Who’s Minding the Store? (Paramount 1963, Jerry Lewis, Jill St John)

In Who’s Minding the Store?, a department store provides the location for Jerry Lewis’s buffoonery, in this case working as a handyman hired away from his poodle-walking job by the mother of the elevator operator girl (Jill St. John), who is determined to break up their budding relationship.

Viewers will love, particularly, a vacuum cleaner that gets away from its demonstrator, and the genius of the manager who thinks it’s a good idea for Lewis to paint the top of a flagpole. Rest assured, Lewis bumbles his way through to pleasing everyone in the end.

Who’s Minding the Store was one of a group of films Jerry Lewis made under contract with Paramount. For all his Paramount features, Lewis was always billed above the title and paired with some of the best supporting players at work in Hollywood.

production details
USA | Paramount | 90 minutes | 1963

Director: Frank Tashlin
Script: Harry Tugend, Frank Tashlin,

cast
Jerry Lewis as Norman Phiffer
Jill St. John as Barbara Tuttle
Agnes Moorehead as Mrs. Phoebe Tuttle
John Abbott as Mr. Orlandos
Fritz Feld as Irving Catastrophe
Richard Deacon as Tie Salesman
John McGiver as Mr. John P. Tuttle
Ray Walston as Mr. Quimby
Nancy Kulp as Emily Rothgraber
Francesca Bellini as Shirley Lott
Quinn O’Hara as Elevator Operator
Bess Flowers as Shopper, Gourmet Department
Dick Wessel as Traffic Cop