The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon individual stations, airing on ABC on Sunday, September 1, 2013, and running two hours. The final edition aired on ABC on August 31, 2014, again as a two-hour special, beginning at 9PM ET/PT. It was announced on May 1, 2015 that the MDA would be discontinuing the annual event for good. Jerry Lewis began hosting telethons to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Associations of America (MDAA) in 1952 after a plea from a staff member who worked with Lewis and Dean Martin on "The Colgate Comedy Hour". Lewis had previously taken part in what has been described as the very first
Jerry Lewis and was unprecedented in that he had unlimited creative control, including final cut, and the return of film rights after 30 years. Lewis' clout and box office were so strong that Barney Balaban, the head of production at Paramount at that time, told the press, "If Jerry wants to burn down the studio I'll give him the match!" He had finished his film contract with Wallis with "Visit to a Small Planet" (1960) and wrapped up production on his own film "Cinderfella" (1960), with Ed Wynn and directed by Tashlin. The movie was postponed for a Christmas 1960 release. Paramount