Think you know these guys? Look again!

No, that isn’t Martin and Lewis, it’s Mitchell and Petrillo, as in Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo. The two starred in the classic, Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla, which also features “Cheetah” -- the original chimp from Tarzan. Sammy Petrillo is eight years younger than Jerry Lewis, and once played his “baby” on a Colgate Comedy Hour sketch. Lewis, impressed by Petrillo’s mimicking talents, signed the young comic. Petrillo claims it was a preventive measure: Lewis was more interested in keeping Petrillo out of the public eye rather than promoting him. Petrillo’s father sued Lewis, releasing him -- Sammy was only a minor when the contract was signed.

As a “one-trick” showman, Petrillo’s career never took off. He had occasional TV and night club gigs, and eventually paired up with singer Duke Mitchell. Other than “Brooklyn Gorilla”, the cut-rate Wal-Martin and Lewis never repeated their earlier “success”. Petrillo claims Jerry Lewis threatened to boycott big clubs in Vegas if anyone hired the team. Eventually (and coincidentally), Petrillo starred in two Doris Wishman nudies: Shangri-la and Keyholes are for Peeping. That was about it. Duke Mitchell, is no longer among the living, but Petrillo is still with us.

Petrillo also claims having the same haircut and pointed boots that the Beatles wore years before the Fab Four made them popular. If given the forum, he may also tell us how he invented the Internet.