Jimmy the Kid: Difference between revisions

| image = Jimmy The Kid.jpg

| writer = [[Sam Bobrick]]

| based_on = ''Jimmy the Kid'' novel by [[Donald E. Westlake]]

| starring = [[Gary Coleman]]<br>[[Paul Le Mat]]<br>[[Ruth Gordon]]<br>[[Dee Wallace]]<br>[[Walter Olkewicz]]<br>[[Don Adams]]

| music = [[John Cameron (musician)|John Cameron]]

| cinematography = Dennis Dalzell

| editing = [[Richard C. Meyer]]

| distributor = [[New World Pictures]]

| studio = Zephyr Productions

| released = {{Film date|1982|11|12}}

| language = English

| gross = $5 million or $2.6 million<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/americanfilmdist0000dona/page/294/mode/1up|title= American film distribution : the changing marketplace|last=Donahue|first= Suzanne Mary|year=1987 |publisher=UMI Research Press |page=294}} Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada</ref>

'''''Jimmy the Kid''''' is a 1982 American [[comedy film]] starring [[Gary Coleman]] and [[Paul Le Mat]]. It was directed by [[Gary Nelson (director)|Gary Nelson]], produced by Ronald Jacobs,<ref name="Jimmy the Kid">{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/79776/Jimmy-The-Kid/full-credits.html|title=Jimmy the Kid|work=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]] ([[Time Warner]])|location=[[Atlanta]]|access-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref> and released on November 12, 1982 by [[New World Pictures]]. Following 1981's ''[[On the Right Track]]'', it was the second theatrical film release starring Coleman.<ref name="release">{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|date=October 22, 1982|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lTwsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1c4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1642,4956904|title=Actor Gary Coleman is a less than enthusiastic interview|work=[[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]]|publisher=[[New Media Investment Group]]|location=[[Spartanburg, South Carolina]]|access-date=December 10, 2010}}</ref>

* [[Gary Coleman]] as Jimmy

* [[Paul Le Mat]] as [[John Dortmunder]]

* [[Ruth Gordon]] as Bernice

* [[Dee Wallace]] as May

* [[Cleavon Little]] as Herb

* [[Don Adams]] as Harry Walker

* [[Pat Morita]] as Maurice

* Fay Hauser as Nina

* [[Avery Schreiber]] as Dr. Stevens

* [[Walter Olkewicz]] as Kelp

==Production==

The film was based on the 1974 novel of the same name by [[Donald E. Westlake]]. It was the third book of Westlake's [[John Dortmunder|Dortmunder]] series.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/jimmykid00west|title=Jimmy the Kid|first=Donald E.|last=Westlake|author-link=Donald E. Westlake|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield#Imprints|M Evans &Co]]|location=[[Lanham, Maryland]]|year=1974|isbn=978-0871311573|url-access=registration}}</ref> One of the shooting locations was [[Bob Hope]]'s Malibu Canyon plantation.{{sfn|The Santa Fe New Mexican Staff|1982|page=20}}

''Jimmy the Kid'' grossed [[USD|$]]5 million at the box office.{{sfn|Koetting|2013|page=222}}

===Critical response===

Overall, critical reception of the family-friendly comedy was on the negative side. Critic [[Gene Siskel]], who called himself "one of few Americans who publicly declared his affection for ''On the Right Track''" concluded that Coleman's follow-up was "definitely on the wrong track."<ref>{{cite web|first=Gene|last=Siskel|author-link=Gene Siskel|date=November 17, 1982|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/624980992.html?dids=624980992:624980992&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+17,+1982&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Tempo&pqatl=google|title='Jimmy the Kid': A silly kidnaping story held together by tires that bind|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|publisher=[[tronc|Tronc, Inc.]]|location=[[Chicago]]|access-date=December 10, 2010}}</ref> Siskel's TV counterpart [[Roger Ebert]] also found little to like in the film, but admitted that kids may well enjoy it.<ref>{{cite web|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19820101/REVIEWS/60607016/1023|title=Jimmy the Kid|work=Roger Ebert|publisher=Ebert Digital LLC|location=[[Chicago]]|date=January 1, 1982|access-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref>

Stephen Hunter of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' wrote in his review: "''Jimmy the Kid'' proves a longstanding cinema law: Any movie calling itself a "comedy crime caper" is likely to be a misdemeanor against good taste."<ref>{{cite news|last=Hunter|first=Stephen|date=November 18, 1982|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1787445922.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+18,+1982&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=Kidnap+comedy:+a+misdemeanor+against+good+taste&pqatl=google|title=Kidnap comedy: a misdemeanor against good taste|work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|publisher=[[tronc|Tronc, Inc.]]|location=[[Baltimore]]|access-date=December 10, 2010}}</ref>

Carter Colwell of ''[[The Daytona Beach News-Journal]]'' wrote in his review: "ONCE UPON a time, [[Donald E. Westlake]] wrote a bunch of funny mystery stories. And then one day, he wrote one that was not very funny, but it was still pretty funny. In it, a bunch of klutzy burglars decide to conduct a kidnapping, following a plan laid out in a book one of them has read. And then Donald E. Westlake sold his pretty funny kidnapping story to [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]]. And they made a movie out of it. It was called ''Jimmy the Kid''. It was not very funny. And it was not pretty funny either."<ref>{{cite news|last=Colwell|first=Carter|date=November 21, 1982|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1-IpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ydEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3081,2511491|title=This Film Effort Is Strictly Kid Stuff|work=[[The Daytona Beach News-Journal]]|publisher=[[New Media Investment Group]]|location=[[Daytona Beach, Florida]]|access-date=December 10, 2010}}</ref>

[[The Philadelphia Inquirer|The Philadelphia Inquirer Staff]] of ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'' wrote in their review: "''Jimmy the Kid'' combines elements of [[Coco the Clown]], [[Carnac the Magnificent]], and the [[The Pink Panther (film series)|Pink Panther]] into ''Movie the Bad''. Someone wisely kept this weak Gary Coleman comedy about an overly mature rich kid in the can since 1981."<ref name="philly">{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB29589AED4F9FE&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title='JIMMY THE KID'IS A MISHMASH OF STOLEN SHTICK|author=The Philadelphia Inquirer Staff|author-link=The Philadelphia Inquirer|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|publisher=[[Philadelphia Media Network]]|location=[[Philadelphia]]|date=May 28, 1983|access-date=December 10, 2010}}</ref>

==Release==

''Jimmy the Kid'' was released in theatres on November 12, 1982. In the [[Lawrence Journal-World]], a national newspaper advertisement used in November 1982 to advertise release of film.<ref name="ad1">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=05AyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T-gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2565,2056786|title=Newspaper Ad for release|work=[[Lawrence Journal-World]]|publisher=Ogden Newspapers, Inc|location=[[Lawrence, Kansas]]|access-date=December 10, 2010}}</ref> ''Jimmy the Kid'' was released on [[VHS]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Jimmy-Kid-Gary-Coleman/dp/B00061QCGO|title=Jimmy the Kid|work=[[Thorn EMI]]|publisher=Reeves Communications|location=[[London]]|asin=B00061QCGO|date=January 1, 1983|access-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref>

{{Reflist|30em}}

===Sources===

{{Refbegin|30em}}

* {{cite news|author=The Santa Fe New Mexican Staff|author-link=The Santa Fe New Mexican|date=November 6, 1982|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-mexico/santa-fe/santa-fe-new-mexican/1982/11-06/page-20|title=Ruth Gordon, Gary Coleman are new odd couple|work=[[The Santa Fe New Mexican]]|publisher=Robin Martin Properties|location=[[Santa Fe, New Mexico]]|access-date=January 9, 2017|page=20}}{{Subscription required}}

* {{cite book|first=Christopher T|last=Koetting|title=Mind Warp!: The Fantastic True Story of Roger Corman's New World Pictures|publisher=Midnight Marquee Press, Inc.|location=[[Parkville, Maryland]]|year=2013|isbn=978-1936168422|edition=1st|page=222}}

{{Refend}}

* {{IMDb title|id=0085756|title=Jimmy the Kid}}

* {{AllMovie title|26216|Jimmy the Kid}}

[[Category:New World Pictures films]]

[[Category:Films based on works by Donald E. Westlake]]

[[Category:Films based on American novels]]

[[Category:Films about kidnapping]]

[[Category:American comedy films]]

[[Category:Films scored by John Cameron (musician)]]

[[Category:1980s English-language films]]

[[Category:1980s American films]]