In an entertainment industry often dominated by tragic or incomplete narratives about women, Lisa D’Apolito’s documentary, “Shari & Lamb Chop,” offers a refreshing and comprehensive look at an inspiring woman who profoundly impacted generations.
Long before Fred Rogers and Jim Henson, Shari Lewis, a pioneer in children’s television, captivated audiences with her whimsical characters and infectious spirit. Raised in the Bronx by a feminist mother and a professor father who was also a magician, Shari developed into a multitalented dancer, singer, and magician. When an injury ended her dance aspirations, she channeled her creativity into ventriloquism, bringing to life beloved characters like Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy, and of course, Lamb Chop.
D’Apolito’s heartfelt documentary meticulously chronicles Lewis’s life, from her early television successes to the cancellation of her show, and her remarkable comeback in the 1990s when she was in her sixties. Featuring interviews with ventriloquists inspired by Lewis, alongside nostalgic clips and home movies, this vibrant portrait radiates the same warmth, wit, and magic that defined Lewis. It celebrates the power of imagination and the enduring inner child, serving as a testament to the talent and perseverance of a spunky perfectionist who forever changed the landscape of children’s entertainment.
Collaborating with an all-woman crew, including editor Andrea Lewis and composer Miriam Cutler (who also worked on D’Apolito’s previous film, “Love, Gilda”), D’Apolito ensures a full and nuanced portrayal of Lewis’s life.
Distributed by Kino Lorber, “Shari & Lamb Chop” is currently playing in select theaters nationwide, with viewing locations available here. Chicago screenings are anticipated to be announced soon. The film will also be available on VOD starting September 2nd.
What inspired you to do this project about Shari Lewis?
Coming off of “Love, Gilda,” I was looking for a subject who was similarly loved by people, and had a special quality that touched people. In regards to Shari Lewis, it was really her character of Lamb Chop that touched me first. Once I realized that Lamb Chop was Shari, I learned how amazingly talented she was. I had no idea, and I loved the fact that it took her so many years to get back on television. There she is in her 60s, singing and dancing and doing splits and all this stuff. Once I got hooked on Shari, there was no stopping me.
I love how you fall in love with people and then make documentaries about them. And you do such an amazing job. I saw that Mallory, her daughter, was involved with the film. What was it like working with her?
Well, it wasn’t like she was working on the film, but she was always my partner. She was always somebody I could come to and say, “Hey, what did your mother do?”, or, “What did your mother think about this or that?” She also gave me access to people in Shari’s life, and knew the “Lamb Chop’s Play-Along” episodes by heart, which came in handy during the development of the shoot.
You had so much footage to sift through for this project. Could you talk about your collaboration with editor Andrea Lewis?
Andrea is amazing. We were true partners throughout everything. Andrea brought to the table things that I didn’t even realize. As she was going through the footage, she started to realize that Shari used a lot of her performances to talk about things that she didn’t have the guts to talk about as herself. Andrea described it to me before I saw anything, such as aspects of her relationship with her husband, and how it was reflected in a scene with one of the puppets in “Lamp Chop.” It’s kind of this esoteric thing, but when she described it to me, I was like, “Oh my god, that doesn’t sound good at all. I picked the wrong editor. She’s gonna do some crazy stuff with the film.” But once she started to show me the connections she had made through the footage, I was like, “Wow.” I had a really great experience with her as well as my composer, Miriam Cutler.
How did Miriam become a part of this film?
I had worked with her on “Love Gilda” and she had taught me how to work with a composer. We’re very much on the same wavelength in terms of character, which is the starting point for how we both approach things. When collaborating on this film, we’d ask each other what Shari was feeling at different times of her life. Andrea also did a great job working with Miriam. She would lay down the temp score for the film, and then Miriam would interpret it and bring her own artistry to the production. There was a really great working relationship between the three of us. We had the same sensibilities, and I think that’s why people tend to always work with the same editor and composer. You work with the same team because you feel that they work the same way you work.
Yes, and I love that you had an all-women team. A year ago, I interviewed Sophia Dilley, the head of Concord Originals, and we spoke about how they were a big part of this film.
The Concord team, particularly Sophia and Wesley Adams, the Vice President of Production and Distribution, was a great part of everything. They really championed the film. It took a while for the film to get distribution, and it ultimately happened because of Sophia and Wesley’s belief in the film and their efforts to keep it out there. I am very grateful to them.
It’s just really great to have supportive people around you. If you look at the credits for the film, there are a lot of people in there, some of whom had their own agenda. Not to be sexist, but I always felt like men didn’t understand Shari. Some of the male partners on our team, like Morris Ruskin, were great. But there were others who I don’t think could get a strong woman like Shari, especially an older gentleman. Maybe it was a different time that they grew up in.
Although it’s not in the film, Shari was a producer on “The Shari Lewis Show” when she was in her early 20s. So she was always in charge of her shows, her creative team, and her career. She was always the boss who was in charge, so she was never a victim to anything. Even when she lost her show, she was like, “I’m gonna move to Los Angeles, I’ll bring Lamb Chop back, and if I can’t do this, I’ll become an orchestra conductor.” She was somebody who kept going on, and I think that’s a rare quality.
I completely agree. I particularly appreciate how your film explored her upbringing, showing how her father as a magician and her mother as a teacher instilled in her a belief in her capabilities. This must have been pivotal in shaping the person she became.
I think that is what made Shari. No one else is ever going to have the background that she had. She grew up with teachers who were in vaudeville and magic. All of these entertainers were from an era in which ventriloquism was a common type of performance. Shari had parents who really believed in her and nurtured her.
I thought it was so interesting that John W. Cooper, a Black Ventriloquist, helped her learn that art form. I had never heard of him before, and the footage of him is amazing.
That was something that I stumbled upon. I was listening to a recording that Shari did for the New York Public Library, which told her life story, and she spoke about J. W. Cooper. Then I went to another library in New York and I found all the letters between her and J .W. Cooper’s daughter. That was a real surprise.
What kind of feedback did you get when you were going through the festival circuit?
I think almost everybody was blown away by how talented Shari is. I don’t think anyone had any clue about the immensity of her talent, whether it was in terms of her ventriloquism or all the other stuff that she did. The people who knew Shari brought us amazing memories. At film festivals, you expected to have audiences who were interested in the subject, but it was the rare people who didn’t know who Shari was who just fell in love with her.
I thought it was so great that you featured people of all ages in the documentary, like the comedian Sarah Sherman.
Those are all the things that you don’t expect to happen. We were looking for people who were influenced by Shari and Lamb Chop, and somebody suggested Sarah Sherman. She had posted on Instagram about how she and her friends have Lamb Chop tattoos. It was one of those things that you don’t imagine. It turned out that she had been a fan of Shari’s since her youth.
The fact that her work predated “Sesame Street” and the Muppets is amazing. I love that you brought her story to the screen, and I got emotional as I watched it unfold. What do you hope people see in your film?
All of a sudden, I’m seeing something different that I didn’t see before. Shari was a big advocate for children’s television and for public television. The things that are currently going on in education and in public television are what Shari had faced 20 years ago. She went before Congress and was allowed to have Lamb Chop talk. There is an educational component of children’s entertainment that is important. Shari has this line where she says, “Children are our only source of adults,” and I thought that was just great.
People have been telling me how relevant this film is, and I just didn’t think about it because for the last year and a half, people were saying, “No one knows who Shari Lewis is. This all happened a long time ago.” And now people are struck by its timeliness, though I’m sad about why it is. I hope people are inspired by Shari’s vision for television that educates and entertains children while encouraging them to believe in themselves. Teaching through entertainment was the essence of Shari’s philosophy.
