. ▁ ▁Before ▁he ▁began , ▁Lewis ▁consult ed ▁his ▁friend ▁Stan ▁La ure l ▁about ▁the ▁script . ▁Since ▁La ure l ▁had ▁worked ▁in ▁silent ▁films ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁master ▁of ▁English ▁p antom ime , ▁he ▁offered ▁suggestions . ▁It ▁is ▁unknown ▁if ▁Lewis ▁used ▁any ▁of ▁La ure l ' s ▁ideas ▁in ▁the ▁production . ▁But ▁it ▁is ▁believed ▁Lewis ▁paid ▁hom age ▁to ▁the ▁com ic ▁by ▁naming ▁his ▁character ▁' St an ley ' ▁after ▁him . ▁A ▁Stan ▁La ure l ▁look ali ke ▁character ▁also ▁appears ▁throughout ▁the ▁story , ▁port rayed ▁by ▁writer ▁and ▁impression ist ▁Bill ▁Richmond . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁marked ▁the ▁pione ering ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁video ▁assist ▁system , ▁providing ▁Lewis ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁action ▁even ▁though ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁scene . ▁ ▁Param ount ▁wanted ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁Jerry ▁Lewis ▁movie ▁for ▁summer ▁release ▁( in ▁North ▁America ). ▁The ▁movie ▁that ▁it ▁wanted ▁to ▁release ▁was ▁C inder f ella , ▁which ▁had ▁finished ▁shooting ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁Lewis ▁wanted ▁to ▁hold ▁back ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁that ▁movie ▁for ▁the ▁Christmas ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁hol iday ▁and ▁Param ount ▁only ▁agreed ▁if ▁Jerry ▁could ▁deliver ▁another ▁movie ▁for ▁summer . ▁Therefore , ▁while ▁playing ▁an ▁eng agement ▁in ▁Miami ▁Beach , ▁Lewis ▁came ▁up ▁with ▁this ▁project . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Box ▁office ▁The ▁film ▁gross ed ▁about ▁$ 1 0 ▁million ▁in ▁the ▁USA ▁alone