A Jerry Lewis “institution comedy” in the vein of The Bellboy, Disorderly Orderly and The Errand Boy – to wit, Jerry is placed in an institution and allowed to run riot. The set up is decent enough – he’s given various horrible jobs in a department store by owner Agnes Moorehead, who is keen to embarrass him in the eyes of his girlfriend (and Moorehead’s daughter) Jill St John. Jerry keeps plugging away, destroying everything about him but not giving up on his soul. Or something.
The structure is repetitive – it’s a series of set pieces really – but it’s very colourful and there’s some classic moments: Jerry “polishing the top of the nob” of the flag pole (and someone actually comments on him polishing a nob) Jerry taking on the onslaught of female shoppers during the sales (a classic set piece, one of his all time greats), Jerry battling a vacuum cleaner, Jerry being shown around the office by Moorehead’s husband (John McGiver) who explains the department store has always been run by women who are married to powerless men.
The support cast is excellent, including Moorehead, McGiver, Ray Walston and Jill St John, who is totally hot for Jerry, constantly pashing him and holding his hand. In the absence of Dean Martin he was really keen to step up to the plate when it came to romance scenes. There is a slightly off scene where McGiver and Jerry are in a lift with St John and both try to hold her hand – I get the gag (St John trying to keep the two apart and both trying to be affectionate with her), but daddy is a bit old to hold his daughter’s hand. One of Jerry's best solo films.
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