Adorable Story #70: Jack Lemmon
A life of comedy and drama
“It’s hard enough to write a good drama, it’s much harder to write a good comedy, and it’s hardest of all to write a drama with comedy. Which is what life is.”
— Jack Lemmon
If you aren’t subscribed yet, hit the subscribe button below to receive the Adorable Stories every weekend, directly in your inbox:
Early Life and Education
“If I was [a natural comic], I didn’t know it, I remember trying to be funny and both of my parents were terribly funny. My father was also very dignified, but my mother was an absolute ding-a-ling, a ripper. Whenever I think of her, I think of her laughing.”
John Uhler Lemmon III, famously known as Jack Lemmon, was born on February 8, 1925, in Newton, Massachusetts. He was the son of John Uhler Lemmon Jr., who was the Vice-President of Sales of the Doughnut Corporation of America, and Mildred Burgess LaRue Lemmon, a homemaker.
While he often credited his parents for his sense of comedy, Lemmon’s youth had its share of pain: as a child, he was frequently sick, and he underwent three serious ear surgeries before the age of 10.
“I had a happy childhood, but it was tempered with an acute awareness of the pain”
Raised in a privileged environment, Jack’s early life was marked by his active involvement in school athletic activities (he broke the New England record for the two-mile run) and his burgeoning love for acting. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and later, Harvard University, where he was president of the Hasty Pudding Club, a renowned theatrical group.
Hollywood Breakthrough
After graduating in 1947, Jack Lemmon went to New York City with great aspirations and a USD 300 loan from his father. But Broadway did not immediately recognize his talent and Lemmon struggled to survive. An accomplished, self-taught pianist, Lemmon, among other jobs, performed in various bars.
“If I’d been bright, I’d have realized that I was horribly uncomfortable, amazingly frustrated, and like any sensible person, I’d have quit. But it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be successful eventually.”
Jack Lemmon’s Hollywood career took off in the early 1950s.
His first significant film role was in George Cukor’s “It Should Happen to You” (1954), co-starring Judy Holliday.
During that movie, Jack Lemmon would often recall, the legendary director struggled to rein in the young actor’s performance. In early rehearsals, Lemmon remembered, Cukor would yell out, “Less, less, less” after Lemmon’s scene.
“Don’t you want me to act at all?” Lemmon asked.
“Dear boy,” Cukor replied, “you’re beginning to understand.”
However, it was his performance in “Mister Roberts” (1955) opposite two screen giants — Henry Fonda and James Cagney — that won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, establishing him as a talented and versatile actor.
Career Highlights
“Failure seldom stops you. What stops you is the fear of failure.”
— Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon’s career spanned over five decades, during which he delivered numerous memorable performances.
Some of his most notable films include:
“Mister Roberts” (1955): In this naval comedy-drama, Lemmon plays Ensign Pulver, a bumbling but well-meaning officer aboard a cargo ship during World War II. His comic antics and heartfelt moments won Lemmon an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making him a household name.
“Some Like It Hot” (1959): In this classic comedy directed by Billy Wilder, Lemmon plays Jerry/Daphne, a musician who, along with his friend Joe (Tony Curtis), disguises himself as a woman to escape from gangsters. Their plan leads to hilarious situations, especially when Jerry, as Daphne, catches the eye of a millionaire suitor.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Adorable Times’ Newsletter to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.