| VSDA News 2005
Entertainer Jerry Lewis to Deliver
Keynote Address at VSDA's Home Entertainment 2005; Comedy Icon
Will Discuss Creative Process of Transferring His Body of Work
to DVD.
ENCINO, Calif. -- Renowned entertainer and humanitarian Jerry
Lewis will deliver the Keynote Address at the opening of VSDA's
Home Entertainment 2005, the annual convention for the home entertainment
industry. The speech will be delivered at 9:00 AM on Tuesday,
July 26, 2005, in the Bellagio Ballroom of the Bellagio Hotel
& Casino in Las Vegas, organizers of the show announced today.
"It is a tremendous privilege to have one of the world's
great talents speak at our industry's event," said VSDA President
Bo Andersen. "Mr. Lewis' timeless comedies have entertained
movie lovers for generations. And today, through home video, they
are being discovered by new generations and re-discovered by millions
more."
Last year, ten of the classic Jerry Lewis films were released
on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment. Lewis was involved in
every aspect of their release -- from the films' restorations
to the creation of the special material. He will share the creative
process involved in releasing these films on DVD with show attendees.
The Jerry Lewis movies currently available on DVD are "The
Nutty Professor," "The Bellboy," "The Disorderly
Orderly," "Cinderfella," "The Errand Boy,"
"The Family Jewels," "The Ladies Man," "The
Patsy," "The Delicate Delinquent," and the first
Martin & Lewis title to be released, "The Stooge."
All ten are due to be released in a special edition boxed set
in October 2005. Due for release in 2006 for the first time on
DVD are a collection of movies that Lewis co-starred in with his
partner Dean Martin.
In bookstores on October 25, 2005, from Doubleday is "Dean
& Me: A Love Story." Penned by Jerry Lewis and co-authored
by James Kaplan, "Dean & Me" is a memoir of the
fifty-year relationship that made Martin and Lewis an American
institution. While the brilliant comedic duo soared to popular
heights, personal differences created a rift between the two.
After parting ways, the two went on to great successes as entertainers
but missed the relationship they once had. Years later, Lewis'
book makes a highly credible argument that his former partner
Dean Martin was one of the greatest comedic talents of all time.
Jerry Lewis was one of the first and most successful pioneers
to take a vaudevillian routine and transmit it to the masses.
With partner Dean Martin playing the role of the straight man,
the duo Martin and Lewis began making feature films in 1949 with
releases such as "My Friend Irma" and "At War With
The Army." After a string of 16 box office hits such as "Sailor
Beware" and "You're Never Too Young," Lewis was
the lone name on the marquee in 1957's "The Delicate Delinquent."
Taking a trip behind the lens, Lewis directed and starred in "The
Bellboy" and "The Ladies Man" before appearing
in perhaps his most heralded picture, "The Nutty Professor.
Other Lewis classics include "Who's Minding the Store?,"
"The Patsy," and "The Family Jewels." Between
1949 and 1970, Lewis starred or appeared in more than 40 films,
a figure unimaginable when compared to the industry today. He
also served as director, writer, and producer for many of these
classic productions.
Jerry Lewis has made equally impressive contributions with his
humanitarian efforts. Lewis has been the National Chairman of
the Muscular Dystrophy Association since 1952, and can be seen
on television each year during the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon,
which is broadcast on 200 television stations and streamed over
the Internet. Dating back to the first national Telethon in 1966,
Jerry Lewis has hosted a star-studded variety show that raises
funds to combat neuromuscular diseases. In 2004, the telethon
raised $60.5 million to aid the research and patient care programs
of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. To date, Jerry's efforts
have raised over $2 billion for this cause.
Attendees interested in the convention may register online at
www.HomeEntertainmentEvents.com or by phone by calling 888-778-8892
or 218-723-9130. All Access badges are $425 for VSDA members and
$475 for non-members, and Exhibits and Conferences badges are
$125 for VSDA members and $175 for non-members. All Access badges
provide entry to sponsored events, seminars, exhibit suites, and
the exhibit floor. Exhibits and Conferences badges provide entry
to the seminars, exhibit suites, and the exhibit floor only. VSDA's
Home Entertainment 2005 is organized through Home Entertainment
Events, in which the Video Software Dealers Association is a partner.
Established in 1981, the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA)
is the not-for-profit international trade association for the
$24 billion home entertainment industry. VSDA represents more
than 1,000 companies throughout the United States, Canada, and
other nations. Its members operate more than 11,500 retail outlets
in the U.S. that sell and/or rent DVDs, VHS cassettes, and console
video games. Membership comprises the full spectrum of video retailers
(from single-store operators to large chains), video distributors,
the home video divisions of major and independent motion picture
studios, and other related businesses that constitute and support
the home video entertainment industry.
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