Ernest Goes to Jail
Guilty of Maximum Fun in the First Degree!
1990 | 81m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | John Cherry |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Charlie Cohen |
| Staring: |
| Bumbling bank janitor Ernest P. Worrell is assigned to jury duty, and soon finds himself in trouble when he is covertly switched with a look-a-like crime boss. Ernest must escape from jail to expose the mix-up. | |
| Release Date: | Apr 06, 1990 |
|---|---|
| Director: | John Cherry |
| Writer: | Charlie Cohen |
| Genres: | Comedy, Crime, Family |
| Keywords | prison, tennessee, janitor, electric chair, bank robbery, impersonation, doppelgänger, prison break, magnetism, irreverent, lighthearted, absurd, witty, whimsical, authoritarian, baffled, earnest, excited, exuberant, vibrant |
| Production Companies | Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV, Emshell Producers |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $25,029,791
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 04, 2026 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Jim Varney | Ernest P. Worrell |
| Gailard Sartain | Chuck |
| Bill Byrge | Bobby |
| Barbara Tyson | Charlotte Sparrow |
| Barry Scott | Rubin Bartlett |
| Randall "Tex" Cobb | Lyle |
| Dan Leegant | Oscar Pendlesmythe |
| Charles Napier | Warden |
| Jackie Welch | Judge |
| Charlie Lamb | Another Con |
| Jim Conrad | Eddie |
| Jeffrey Buckner Ford | Defense Attorney |
| Bruce Arntson | Juror |
| Mike Montgomery | Warden's Assistant |
| Mike Hutchinson | Gate Guard |
| Badd Catt | Jail Guard (uncredited) |
| Melanie Wheeler | Prosecutor |
| Daniel Butler | Waiter |
| Mac Bennett | Con |
| Rick Schulman | Mean Guard |
| Andy Stahl | Jerry |
| Myke R. Mueller | Vinnie |
| John Davis | Other Guard |
| Barkley | Rimshot |
| Steve Jarrell | Prisoner |
| Gregory Lee Knowles | Prison Guard |
| Chambers Stevens | Jury Man |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Peter Stein | Director of Photography |
| John Cherry | Director |
| Bruce Arntson | Original Music Composer |
| Terry Arthur | Key Grip |
| Kirby Shelstad | Original Music Composer |
| Charlie Cohen | Writer |
| Sharyn L. Ross | Editor |
| Ben Rubin | Casting Director |
| Chris August | Production Designer |
| Mark Ragland | Art Direction |
| Connie Gray | Set Decoration |
| Shawn Barry | Costume Designer |
| Bert Samet | Hairstylist |
| June Brickman | Key Makeup Artist |
| Carol Sue Byron | Unit Production Manager |
| Daniel J. Heffner | Executive In Charge Of Production |
| Lynda Foote | Costume Supervisor |
| William H. Schirmer | Special Effects Coordinator |
| Chuck Waters | Stunt Coordinator |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Stacy Williams | Producer |
| Coke Sams | Co-Producer |
| Martin Erlichman | Executive Producer |
| Phil Walden | Associate Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 8 |
| 2024 | 5 | 15 | 25 | 9 |
| 2024 | 6 | 12 | 19 | 8 |
| 2024 | 7 | 15 | 30 | 7 |
| 2024 | 8 | 12 | 25 | 7 |
| 2024 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 6 |
| 2024 | 10 | 12 | 21 | 6 |
| 2024 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 6 |
| 2024 | 12 | 11 | 18 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 7 |
| 2025 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
| 2025 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Trending Position
LabRat
10.0
Like Lucio Fulci directed _Face-Off_. Like some hybrid of _Riki-Oh_ and _Pee-Wee’s Playhouse._ Like a children’s film from another dimension. What if Jim Carrey channeled both Bugs Bunny and Anton Chigur in that universe? What if that dimension had the white Stephen Chow? There’s no need to wonder a ... ny longer. You can find the answers in _Ernest Goes to Jail._
Apr 08, 2024