The Errand Boy (1961)

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Disappointing! Given the promise of the movie's central idea, plus the wide latitude available to take the mickey out of Hollywood (as at least a dozen films have done so amusingly in the past), Jerry Lewis seems determined – aside from two sequences – to play his Hollywood studio errand boy in a distinctly minor key. True, we do encounter some heavy slapstick and far-too-broad satire, and there is some wistful yet rather too obvious, cutesy stuff with puppets. But the way the movie is constructed as a series of sketches strung together on the thinnest of threads, will ensure that nearly all viewers are in the running to find something to complain about. Some of the sketches – crowded into an elevator, climbing a ladder to get jelly beans for kids – don't have any connections with a movie studio at all. In short, I feel that an opportunity for some really amusing satire was lost. I regard The Patsy as more consistently amusing. That movie also had a superior support cast. Sig Ruman is glimpsed but briefly here. However, Stanley Adams as the mail room chief is amusingly choleric. On the other hand, Howard McNear way overdoes the sycophant, while Brian Donleby delivers one of his duller, stiffer performances. Iris Adrian, however, is always welcome. Disappointingly, production values are only average "A". It's a pity there were no more surprise guest stars than Lorne Greene and company. As a director, Lewis uses lots of close-ups, but is generally efficient despite the jerky continuity. The lighting photography, however, is unusually dark and somber for a comedy.

This is probably one of the finest films Jerry Lewis did in the post Martin and Lewis era. In fact, this film is a pretty much a great parody of Hollywood and it manages to poke fun at what really goes on behind the scenes with many of its stars and how a lot of films are really produced. One scene that is particularly funny is the one in the recording studio. This pretty much reminded me of how a lot of actresses who couldn't sing had their voices dubbed by a professional singer (of course this could have been inspired by noted singer Marni Nixon who dubbed many of Hollywood's leading ladies including Audrey Hepburn and Natalie Wood). But the funniest scene was the one in the candy store in which Morty is constantly going up and down the ladder getting jelly beans for the three kids and finally explodes when the last kid asks for them. This film is definitely one of Jerry Lewis's best.

Well I didn't see the full version of this movie until a couple of years ago. I know it from a 1970s cut-down to 18 minutes Super 8mm film version I saw many times,long ago. Those were the days...We need to work our way through a self-centered and self serving Jerry Lewis. As an earlier comment correctly stated, Jerry Lewis didn't manage to come up with the "not too bright underdog with a golden heart, trying to live the American dream, facing many obstacles but making it in the end" - story, even though this was clearly his idea of the storyline. You can call me names for my next statement: Sylvester Stallone did that thing much better (even though not through a comedy) in his first two "Rocky" movies. Anyway, this still is a Jerry Lewis classic with many great scenes. Undoubtedly the best being him doing a perfectly-in-sync routine to "Blues in Hoss Flat", as usual impeccably performed by the great Count Basie big band.Some other material such as the radio that won't stop playing even when smashed to bits has been done much better in 1940s Warner Brothers cartoon shorts. The two scenes where Morty (Jerry Lewis) meets "living" puppets are rather painful and reminiscent of Charles Chaplin's later work (Limelight etc.) It's in the "crying Clown" tradition and rather out of place in this otherwise funny and inventive movie. The puppets, a little clown and in a later scene a talking female ostrich, magically coming to life (yet obviously performed by rather average puppeteers) in a comedy are the only beings who really understand our "hero"? I'm afraid this is very weak material.Jerry Lewis also has his "serius" moment in movies like "Cinderfella", and they are totally out of place as well. But that is a classic: a comedian trying to show his (or her) serious side. I will be tolerant and understanding (=forgiving).If you are a Jerry Lewis fan, "The Errand boy" is a must see in any case. Jerry lewis definitely was (and remains) a great inspiration to contemporary film comedians such as Steve Martin and Jim Carrey.

i first saw pieces of this movie on AMC and just had to rent it. the story is so sweet and that's what it's such a great film. it's hard to decide what would be considered the best scenes, but these are my favorites: when jerry gets the jelly-beans for the 3 kids and when he talks to that puppet goose. these show the childlike innocence of jerry and how morty s tashman felt about the studio, [these are near the middle of the film]. i think that not only jerry-fans will like this movie but anyone looking for a good movie to sit back and enjoy! next to the nutty professor, this is jerry's best work! definetly a wonderful story to behold!