IMDb RATING
6.4/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
A goofy paperhanger is hired to root out a financial inefficiency on a Hollywood studio lot, wreaking havoc as he goes.A goofy paperhanger is hired to root out a financial inefficiency on a Hollywood studio lot, wreaking havoc as he goes.A goofy paperhanger is hired to root out a financial inefficiency on a Hollywood studio lot, wreaking havoc as he goes.
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJoe Besser was struggling for work at this time, and friend Lewis gave him a small role. It paid off well for Besser, who met Joey Bishop on the set, and wound up with a co-starring role on "The Joey Bishop Show" (1961) for the next few years.
- GoofsThe diver writes a question to the title character but omits the apostrophe from "DON'T".
- Quotes
Morty S. Tashman: Do you smoke ma'am?
[Bubblegum Blower in Elevator shakes her head]
Morty S. Tashman: Thank heavens.
- ConnectionsEdited into Jerry Lewis at Work (2004)
Featured review
Donlevy's Folly makes for a wonderful comic triumph
Somewhere along the line Jerry Lewis who directed as well as starred in The Errand Boy forgot to put a coherent plot together. Normally that's something I look for first and foremost. But with the very thin premise that someone would hire Jerry to be an efficiency expert because no one would think a schnook like him would be suspected, Lewis succeeded in putting together a wonderful series of gags most of them involving not a word of dialog.
Because of that The Errand Boy rates right up there with the best of Jerry's work in film. Brian Donlevy plays the head of Paramutual Studios and he and the rest of the Paramutual clan hire this klutzy paperhanger to root out the inefficiency in operations at the studio which is costing them money. Again because no one would suspect Lewis of being any kind of a spy because no one would suspect of having any kind of brain. Pretty thin if you ask me.
Still if it weren't for Donlevy's folly we wouldn't get this marvelous film. Some wonderful comedy bits are far too numerous to mention, but some of my favorites were him taking Kathleen Freeman through the car wash and getting her properly waxed, the drowning sequence in the pool, his appearance as an extra in Sig Ruman's film causing Ruman the director to have a nervous breakdown. Best of all at the birthday party for star Iris Adrian, Jerry opening a yard high magnum of champagne which comes out with the force of a fire hose.
Because so little dialog is used, The Errand Boy is probably the film that critics most often cite when they say and I agree that Jerry Lewis could have been one of the classic silent screen star, right up there with Chaplin, Lloyd, and Keaton.
The Errand Boy ranks up with one of the best of Jerry Lewis's solo films and a must for his fans.
Because of that The Errand Boy rates right up there with the best of Jerry's work in film. Brian Donlevy plays the head of Paramutual Studios and he and the rest of the Paramutual clan hire this klutzy paperhanger to root out the inefficiency in operations at the studio which is costing them money. Again because no one would suspect Lewis of being any kind of a spy because no one would suspect of having any kind of brain. Pretty thin if you ask me.
Still if it weren't for Donlevy's folly we wouldn't get this marvelous film. Some wonderful comedy bits are far too numerous to mention, but some of my favorites were him taking Kathleen Freeman through the car wash and getting her properly waxed, the drowning sequence in the pool, his appearance as an extra in Sig Ruman's film causing Ruman the director to have a nervous breakdown. Best of all at the birthday party for star Iris Adrian, Jerry opening a yard high magnum of champagne which comes out with the force of a fire hose.
Because so little dialog is used, The Errand Boy is probably the film that critics most often cite when they say and I agree that Jerry Lewis could have been one of the classic silent screen star, right up there with Chaplin, Lloyd, and Keaton.
The Errand Boy ranks up with one of the best of Jerry Lewis's solo films and a must for his fans.
helpful•52
- bkoganbing
- Nov 9, 2011
- How long is The Errand Boy?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content