Sammy Petrillo
RETURN TO INDEX
Born Name:
Sam Patrello
Born Date: October 24, 1934
Born Place: The Bronx, New York
Died Date: August 15, 2009
Died Place: Bronxville, New York
Occupations: Nightclub, television, film comedian
Brief Biography: Sammy Petrillo was best known for his uncanny, look-alike impersonation of comedy mega-star Jerry Lewis. While his striking resemblance brought him immediate fame in postwar show business, it also sparked a fierce, lifelong rivalry that deeply impacted his career. His life and legacy are detailed in the comprehensive biography Your Time Is Now: The Sammy Petrillo Story by Dave Abramson.
Early Life and "The Haircut":
Petrillo was born into a show-business family in The Bronx, New York City. His mother was a movie double for Alice Faye, and his father was a vaudeville dancer and comic who performed under the stage name Skelly Petrillo. By age six, Sammy was already joining his father on stage. He later attended Manhattan’s famous High School of Performing Arts. His transition into a Jerry Lewis imitator happened entirely by accident. As a teenager, he received a free haircut from student barbers at the school's annex. The resulting look was so identical to Lewis—who was just rising to fame with partner Dean Martin—that people stopped Petrillo on the street, laughing and asking if he was the movie star.
Show Business Success and Duke Mitchell:
Petrillo began working on major network television, appearing on programs like The Texaco Star Theater, The Colgate Comedy Hour, and Texaco Star Theater. During a 1951 sketch on The Colgate Comedy Hour alongside Eddie Cantor, Petrillo played Jerry Lewis as a baby in a crib, which completely fooled the live audience. He later moved to Los Angeles and teamed up with singer Duke Mitchell, who possessed a singing voice and style remarkably similar to Dean Martin. Together, they formed a highly successful musical-comedy nightclub act that perfectly mirrored the Martin and Lewis dynamic, touring major venues across the country and in Las Vegas. In 1952, the duo starred in the infamous, low-budget comedy Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (also released as The Boys From Brooklyn), acting alongside aging horror legend Bela Lugosi.
The Jerry Lewis Backlash:
Their spot-on parody ultimately drew the wrath of the real Jerry Lewis. Enraged by the blatant appropriation of his act, Lewis threatened legal action and reportedly pressured comedy clubs, booking agents, and television networks to blacklist Mitchell and Petrillo. The industry pressure heavily restricted the duo's mainstream film and television trajectory, transforming them into a cult phenomenon of "Poverty Row" cinema and underground entertainment. After Mitchell and Petrillo split up following the real Martin and Lewis breakup in 1956, Petrillo continued performing on the independent circuit, starring in cult filmmaker Doris Wishman’s exploitation comedies Shangri-La (1961) and Keyholes Are For Peeping (1972).
Later Career and Legacy:
In his later years, Petrillo relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He successfully opened and ran a comedy nightclub called The Nut House, where he served as an influential mentor to upcoming stand-up comics. Among the young talents he gave early career breaks to were future comedy legends Richard Pryor and Dennis Miller.
Born Date: October 24, 1934
Born Place: The Bronx, New York
Died Date: August 15, 2009
Died Place: Bronxville, New York
Occupations: Nightclub, television, film comedian
Brief Biography: Sammy Petrillo was best known for his uncanny, look-alike impersonation of comedy mega-star Jerry Lewis. While his striking resemblance brought him immediate fame in postwar show business, it also sparked a fierce, lifelong rivalry that deeply impacted his career. His life and legacy are detailed in the comprehensive biography Your Time Is Now: The Sammy Petrillo Story by Dave Abramson.
Early Life and "The Haircut":
Petrillo was born into a show-business family in The Bronx, New York City. His mother was a movie double for Alice Faye, and his father was a vaudeville dancer and comic who performed under the stage name Skelly Petrillo. By age six, Sammy was already joining his father on stage. He later attended Manhattan’s famous High School of Performing Arts. His transition into a Jerry Lewis imitator happened entirely by accident. As a teenager, he received a free haircut from student barbers at the school's annex. The resulting look was so identical to Lewis—who was just rising to fame with partner Dean Martin—that people stopped Petrillo on the street, laughing and asking if he was the movie star.
Show Business Success and Duke Mitchell:
Petrillo began working on major network television, appearing on programs like The Texaco Star Theater, The Colgate Comedy Hour, and Texaco Star Theater. During a 1951 sketch on The Colgate Comedy Hour alongside Eddie Cantor, Petrillo played Jerry Lewis as a baby in a crib, which completely fooled the live audience. He later moved to Los Angeles and teamed up with singer Duke Mitchell, who possessed a singing voice and style remarkably similar to Dean Martin. Together, they formed a highly successful musical-comedy nightclub act that perfectly mirrored the Martin and Lewis dynamic, touring major venues across the country and in Las Vegas. In 1952, the duo starred in the infamous, low-budget comedy Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (also released as The Boys From Brooklyn), acting alongside aging horror legend Bela Lugosi.
The Jerry Lewis Backlash:
Their spot-on parody ultimately drew the wrath of the real Jerry Lewis. Enraged by the blatant appropriation of his act, Lewis threatened legal action and reportedly pressured comedy clubs, booking agents, and television networks to blacklist Mitchell and Petrillo. The industry pressure heavily restricted the duo's mainstream film and television trajectory, transforming them into a cult phenomenon of "Poverty Row" cinema and underground entertainment. After Mitchell and Petrillo split up following the real Martin and Lewis breakup in 1956, Petrillo continued performing on the independent circuit, starring in cult filmmaker Doris Wishman’s exploitation comedies Shangri-La (1961) and Keyholes Are For Peeping (1972).
Later Career and Legacy:
In his later years, Petrillo relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He successfully opened and ran a comedy nightclub called The Nut House, where he served as an influential mentor to upcoming stand-up comics. Among the young talents he gave early career breaks to were future comedy legends Richard Pryor and Dennis Miller.