The Toy

The Toy is a 1982 American comedy film directed by Richard Donner, and starring Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason, with Ned Beatty, Scott Schwartz, Teresa Ganzel, and Virginia Capers in supporting roles. It is an adaptation of the 1976 French film Le Jouet. Jack Brown (Pryor) is an unemployed newspaper reporter in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in danger of losing his house to the bank. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to get a job working for the local paper, the Bugle, he becomes so desperate that he ends up taking a job as a "cleaning lady" for wealthy U.S. Bates (Gleason), who owns the paper and many other businesses. Brown is humiliated as he clumsily attempts to serve food at a luncheon. He is fired, but lands a part-time job in a department store owned by Bates. "Master" Eric Bates (Schwartz), the spoiled-brat son of the boss, has been told that he can have anything in the store. Amused at seeing Jack goof around in the store's toy section, Eric informs his father's right-hand man...