The Toy
THE TOY For the first time in motion picture history, the outrageous talent
of Richard Pryor and the ingenious comedic sense of Jackie Gleason are combined
in the same film.
Gleason is U.S. Bates, a megalomaniac millionaire who owns most of south central
Louisiana. Pryor is Jack Brown, a former journalist who has worked his way down
the vocational ladder to the position of janitor in Bates' department store.
Among Bates' other vast holdings is a young son Eric (Scott Schwartz), who
visits his father for one week a year. Typically, Eric is chauffeured to the
department store after-hours to pick out anything he wants. This time, Eric has
a more elaborate toy in mind -Jack Brown. So begins the unique relationship that
teaches Eric more about life than fun and games.