The Errand Boy (1961)

Paramutual Pictures wants to know where all the money is going, so they hire Morty to be their spy. Morty works for Mr. Sneak and gets a job in the mail room so that he can have access to ... See full summary »

Director:

Jerry Lewis

Writers:

Jerry Lewis, Bill Richmond

Stars:

Jerry Lewis, Brian Donlevy, Howard McNear

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jerry Lewis	...	Morty S. Tashman
Brian Donlevy	...	Tom 'T.P.' Paramutual
Howard McNear	...	Dexter Sneak
Dick Wesson	...	The A.D.
Robert Ivers	...	Young NY Director Who Argues with T.P.
Pat Dahl	...	Miss Carson
Renée Taylor	...	Miss Giles
Rita Hayes	...	Singer Who Dubs Davitt
Stanley Adams	...	Grumpy
Kathleen Freeman	...	Mrs. Helen Paramutual / Mrs. T.P.
Isobel Elsom	...	Irma Paramutual
Sig Ruman	...	Baron Elston Carteblanche
Felicia Atkins	...	Serina
Doodles Weaver	...	Weaver
Fritz Feld	...	Busby - Roaring 20's Director

Storyline

Paramutual Pictures wants to know where all the money is going, so they hire Morty to be their spy. Morty works for Mr. Sneak and gets a job in the mail room so that he can have access to the lot. But all that Morty ever finds is that he can cause havoc no matter what he does.

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Plot Keywords:

written and directed by cast member | satire | physical comedy | slapstick comedy | gag humor | 

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Taglines:

It's the Nut - At His Nuttiest!

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

De golpe en golpe

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jerry Lewis Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Anastasia Anastasia toasts a dead man, the portrait of the man she's toasting is Francis X. Bushman, a matinee idol of the Silent Age of film, whose career continued well into the 1960s with such films as Sabrina (1954). This was not the only time Jerry Lewis requested Bushman in one of his films, as a portrait also appears in his film The Ladies Man (1961).

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Goofs

The diver writes a question to the title character but omits the apostrophe from "DON'T".

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Quotes

Morty S. Tashman: Do you smoke ma'am?
[Bubblegum Blower in Elevator shakes her head]
Morty S. Tashman: Thank heavens.

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Connections

Featured in North (1994)

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Soundtracks

Blues in Hoss' Flat
(uncredited)
Music by Count Basie and Frank Foster

User Reviews

Morty S. Tashman (the S stands for scared)

Jerry Lewis directs, co-writes and stars in The Errand Boy. Film finds the hapless Lewis hired as an errand boy behind the scenes at Paramutual Pictures. There's a method in the madness, had honcho Tom Paramutual (Brian Donlevy sadly under used) wants him to spy behind the scenes to see why the studio is loosing so much money. Chaos inevitably follows.

Forget the plot, there actually isn't one to hang your hat on, film consists mostly of Lewis skits strung together as he takes us around the workings of the back lot of Paramount. There's a caustic edge to the piece, with Lewis and co-writer Bill Richmond gleefully saying that where film making is concerned, all that glitters is not gold. Some of the visual gags work, others not so, with a couple running far too long to actually work. But as always with Lewis, his best moments detract from the bad to leave the film entertaining for his fans, even if it struggles to stretch the premise over 90 minutes. 6/10