parting ways.
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Lewis arrives for the Emmy Awards in 2015.
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In 2013, Lewis starred in the drama "Max Rose." He's shown here at the photo call for the movie at the Cannes Film Festival.
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Lewis holds up his cement covered hands during a 2014 ceremony to add his hand prints and footprints to the sidewalk at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
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Lewis and director Martin Scorsese attend a Friars Club event honoring Scorsese in New York in 2016.
