Evil Russian spies! Eva Gabor in her underwear! Shirley MacLaine in a sunsuit! Greenwich Village art studios with skylights! All in Technicolor! And how could you not love a movie where sleazy artist Dean Martin tries hitting on a babe with the line, "Why don't we get together and rattle our palettes around?" I'm not even sure what it means and I'm cracking up!

“Artists and Models" (1955) is all about low art, high art, and S-E-X in the artsy bohemian world of 50's New York City. Skirt-chaser Dino chases frigid ice queen/comic book artist Dorothy Malone, the one woman he seemingly can't have... although it seems she can hardly hold back the orgasm each time he hits her with that ultra-lounge come-on of his (go figure)! And Shirley's got the hots for moron/comic book fan Jerry Lewis (go figure), who literally dreams both his and Dino's way to cartoon fame and fortune through a series of nightmares about "Vincent the Vulture." One night, Jerry accidentally dreams up the secret rocket fuel formula to the US space station, and the boys find themselves on the run from Rooskie spies and G-Men alike.

It all comes to a climax at the big Artists and Models Ball, where Dean and Jerry manage to sing, "To the guy that draws the bunnies for the Sunday morning funnies/And brightens up the world today/And to every girl that poses and to every Grandma Moses/We'd like to tip the old beret!" Jack Elam is a Russian thug, and Eddie Mayehoff is hilarious as a Bill Gaines-like comic book publisher named Mr. Murdoch. At dinner at The Stork Club, Murdoch tells Dean, "I need crime! I need passion! And even romance... as long as it's between your repulsive characters!"

The real star of the show, though, is director Frank Tashlin, known for his amazing ability to make a live movie take on the personality of a cartoon. Fact is, Tashlin was a seasoned graduate of the Warner Bros. cartoon department's "Termite Terrace," and the only one to make such a successful jump to live features. All of his best pictures ("The Girl Can't Help It," "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?," "Son of Paleface", etc.) seemed to keep one foot in his Looney Tune past. "Artists and Models" was his first of eight films for Jerry Lewis, who often praised Tashlin as his mentor.

One last question: By 1955, cameras were around for a long long time. So, what was with the gorgeous live models all the time? Oh, yeah, I almost forgot...