Did anyone else see Jerry Lewis interviewed this last evening on Larry King Live? It was an emotional and, at times, disturbing hour. Jer, who we all remember as the skinny kid alongside Dean, has put on rather startling poundage due to a drug called Prednisone. He also, at times, did not seem to be quite there mentally. He occasionally rambled, especially at first, though there were long stretches of the old Jerry. (To read a transcript, which won't convey much of the discomfort, click here.)
His annual telethon for Muscular Dystrophy starts Sunday evening and runs through Monday, and I have a feeling it's going to be a pretty uncomfortable thing to watch, even for — perhaps, especially for — folks who tune in to see Jerry go over the top with emotion and self-service. It may be the first telethon where folks are more worried about the health of the host than of the kids in the wheelchairs.