THE TOY
US, 1982, 97 minutes, Colour.
Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleason, Ned Beatty.
Directed by Richard Donner.
The Toy is a moderate comedy, adapted by Carol Sobiewski (Annie, The Women's Room) from a screenplay by Francois Veber (A Pain in the A adapted American version, Buddy Buddy). The film was originally a vehicle for French comedian Pierre Richard.
This version is a star vehicle for Richard Pryor who hams and mugs in an entertaining enough way (as in Superman III). Jackie Gleason is an abrasive and bigoted millionaire. His spoilt son wants Pryor as a toy ? and with some sentiment, coyness (especially with an emphasis on sexuality), and some charm the family is transformed. The setting is Louisiana.
It is a strange mixture of humour, vulgarity and sentimental Americana. It was popular on release in the United States, though unfavourably received by critics.
1. An entertaining comedy? For what audience? A blend of humour, social comment?
2. The film as a vehicle for Richard Pryor and his verbal and visual comedy, Jackie Gleason and his style? Audience expectations from the stars? Richard Pryor and the black background, his verbal and patter comedy, his sentimental style? Jackie Gleason as bigoted Americana, American exasperation with not suffering fools gladly, sentiment?
3. The film and its setting, the south, Batten Rouge and the atmosphere of Louisiana, affluence, the role of whites in Louisiana society, blacks? Prejudice, arrogance? Social confrontation e.g. the Ku Klux Klan?
4. Colour photography, business buildings, the city, mansions? The poorer sections? Unemployment offices etc.? An urban comedy? The special effects - especially with the toys? The chases?
5. The title, the basic idea as valuable for a comedy? Laughter and seriousness? Adaptation from a French setting?
6. Richard Pryor and his style, the initial humour, his being out of work, the humiliations at the office, his work as an author, girlfriend and relationships? The glimpses of his life at home? His interviews for jobs ? especially with Ned Beatty? The legal threats especially through his girlfriend? The situation of joblessness of the '80s? Humorous social comment?
7. His being a maid - the disasters, the meals, the embarrassment and the laughs? His scoring a different job? The tog shop and his playing with the toys and enjoying them? The situation for his arrival and taking over?
8. U.S.Bates and Jackie Gleason - big man, used to his own way, owning things and people, his behaviour at the meal and reaction to Jack as a maid, his reaction to his subordinates - Ned Beatty's cringing style? His glamorous wife? His relationship to Eric and having him once a year? His promises to him? Audience expectations of U.S. Bates' arrogance? The symbol of his setting up the dominoes and Jack making them all fall? His ways of employment, giving the sack, money, deals, dinners and guests? The sex scenes with his wife? The reaction to Eric with Jack? Being pleased? The newspaper and his being attacked, the reprimand? The party and the representatives of the Ku Klux Klan? The mayhem and farce at the party? The final clash with Jack and Eric? Eric's running away? Jack and the reconciliation? How authentic the reconciliation ? humour and sentiment?
9. Eric and his background, military school, his being spoilt, wilful, coming to the toys, seeing Jack. wanting him wrapped, bringing him home, using him for his own entertainment, humiliating him ? the mess over the door (and Jack getting his revenge)? The games? The embarrassment - locking Jack out with the alarms going? His wanting to win at the video games and losing interest when not winning? The intermittent changes? Response to Jack as a person? Going fishing? The lessons and the sex talk? The humane sequences? e.g. the bath? His pleas for Jack to stay? Jack returning after being persuaded? The humiliation with the breakfast trolley? Jack taking Eric in hand? The interviews for the paper? the wife, the butler? The printing, the distributing and the stopping of the paper? The party? Jack's leaving? Eric going back to school, running away? His being persuaded to face reality? An adequate picture of a spoilt and precocious young boy? The effect on Jack?
10. Jack and his having to cope? the importance of the money, the discussions about contracts? Jack's being able to be bought and reacting against it? Wanting to leave? Returning to his girlfriend? Ned Beatty coming to persuade him to go back? His taking Eric in hand? Getting revenge for the humiliations? The paper. the danger of the printing? Distributing the copies? The reprimand by Bates? The party and his humiliation of the Klan leaders? The falling into the pool? and the rescues? His being affected by the experience? Returning home? The reconciliation? ? and the irony of the woman arriving at the end for him to be a toy for her child?
11. The glimpse of Bates' wife? the sexy glamour girl, the sex scenes. her portrait in the office and Eric's playing with it, hew shrewdness?
12. Jack's girlfriend and her involvement in legal issues, protests?
13. The German woman and her role in the household. her repression and the easy joke about her sex mania?
14. Ned Beatty as the stooge for Bates, his being humiliated, his abject attitudes, pleading with Jack etc.? A shrewd portrait of this kind of man?
15. The presentation of Louisiana society, the wealthy. bigotry, the Klan? Senators and politics? Journalists, protests?
16. The humorous sequences - a blend of sentiment and farce? Verbal humour? The human and social issues?
