Decoder Ring - Jerry Lewis’ Lost Holocaust Clown Movie
Slate Culture Feed26 Helmi 2025

Decoder Ring - Jerry Lewis’ Lost Holocaust Clown Movie

In 1972, Jerry Lewis—the actor and filmmaker known for slapstick comedies like The Nutty Professor—took the biggest risk of his career when he decided to make a drama called The Day The Clown Cried, about a circus clown who ends up in Auschwitz. This could have been a landmark as one of the first portrayals of the Holocaust in American cinema. Instead, it became a different kind of landmark: allegedly, one of the worst movies ever.

The Day The Clown Cried was never released, and only a handful of people have ever seen it. But the unbelievable concept alone has been enough to make this lost movie a holy grail for curious film buffs. In this episode of Decoder Ring, producer Max Freedman traces how The Day The Clown Cried became such a legendary disaster, why it’s impossible to see, and whether it actually deserves its rotten reputation.

You’ll hear from comedian Patton Oswalt; Shawn Levy, author of King of Comedy: The Life and Art of Jerry Lewis; Henry Gonshak, author of Hollywood and the Holocaust; Chuck Denton, whose father Charles co-wrote The Day The Clown Cried; and Jean-Michel Frodon, film critic at slate.fr.

If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com. Or you can also call us now at our new Decoder Ring hotline at 347-460-7281. We’d love to hear any and all of your ideas for the show.

Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(2961)

Hang Up and Listen - The Final Four Countdown

Hang Up and Listen - The Final Four Countdown

Hosts Lindsay Gibbs and Ben Lindbergh discuss the maddest moment of March—from the UConn buzzer beater, to Women’s Final Four redux. Alex Kirshner rejoins for two interviews: the first with author and...

31 Maalis 1h 13min

Death, Sex & Money - A Court Settlement Made Me a Millionaire. I’ve Barely Touched the Money.

Death, Sex & Money - A Court Settlement Made Me a Millionaire. I’ve Barely Touched the Money.

A listener we're calling Natalie received over a million dollars after being sexually abused by her university gynecologist in one of the largest abuse settlements in American history. She talks about...

31 Maalis 46min

ICYMI - Taylor Frankie Paul's Bachelorette Cancellation Was Inevitable

ICYMI - Taylor Frankie Paul's Bachelorette Cancellation Was Inevitable

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by New York Magazine features writer Rebecca Jennings, who recently profiled the now-cancelled Bachelorette, Taylor Frankie Paul. Paul’s season was pull...

28 Maalis 38min

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - Feet on the Ground, Reaching for the Stars Edition Part 2

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - Feet on the Ground, Reaching for the Stars Edition Part 2

The 100th episode of Hit Parade has put host Chris Molanphy in a reflective mood. So in Part 2, he unfurls the story of the late, great American Top 40 host Casey Kasem—a perennial inspiration for thi...

27 Maalis 52min

Culture Gabfest - Money On Film: Spirited Away

Culture Gabfest - Money On Film: Spirited Away

Welcome to a very special Money On Film miniseries!Over three episodes, Slate Money’s Felix Salmon and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe revisit three films at the intersection of culture and finance....

27 Maalis 29min

Culture Gabfest - Ryan Gosling’s Pet Rock Edition

Culture Gabfest - Ryan Gosling’s Pet Rock Edition

This week, Dana, Julia (fresh from the launch of her new media venture L.A. Material), and guest host Dan Kois set their gaze to the heavens with a discussion of the lost-in-space adventure yarn Proje...

25 Maalis 1h

Decoder Ring - The Johnlock Conspiracy (Encore)

Decoder Ring - The Johnlock Conspiracy (Encore)

For over a century, fans of Sherlock Holmes have been analyzing, debating, and creating new texts with Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters. But when a fan theory emerged about the BBC TV show Sherlock tha...

25 Maalis 53min

ICYMI - A Lemon Pound Cake Just Saved Free Speech

ICYMI - A Lemon Pound Cake Just Saved Free Speech

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox’s Explain It To Me podcast. First, they recap musician Afroman’s free speech victory in court after he used security came...

25 Maalis 25min

Suosittua kategoriassa Viihde

anni-jaajo
tuplakaak
grekovit
hei-baby-3
terveisia-perheesta
the-harlin-show
antin-palautepalvelu
dear-shirly
bella-table
antin-elokuvakerho
nonsensepodi
dear-shirly-ja-arttu
verhon-takaa
get-jassud
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
tahtitehdas
hollywood-love-stories-2
everypodi
tervo-halme
rss-wivolinin-viisukevat