How Hail, Caesar! channels the screwy industry… | Little White Lies

Under the Influence

How Hail, Caesar! channels the screwy industry satire of The Errand Boy

Published 07 Mar 2016

Words by Little White Lies

Add as a preferred source Apple News Instagram
Jerry Lewis’ classic 1961 comedy provided inspiration for the Coen brothers’ peek inside the Hollywood machine.

Under the Influence is a video series that traces the themes, inspirations, or other connections from a new release to a great film of the past. Hail, Caesar! is the latest sardonic work from the Coen brothers, and it joins a long lineage of movies made within Hollywood about Hollywood that stretches back to the silent era.

One of the most delightful and most peculiar of these films is Jerry Lewis’ anarchic 1961 comedy The Errand Boy. In a succession of outlandish gags, the eccentric Lewis sends up and pays tribute to the movie industry.

Get more Little White Lies

Watch the second episode of Under the Influence above and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more.

Hail, Caesar! is in cinemas now. Read our five-star review.

LWLies 107: The Sinners issue – Out now!

You might like

Under the Influence

How Quentin Tarantino took inspiration from The Great Silence

by Little White Lies

If you liked The Hateful Eight you’ll love Sergio Corbucci’s 1968 film that inspired it.
Under the Influence

How Midnight Special evokes the pure emotion of Starman

by Little White Lies

Jeff Nichols’ stellar sci-fi parable draws inspiration from John Carpenter’s 1984 film.
This Just In

Kink in the Archive: The pleasures of porn in public

by Lucy Peters

Helena Whittingham and Harlan Whittingham’s careful curation enthusiastically invites audiences to consider porn as artefact and art.
Video

Ryan Gosling – Jacket Man

A new LWLies video essay explores Ryan Gosling’s whirlwind screen romance with iconic jackets.
Review

Pompei: Below the Clouds review – a stimulating and wry survey of modern Naples

by David Jenkins

Gianfranco Rosi offers a unique vision of contemporary Naples, mixing his interests in social structures, architecture, nature and the inner-lives of buildings.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Review

Orwell 2+2=5 review – Orwell for Dummies

by David Jenkins

Raoul Peck explores the life and legacy of George Orwell with this largely unedifying, unremarkable essay doc.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect

Subscribe to LWLies Weekly

Want to keep up with all things film? Our free weekly newsletter drops every Friday, bringing you the latest film news, reviews and features, plus discounts and extras from Team LWLies.