Unhappy with the final film and worried that his intentions might be misconstrued, Lewis blocked The Day the Clown Cried’s release.
The most curious entry in Jerry Lewis’ filmography is an unreleased drama called The Day the Clown Cried.
A copy was given to the Library of Congress in 2015, however, with the suggestion that it may finally see the light of day in 2025.
Planned for release in 1972, the film was written and directed by Lewis and also features him in the lead, playing a German circus clown forced to work for the Nazi regime, distracting children as they are led to their deaths.