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(2962)

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

Culture Gabfest - Money On Film: Materialists

Culture Gabfest - Money On Film: Materialists

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....

24 Maalis 27min

Death, Sex & Money - A Career Change? In This Economy?

Death, Sex & Money - A Career Change? In This Economy?

Career pivots can be terrifying. How do you know when the time is right? Is it ever too late to switch jobs? What if the next thing is worse? This week, we’ve assembled a panel of career change expert...

24 Maalis 1h 7min

Hang Up and Listen - The WNBA’s New Deal

Hang Up and Listen - The WNBA’s New Deal

Hosts Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh discuss the WNBA's new CBA, which contains massive salary increases, revenue sharing, and historic precedents for all women’s sports. Then host Alex Kirshner arr...

23 Maalis 1h 10min

ICYMI - Why The Internet Is Arguing About Its Favorite Feminist

ICYMI - Why The Internet Is Arguing About Its Favorite Feminist

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate senior writer Scaachi Koul, who profiled author Lindy West. West’s new book, Adult Braces, details, among many things, her coming to grips with...

21 Maalis 43min

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - Feet on the Ground, Reaching for the Stars Edition Part 1

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - Feet on the Ground, Reaching for the Stars Edition Part 1

To mark Hit Parade’s 100th episode, host Chris Molanphy is doing something he’s never done: He’s going to talk about himself—and just how nerdy you have to be to host a show like Hit Parade. Chris ref...

21 Maalis 56min

Culture Gabfest - Money On Film: Margin Call

Culture Gabfest - Money On Film: Margin Call

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....

20 Maalis 27min

Culture Gabfest - One Oscar After Another Edition

Culture Gabfest - One Oscar After Another Edition

On this week’s show, Dana and Steve are joined by long-time FOP Isaac Butler (and author of the forthcoming book The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America's Culture Wars.) They step ...

18 Maalis 1h 2min

Suosittua kategoriassa Viihde

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