Ernest Goes to Jail (1990)

Bumbling Ernest P. Worrell is assigned to jury duty, where a crooked lawyer notices a resemblance with crime boss Mr. Nash, and arranges a switch. Nash assumes Ernest's job as a bank ... See full summary »

Director:

John R. Cherry III

Writer:

Charlie Cohen

Stars:

Jim Varney, Gailard Sartain, Bill Byrge

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Varney	...	Ernest P. Worrell / Mr. Felix Nash / Auntie Nelda
Gailard Sartain	...	Chuck
Bill Byrge	...	Bobby
Barbara Tyson	...	Charlotte Sparrow (as Barbara Bush)
Barry Scott	...	Rubin Bartlett
Randall 'Tex' Cobb	...	Lyle
Dan Leegant	...	Oscar Pendlesmythe
Charles Napier	...	Warden
Jim Conrad	...	Eddie
Jackie Welch	...	Judge
Melanie Wheeler	...	Prosecutor
Jeffrey Buckner Ford	...	Defense Attorney (as Buck Ford)
Daniel Butler	...	Waiter
Charlie Lamb	...	Another Con
Mac Bennett	...	Con

Storyline

Bumbling Ernest P. Worrell is assigned to jury duty, where a crooked lawyer notices a resemblance with crime boss Mr. Nash, and arranges a switch. Nash assumes Ernest's job as a bank employee, while Ernest undergoes Nash's sentence to the electric chair. But instead of killing him, the electrocution gives Ernest superhuman powers, enabling him to escape from jail and foil Nash's attempt to rob the bank.

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Plot Keywords:

jury duty | electrocution | court | electric chair | based on commercial | 

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Taglines:

Guilty of Maximum Fun in the First Degree!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Family

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 April 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chaos im Knast

Filming Locations:

Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$25,029,569 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There were a few extended and deleted scenes that were not featured in the original version of the movie, but were in some made-for-TV versions. 1. There was an extended scene where Ernest was washing himself in a washing machine, and was staggering after he stepped out. 2. A scene where Ernest was trying to sneak out of jail and was found by the searchlights. Then, he was making shadow puppets. 3. An extended scene where Nash (as Ernest) was in Mr. Penalsmythe's office negotiating the clerk job. 4. A deleted scene where Ernest was working as a bank clerk.

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Goofs

When Ernest becomes magnetic and locks himself inside the vault, the drawer about to get attracted to Ernest has a number showing "175." But when the drawer is trying to bust open, the number says, "183."

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Quotes

Chuck: This guy is in love! L-U-V! Ernest is in love. Ernest and Charlotte sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first come love, then comes marriage, then comes Ernest pushing a baby carriage.

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Connections

Followed by Ernest Rides Again (1993)

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Soundtracks

"Nash Sleaze"
Music and Lyrics by Bruce Arntson
Performed by Bruce Arntson

User Reviews

Funny, Harmless, Silly, Stupid, Safe, etc.

This "Ernest film" is a typically silly, stupid-at-times one but still wholesome in its humor and sometimes very funny.

The best moments in here, at least the ones that made me laugh hardest, were in the bank with Jim Varney ("Ernest") and a runaway vacuum cleaner. Yes, there is a lot of juvenile humor in here, but the totally-innocent lightweight humor is fun.

Varney also does some imitations in here, and he's quite good at it. He's done this in several of his movies and it is always entertaining.

For those wondering about their young kids watching this, there is absolutely no offensive language in this movie, too. Now that's a rarity for a 1990 film.