The Toy (1982)

An underemployed reporter finds himself literally purchased as a toy for a rich spoiled brat.

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers:

Carol Sobieski (screenplay), Francis Veber (film)

Stars:

Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleason, Ned Beatty

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Pryor	...	Jack Brown
Jackie Gleason	...	U.S. Bates
Ned Beatty	...	Mr. Morehouse
Scott Schwartz	...	Eric Bates
Teresa Ganzel	...	Fancy Bates
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Barkley
Annazette Chase	...	Angela
Tony King	...	Clifford
Don Hood	...	O'Brien
Karen Leslie-Lyttle	...	Fraulein
Virginia Capers	...	Ruby Simpson
B.J. Hopper	...	Geffran
Linda McCann	...	Honey Russell
Ray Spruell	...	Senator Newcomb
Stocker Fontelieu	...	District Attorney Russell

Storyline

On one of his bratty son Eric's annual visits, the plutocrat U.S. Bates takes him to his department store and offers him anything in it as a gift. Eric chooses a black janitor who has made him laugh with his antics. At first the man suffers many indignities as Eric's "toy", but gradually teaches the lonely boy what it is like to have and to be a friend.

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Plot Keywords:

toy | department store | newspaper | rich kid | trophy wife | 

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Taglines:

When Jackie Gleason Told His Son He Could Have Any Present He Wanted, He Picked The Most Outrageous Gift Of All... Richard Pryor.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

10 December 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Su juguete preferido

Filming Locations:

19050 Perkins Rd E, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$50,400,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Delphi Films, Rastar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final American / Hollywood film role of British actor Wilfrid Hyde-White. The movie was his penultimate screen appearance, Sex, Lies and Renaissance being his last.

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Goofs

Articles in the newspaper "The Toy" do not correspond to the pictures. Specifically, the paragraph that begins "The man in the middle is chief counsel for the committee." repeats many times.

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Quotes

Senator Newcomb: These democrats don't normally support us.
U.S. Bates: Now, Senator, we agreed to keep that under our hats. If they knew this was a fund raiser, we'd be all alone.

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Connections

References All the President's Men (1976)

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Soundtracks

"I Just Want To Be Your Friend"
Performed by Jeffrey Osborne
Music and Lyrics by Trevor Lawrence and Frank Musker

User Reviews

Chill Folks

Everyone wants to talk about the racial overtones. ***NEWS FLASH*** White folks do not wake up every morning thinking about how to screw over black folks. The movie was great. I loved it then and I love it now. I'm pretty sure the people who made this movie decided to make a funny movie with a great comedian of that era. I couldn't think of a better comedian to have as a toy, white or black.

To all my folks who seem to get upset at Richard Pryor and or the directors for making this movie, don't be. Be upset at Petey Greene for showing everyone how to eat a watermelon. You Tube that if you don't believe me.