Trivia / The Day the Clown Cried

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• Bury Your Art: Although Jerry Lewis was for a long time a passionate champion of the project, he soured on it over time; for a long time he refused to even discuss it, and in interviews late in life he admitted he thought it was terrible and had kept it hidden out of embarrassment. Lewis made sure that the movie wasn't released while he was alive. He did eventually donate it to the Library of Congress, but with an agreement not to screen it until at least June 2024 (he died in 2017, two years after the donation).
• California Doubling: It was filmed in Stockholm.
• Creator Backlash: It wasn't a good idea to ask Lewis about this film. However, while reporters were warned in advance not to mention it to him, he still had the rough print and said in his autobiography that he planned to finish it and release it some day; but as he got older he decided that it was a bad idea.
• Dyeing for Your Art: Lewis lost 40 pounds for the film, which he achieved by eating nothing but grapefruit for six weeks.
• Missing Episode: The only such film in Lewis' catalogue. It's not so much lost as locked away, never to be seen for decades.
• Screwed by the Lawyers: Many people believe that the film was unreleased due to poor taste, but it was actually due to copyright issues over the script. In fact, the producer didn’t have all the rights cleared and didn't have permission to make the film. Lewis was technically not allowed to finish it, but put up his own money to at least get the film shot. Lewis was hoping to make an agreement to get the finished film released, but the original screenwriters were so upset by the result they refused to make any sort of deal to allow the film to be released.
• The Shelf of Movie Languishment: One of the most famous examples. Completed in 1972, but a combination of legal problems and Lewis having a crisis of conscience over the subject matter resulted in it never having a proper theatrical run. A copy of the movie is currently held by the Library of Congress, but due to an agreement with Lewis cannot be screened until June 2024, 53 years after its completion.
• Troubled Production: In addition to the legal issues that prevented its release, film equipment was either lost or delivered late, Lewis had several emotional breakdowns and the producer not only ran out of money before completing the film, but his option to produce the film expired before filming began, leaving Lewis to spend his own money on the film.
• What Could Have Been:
  • In the original script by Joan O'Brien and Charles Denton, Helmut Dorque was named "Karl Shmidt" and was an arrogant, self-centered clown who wanted to use his wife to bribe a ringmaster into giving him a better gig, with the story about his redemption. The story, however, ended up being altered by Lewis into its current form.
  • Milton Berle, Dick Van Dyke, and Bobby Darin were all interested for the project before Lewis. At one point in the mid-1960s, Alec Guinness was attached to star and produce.
  • Jeanne Moreau was considered for Anna Dorque.
  • In the early 90's, there were talks of a remake starring Robin Williams that never came into fruition. He instead ended up starring in Jakob the Liar, a '90s remake of a '70s Holocaust movie.

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