The Toy
When Jackie Gleason told his son he could have any present he wanted, he picked the most outrageous gift of all...Richard Pryor.
1982 | 102m | English
Popularity: 3 (history)
| Director: | Richard Donner |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Carol Sobieski |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Dec 10, 1982 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Richard Donner |
| Writer: | Carol Sobieski |
| Genres: | Family, Comedy |
| Keywords | department store, rich kid, trophy wife, employment termination, richard pryor |
| Production Companies | Columbia Pictures, Rastar Productions, Delphi Films |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $47,118,057
Budget: $28,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 01, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Richard Pryor | Jack Brown |
| Jackie Gleason | Ulysses Simpson 'U.S.' Bates |
| Ned Beatty | Sydney Morehouse |
| Scott Schwartz | Eric Bates |
| Teresa Ganzel | Fancy Bates |
| Wilfrid Hyde-White | Barkley |
| Tony King | Clifford |
| Annazette Chase | Angela |
| Don Hood | O'Brien |
| Karen Leslie-Lyttle | Fraulein |
| Virginia Capers | Ruby Simpson |
| Steve Kahan | State Trooper |
| B.J. Hopper | Geffran |
| Ray Spruell | Senator Newcomb |
| Stocker Fontelieu | District Attorney Russell |
| Robert Adams | Store Executive |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Richard Donner | Director |
| László Kovács | Director of Photography |
| Bob Herron | Stunt Double |
| Patrick Williams | Original Music Composer |
| Michael A. Stevenson | Editor |
| Moss Mabry | Costume Design |
| Robert L. Stevenson | Hairstylist |
| Hans Metz | Visual Effects |
| Carol Sobieski | Screenplay |
| Richard A. Harris | Editor |
| Marvin March | Set Decoration |
| Tony Lloyd | Makeup Artist |
| Phil Cory | Special Effects Supervisor |
| Charles Rosen | Production Design |
| Ken Chase | Makeup Artist |
| Yolanda Toussieng | Hairstylist |
| Thomas R. Ward | Special Effects |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Margaret Booth | Associate Producer |
| Ray Stark | Producer |
| Phil Feldman | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Globes | Best Supporting Actress | Joan Plowright | Nominated |
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 16 | 24 | 9 |
| 2024 | 5 | 18 | 25 | 10 |
| 2024 | 6 | 14 | 24 | 8 |
| 2024 | 7 | 13 | 25 | 7 |
| 2024 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 7 |
| 2024 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 6 |
| 2024 | 10 | 14 | 26 | 6 |
| 2024 | 11 | 10 | 22 | 6 |
| 2024 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 | 11 | 20 | 6 |
| 2025 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | 950 | 950 |
In "I Am Richard Pryor" they kind of blasted this movie as being horrible....And here I am thinking it was a beloved childhood classic. They won't remake it now, the PC police would be all over them...despite the fact that it was Richard Pryor and he was BLM long before there was a BLM. And, h ... onestly, I can see how the people that made "I Am Richard Pryor" would look down on this, I mean...it's childish. But it's also childish fun, and just because Pryor is cleaning things up a bit for the film, just because he's not vulgar and not dropping the N-bomb every few seconds doesn't mean he's not hysterical. And let's be hones, he had more family friendly and less adult movies in the past as well. His movies don't have to be as gritty as his stand up is. You can enjoy both, liking one doesn't mean you like the other any less. So, OK, it's not a review, just felt the need to defend it. If you walk in expecting the Mack, you clearly didn't read the back of the box.
New Video Drop: Full review, reaction, and roast of THE TOY (1982) starring Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason. If you want to relive the film with a hilarious commentary - check out the video on the Midnight Hustle Podcast YouTube channel: <a href=“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp4epx4Po_c”>Retro ... Movie Rewind: THE TOY (1982)</a> ---- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp4epx4Po_c