The Jerry Lewis Show as host on "The Colgate Comedy Hour", with vocalist Dean Martin as the duo of "Martin and Lewis", first formed in July 1946. In 1956, after 17 films, a radio series , 29 Colgate shows and many night club appearances, they parted ways bitterly. Both Martin and Lewis continued as successful, but separate superstars. Between 1957 and 1962, Lewis headlined several well received solo specials for the NBC and ABC networks. "The Jerry Lewis Show" was the comedian's first foray into weekly television. Lewis had been a substitute host of "The Tonight Show" for two weeks after Jack Paar quit
Jerry Lester 1969 production of "South Pacific". Afflicted with Alzheimer's disease in 1985, he retired from show business. He died in Miami, Florida, in 1995. His brother was actor and comedian Buddy Lester. Jerry Lester Jerry Lester (February 16, 1910 – March 23, 1995) was an American comedian, singer and performer on radio, television and the stage, who hosted the first network late night television program as host of "Broadway Open House" on NBC, a vaudeville-esque combination of comedy and music, whose success demonstrated the potential for late-night television and led to the creation of the "Tonight Show". Jerry Lester was born