On one of his bratty son Eric's annual visits, the plutocrat U.S. Bates takes him to his department store and offers him anything in it as a gift. Eric chooses a black janitor who has made him laugh with his antics. At first the man suffers many indignities as Eric's "toy", but gradually teaches the lonely boy what it is like to have and to be a friend.
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Richard Pryor makes the most of the situation in this 1982 comedy which some viewers could continue to find distasteful. He's Jack Brown, a broke writer, supposedly working on a book, who's also been trying to get a job on a newspaper. Since work is awful hard to come boy, he takes a job as a "cleaning lady", and while goofing around in a toy store one night, he's spotted by Eric Bates (Scott Schwartz), a spoiled brat son of a pompous zillionaire (Jackie Gleason). Eric's under the impression that he can help himself to anything as long as he has the money, so Jack is hired as a plaything for the boy.Based upon the French comedy "Le Jouet", it's understandable that one would wince at various indignities to which Pryor must be subjected. But he and his fellow comic talent Gleason are able to mine a fair amount of laughs from various scenes and lines. Pryor really is at his best when reacting to other characters, while Gleason is perfect as a man who lives with his own version of reality: because he has all the wealth and power, he can make others do whatever he wants them to. Young Schwartz is appealing as the kid who must learn the movies' blatantly stated "you don't buy friends, you EARN them" message.The whole cast is great, though: Ned Beatty as sniveling flunky Morehouse, Wilfrid Hyde- White as Barkley the butler, sexy Teresa Ganzel as Gleasons' air headed trophy wife # 3, and Annazette Chase as Jacks' activist girlfriend.While not always terribly funny, there are some good gags, such as Jack marching into supposedly piranha infested water and getting his clothes cut to ribbons. The evolving relationship between Jack and Eric really is the heart and soul of the movie, though. Gleasons' activities sort of get glossed over by the end, but we can see that he is also a father who does genuinely love his son and does want to make a connection with him.If you're a fan of Pryor or Gleason, you'll likely have a good time with this.Six out of 10.
Jack Brown (Richard Pryor) is a struggling writer in Baton Rouge. He's even playing poker for food stamps. His family home is about to be auctioned off unless he can come up with $10k or get a job. In desperation, he applies for a maid's job for wealthy U.S. Bates (Jackie Gleason). Sydney Morehouse (Ned Beatty) reluctantly hires him after getting threatened with a lawsuit. U.S. fires him but U.S.'s spoiled 9 year old son "Master" Eric Bates (Scott Schwartz) finds the black janitor fascinating. Eric demands to buy him since U.S. promised Eric anything in his department store. U.S. is an absentee divorced father with Eric only one week every year. U.S. is married to bubbly new wife Fancy (Teresa Ganzel).I love Richard Pryor. Yes I'm the one guy who likes Superman III. He has an instant likability and that makes all the difference. Quite frankly, I missed all the racial undertones as a kid watching this movie. I just found it fun with a touching story of a family coming back together. I don't even mind the annoying brat because it allows him to grow as a human being. It's all very heart warming. I also loved all the toys as a kid and there is nothing better than Pryor.
Me and my sister used to watch this when we were children and we loved it. In fact, the last time I saw it I was only 8 years old, but I remember why I enjoyed the movie. I was too young to understand the adult politics but trust me this is a wonderful film for kids to watch. If I was to watch it now it will not be as powerful, and I may not even enjoy it. The point is this was a film made for children, and as this is the case only a child, or an adult who watched it and remembers it as a child are able to accurately review and justify it. Pryor's performance was superb and it shows how diverse he was being able to star in a children's film and manage to be so convincing and never patronises the film by under-performing.
The Toy (1982) was another Americanized remake of a French hit. Richard Pryor also puts another nail in the coffin that once was his career by starring in another sell-out role. During the seventies, Mr. Pryor was once an innovative comic who stretched the boundaries of bad taste. Now, he was starring in anything that would pay him handsomely. The story is about a spoiled rich kid who get anything his rich dad can afford. One day he's shopping late night in a toy store and watches a janitor (Richard Pryor) acting real stupid and breaking a lot of expensive toys. After watching him break an expensive toy called "The Wonder Wheel", the kid laughs and wants to buy him as a personal toy. Will this rich kid get what he wants? Can his father afford his services? How will Richard react to it? Is this one of those message movies? To find out the answers to these questions you'll just have to watch THE TOY.An okay time waster, but it's sad to see Richard Pryor stoop so low just to pick up a pay check.
