Who's Minding the Store? (1963)

Norman Phiffier works as a store clerk in a large department store. Clumsy and inept, he can't do anything right. Boy are they in trouble!

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writers:

Frank Tashlin (screenplay), Harry Tugend (screenplay)

Stars:

Jerry Lewis, Jill St. John, Ray Walston

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jerry Lewis	...	Norman Phiffier
Jill St. John	...	Barbara Tuttle
Ray Walston	...	Mr. Quimby
John McGiver	...	Mr. John P. Tuttle
Agnes Moorehead	...	Mrs. Phoebe Tuttle
Francesca Bellini	...	Shirley Lott
Peggy Mondo	...	Lady wrestler
Nancy Kulp	...	Emily Rothgraber
John Abbott	...	Mr. Orlandos
Isobel Elsom	...	Hazel, a Dowager
Kathleen Freeman	...	Mrs. Glucksman
Fritz Feld	...	Irving Cahastrophe, the Gourmet Manager
Milton Frome	...	Francois, the Driver
Mary Treen	...	Mattress Customer
Dick Wessel	...	Traffic Cop (as Richard Wessel)

Storyline

Barbara is a very rich girl who falls in love with Norman Phiffier, a poor young man. She doesn't tell him who she really is and prepares to marry him. But, Mrs. Tuttle (Barbara's mother) doesn't want her daughter to mary such a poor man. So, she hires Norman at one of her big stores, and gives him the most difficult and disgusting works. She hopes that seeing Norman humiliated, Barbara will finally leave him. But things don't work exactly this way...

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Plot Keywords:

slapstick | farce | department store | goofball | gag humor | 

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Taglines:

Look who's minding the store!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was a product placement lover's dream, featuring references to several popular brand-name items of the era including Hoover, RCA Whirlpool, and Waste King/Universal appliances; Channel Master electronics; MacGregor, Brunswick, and Garcia sporting goods; Honda motor scooters; Sealy mattresses; Browning firearms; Park & Tilford gourmet food/beverage products; Esquire shoe products (Lady Esquire), and several more.

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Goofs

When Norman goes gliding through the department store on a boat, a wire is visible pulling it.

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Quotes

Mr. John P. Tuttle: Boy, I've got a house so big I get lost going to the bathroom.

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Connections

Referenced in Seven Up! (1964)

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Soundtracks

The Typewriter
By Leroy Anderson

User Reviews

JERRY LEWIS AT HIS ZANY BEST!!!

Who's Minding the store is Jerry Lewis at his very best! Frank Tashlin directing, and with Tashlin directing Lewis, you know it's going to be a CLASSIC. One moment after another in this 1963 film, Jerry Lewis leads the audience into one madcap nutfilled scene after another, from the scene where Jerry's supposed to be selling gourmet "De-Lights" food, being forced to eat Fried ants in a scent free sauce, to trying to sell shoes to a 300 Lb. Female Wrestler, who's actually been hired to make Jerry want to quit... Well this film is as funny as any film of the 1960's, included are the Pink Panther, Shot in the Dark and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World....

This is also one film of Jerry's that you really don't have to be a fan of Jerry's to appreciate...with an awesome supporting comedy cast of Agnes Moorehead, John McGiver, Ray Walston Jill St. John, this film in my opinion is Jerry Lewis FINEST, without Dean Martin, and maybe his best of all-time. (But that would take alot of doing.) My advice, If you get the opportunity to see "Who's Minding the Store?" See it, if you don't find it utterly hilarious, it's time to make an appointment with the undertaker.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 December 1963 (Japan)

Also Known As:

¿Quién controla la tienda?

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jerry Lewis Pictures, York Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1