In no hurry for last laugh

These days, the King of Comedy is graying at the temples and sometimes a little wobbly on his feet. But don’t ask him about retirement.

“A break? No, why? You got something better to do?” Jerry Lewis told a reporter Friday who asked if the 82-year-old entertainer was contemplating leaving the stage after more than 60 years of performing.

Lewis was at a news conference in Sydney, Australia, to promote his latest stage show, a retrospective of his career that includes show tunes with a 24-piece band, excerpts from his movies and television shows, and his trademark slapstick comedy.

“Don’t you understand that when you croak, it’s for a ve-e-e-e-ry long time,” Lewis said when asked about retirement. “So you want to get in as much activity as you can before you go.”