"In 1971, producer Nate Waschberger asked Jerry to direct and star in "The Day the Clown Cried", based on Joan O’Brien’s book by the same name, about a German clown who was arrested by the Gestapo, interred in a concentration camp, and used to march Jewish children into the ovens. Jerry lost close to 40 pounds to play the role. The shooting began in Stockholm, but Waschberger not only ran out of money to complete the film, but he failed to pay Joan O’Brien the money she was owed for the rights to the story. Jerry was forced to finish the picture with his own money. The film has been tied up in litigation ever since, and all of the parties involved have never been able to reach an agreeable settlement. Jerry hopes to someday complete the film, which remains to this day, a significant expression of cinematic art, suspended in the abyss of international litigation." Quoted from over here.

Jerry Lewis' never completed political statement painstakingly recreated for radio (scroll down) and much more.

THE DAY THE CLOWN CRIED - THE FINAL DRAFT PLUS ACTUAL FILM CLIPS

Spreeblick found this.

Da wollte ich auch schon ganz lange mal was zu schreiben... Noch ist Jerry Lewis am Leben und vielleicht muss man doch nicht bis tausend Jahre nach seinem Tod warten um diesen Film zu sehen, der sehr viel besser sein soll als "Das Leben ist schön", der ähnlich aufgebaut ist. Sehr interessantes Stück Filmgeschichte jedenfalls...

Und das Genie Jerry Lewis wird sowieso viel zu wenig gefeiert. "Funny Bones" und "King of Comedy", ganz klar Lieblingsfilme in meinem Regal!