The Nutty Professor
A meek chemistry professor’s confidence potion creates a seductive alter ego who turns self-improvement into an escalating identity crisis.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- playful
- broad
- classic movie night
- lighthearted weekend viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an inventive and enduring Jerry Lewis comedy that successfully converts the Jekyll-and-Hyde premise into energetic physical and character-based humor.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Julius Kelp invents a potion that transforms him into Buddy Love, making the identity split the central comic mechanism.
Buddy Love embodies Julius's attempt to become suave, sexually confident, and admired rather than accepting his awkward self.
The plot explicitly adapts the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde premise into a science fiction comedy about an unstable potion and its social consequences.
Julius repeatedly risks exposing Buddy Love when the potion wears off at socially disastrous moments.
Films like The Nutty Professor, and why
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
physical comedy, alter-ego transformation, and romantic farce
The Bellboy
classic Hollywood comedy built around mistaken identity and exaggerated performance
The Absent-Minded Professor
comic transformation, broad physical humor, and romantic self-discovery
Movie Details
- Director
- Jerry Lewis
- Release Date
- 1963-06-04
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (487)
Cast
- Jerry Lewis
- Stella Stevens
- Del Moore
- Henry Gibson
- Kathleen Freeman
- Richard Kiel
- Norman Alden
- Howard Morris
- Elvia Allman
- Milton Frome
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Nutty Professor about?
- A meek chemistry professor’s confidence potion creates a seductive alter ego who turns self-improvement into an escalating identity crisis.
- What is The Nutty Professor like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Nutty Professor as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Nutty Professor violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Nutty Professor.
- What did critics think of The Nutty Professor?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an inventive and enduring Jerry Lewis comedy that successfully converts the Jekyll-and-Hyde premise into energetic physical and character-based humor.
- Which films are like The Nutty Professor?
- Films with a similar feel include Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Bellboy, and The Absent-Minded Professor.
- How long is The Nutty Professor?
- The Nutty Professor runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Nutty Professor?
- In United States, The Nutty Professor is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
