Customer Reviews

Who's Minding the Store [VHS]

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of Jerry's best and funniest. So many of his other
classics are now out on DVD, why not this one??!!?? To the
"powers that be," PLEASE release this movie on DVD-A.S.A.P!!
My DVD library of Jerry Lewis masterpieces is in need of it!

This is the first movie Jerry Lewis appeared in after his masterpiece "The Nutty Professor." Freed from the chores of writing and directing this film, Jerry turns in one of his finest performances. Norman Phiffier (Jerry Lewis) lives his life according to the philosophy that honesty is the best policy. He is a dog walker and dog sitter in love with Barbara (the beautiful Jill St. John). He believes that she is just an elevator operator at Tuttle's Department Store but, in reality, she's the daughter of the store owner and heiress to the Tuttle fortune. Her mother Phoebe (Agnes Moorehead) disapproves of Norman and doesn't want her daughter to marry him. Determined to break up their romance, she instructs the store manager Mr. Quimby (Ray Walston) to hire Norman to work in Tuttle's Department Store and give him the worst possible jobs. He first assigns Norman to paint the tip of the flagpole hanging outside the ninth floor window. Norman tries to climb out on the pole and almost falls to his death. He comes up with the bright idea of putting a paint brush at the end of a fishing pole. To paint the bottom, he enters the office of the store's president John Tuttle (John McGiver). John is a henpecked husband whose wife really runs the store. Since John is busying himself by putting golf balls, Norman takes him to a machine that electronically measures how far you hit the golf ball. When Norman hits the ball it flies out the window, hits a traffic cop on the head, keeps bouncing around and knocking things over, and eventually lands back on the tee and explodes!

One of Norman's jobs is working in the women's shoe department. Mr. Quimby has hired a lady wrestler to come in and try on a pair of shoes much too small for her foot size. Norman tries to force the shoes on her feet and they end up getting knocked to the floor. She gets Norman in a headlock, picks him up and flings him over the counter. Looking closely, it's plain to see that it's Jerry and not a stunt double flying over the counter! After getting stomped on, Norman gets thrown into a huge rack of shoe boxes, which crash through the window and land on the same traffic cop who earlier got hit with the golf ball! In another scene, Norman is working in the men's clothing department on the morning that they're having a 50% off sale. As soon as the doors open, a crowd of stampeding women converge on the clothes, grabbing every article of clothing in sight. They even pull off most of Norman's clothes! There are many other departments Norman has to work in, all ending with disastrous results.

My favorite scene involves a rich woman, carrying her Chihuahua and accompanied by her manservant, who is bringing an old vacuum to the store to be repaired. Mrs. Tuttle appears with Mr. Quimby to observe the proceedings. Norman rewires the vacuum to increase its suction. The vacuum becomes so powerful that it starts moving on its own, sucking up everything in sight, including the old lady's dog and Mrs. Tuttle's wig! Norman is unable to switch off the vacuum or even unplug it, so the vacuum's bag keeps getting bigger and bigger, and eventually floats up to the ceiling! Norman ends up climbing a ladder and sticking a knife into the bag. The resulting explosion of dirt and debris is hilarious, as the Chihuahua plops back into the old lady's arms. Norman puts the dirty, dust covered wig back on Mrs. Tuttle, who promptly fires him. Mr. Tuttle, accompanied by his daughter Barbara, come to Norman's aid and Norman finally learns that Barbara is the Tuttle's daughter. Proud and determined to make it on his own, Norman quits and goes back to being a dog walker. The last scene involves Norman walking a large number of dogs. First Barbara, then her father, and finally her mother go by also walking many dogs and wearing jackets that say I'M SORRY. They all round a corner out of sight. The next thing you hear are the screeching of brakes and the sounds of cars crashing. The last shot is of the poor traffic cop, surrounded by wrecked cars and barking dogs. "Who's Minding The Store?" is, without a doubt, one of the funniest movies Jerry Lewis has ever done!

THIS MOVIE IS ONE OF JERRY'S GREATEST, GREAT SUPPORTING CAST & A GREAT GAG DIRECTOR, FRANK TASHLIN...NO COMEDY OF TODAY EVEN COMES CLOSE TO THIS ONE...ONE OF THE KING OF COMEDY'S GREATEST!

A million laughs. Jerry Lewis sucks up a dog, a wig, dishes, and half of the displays into a vacuum cleaner that he just repaired. When the bag is popped by a pin, there is a hilarious explosion. A perfect cure for depression or those rainy day blues. Get this movie!

I have never been a big Jerry Lewis fan but this is one of my favorite movies of all time. Great performances, physical comedy, and lots of fun. Please release this on DVD soon... in letterbox.

No need to review the film which is a comedy gem...just the format:
The film starts in widescreen, unusual for a video tape. And just when you're getting used to it, the opening credits end and it reverts back to fullscreen(!)
To add insult to injury, the end credits are not even included, the movie simply ends! So much for finding out who the actors were.......

C'mon Paramount...how about the full version on DVD?

This is my favorite Jerry Lewis movie! It is absolutely hilarious...one laugh after another. My whole family enjoys watching it; however, I have a very old recording that is not good quality.

Please release it on DVD soon!

Who's Minding The Store? Is one of the funniest movies of All Time. It's right up there with It's A Mad,Mad,Mad,Mad World and Ruthless People all are Funnier than Some Like It Hot. It's going to be nice to see this classic comedy uncut on commercial tape.

Who's Minding The Store? Is one of the funniest movies of All Time. It's right up there with It's A Mad,Mad,Mad,Mad World and Ruthless People all are Funnier than Some Like It Hot. It's going to be nice to see this classic comedy uncut on commercial tape.

I've seen this movie quite a few times now over the years, and why not wright a little review of this wild and crazy classic. it actally isnt as silly as most of the jerry lewis films, this is serious at times, and has alote of fine actors in it.
Jerry Lewis plays (as almost always) a nice and friendly chap, but clumsy who just can't seem to do anything right.
In this movie he is working at a big store, a huge store. and everything goes wrong! almost anyway. alote of fun scenes. not just a couple. i laughed many times through the movie. this is a fun and crazy jerry comedy, i think its one of the best jerry lewis movies. (atleast of what ive seen so far)
oh, and by the way, check out that beatiful secretary "Shirley", oh mama! i wish she had played a bigger role! and don't you just love the movie title? check it out.