Who's Minding the Store?
Who's Minding the Store?
PG | 28 November 1963 (USA)
Who's Minding the Store? Trailers

Jerry Lewis plays Norman Phiffer, a proud man in a humble life, who doesn't know that his girlfriend, Barbara, is heir to the Tuttle Department Store dynasty. Mrs. Tuttle, Barbara's mother, is determined to split the two lovers, and hires Norman in an attempt to humiliate him enough that Barbara leaves him. Will she ruin their love, or will he ruin her store?

Reviews
Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
Hulkeasexo it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.
Kodie Bird True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
moonspinner55 Jerry Lewis slapstick vehicle has the star playing a dog-sitter/poodle-walker who wants to marry department store elevator operator Jill St. John--but she's working incognito (she's really the boss's daughter). Lewis is hired by the store president's domineering wife to show St. John what an incompetent Jerry is...and he's doesn't exactly prove her wrong. Jerry Lewis loose in a department store and it's not a laugh riot? Surely this scenario should have resulted in some great sight-gags and satire, but all we seem to get are product advertisements and bungling Lewis making faces. Director Frank Tashlin, who also co-scripted with Harry Tugend from Tugend's original treatment, wastes a lot of first-class comedic talent such as Agnes Moorehead, John McGiver, Nancy Kulp and Kathleen Freeman, all on dumb, misfired episodes. Ray Walston's prissy, irate flunky is a constant nuisance, although St. John is a nice addition to the mix and there are admittedly some big laughs with the overzealous vacuum cleaner. *1/2 from ****
Nick Duretta When I turned 16 or so and began to develop a mature sense of aesthetics, the films of Jerry Lewis became anathema to me. Suddenly I couldn't stand him, and that culturally elitist attitude has persisted to the present day. Yet when asked which of the films I've ever seen are the funniest, I have to mention this one. I don't remember much about it -- I saw it in a drive-in on a misty night in 1963 when I was 12 -- but I still recall the scene in the appliance department of the store, with the vacuum cleaner sucking up everything in sight. I don't think I have laughed that hard since -- it's amazing I survived to see the age of 13!
Brian Washington This is one of the funniest films in the career of Jerry Lewis. This film can pretty much be seen as a series of vignettes as Norman bounces around from department to department as he tries to earn enough money to marry the woman he loves. Also, the rest of the cast give solid performances especially John McGiver, Ray Walston and Agnes Moorehead. Walston is great as the weasel of a store manager who does everything he can to break Norman. McGiver is outstanding as Mr. Tuttle who in the process of the film turns from a milquetoast to a tiger as he finally stands up to his wife, Phoebe. However, Agnes Moorehead is perfect as Phoebe Tuttle and she pretty much plays a mortal version of Endorra, the character she would play less than a year later on "Bewitched". However, the one negative criticism of the film that I have is the fact that like what a couple of other commentators said was the fact that this film is pretty much takes great joy in bashing women. Other than that this is a great film.
Petri Pelkonen Jerry Lewis plays Norman Phiffier, a poodle dog walker who is going to marry a rich girl named Barbara Tuttle (Jill St. John) who works as an elevator operator at a department store.Barbara doesn't want Norman to know that she's rich.Barbara's mother Phoebe Tuttle (Agnes Moorehead) doesn't want her daughter to marry such a fool as Norman so she gets Norman a job from the store Barbara works and gets him the worst jobs.Norman has to eat fried ants for example.Frank Tashlin's Who's Minding the Store from 1963 is filled with hilarious situations.Jerry Lewis causes disasters and makes people crack up.It's hard to say the best movie of Jerry Lewis but this must be one of the them.It has everything Jerry Lewis fans need.Watch this movie if you want to get a good laugh a'la Jerry Lewis.