The Importance of Being Ernest Read online

  From King Arthur to Thomas Becket (Archbishop of Canterbury), life in medieval times fascinated Jim. A castle located just outside Lexington in Versailles, Ky., had been built in the late 1960s as a gift from an adoring husband to his wife. The surreal contrast of the imposing structure and its massive turrets against busy Highway U.S. 60 (which the castle borders) has been turning drivers’ heads ever since it was built. During a visit to sister Sandy’s house in the mid-’80s, Jim casually mentioned the possibility of perhaps owning the castle someday. He joked about wanting to host a Victorian era tea party on the front lawn while politely waving to cars driving by. The family laughed at the visual, knowing it would not be at all unlikely that he would follow through.

  Nashville continued to provide Jim many opportunities to stay busy when he wasn’t falling off ladders or mashing his fingers in windows. In April of 1986, just months after being a guest star on “Hee Haw,” he emceed a recording session of the 90-piece Nashville Symphony. Country-music stars such as Chet Atkins and Hank Williams Jr. played along with the symphony while recording classic country songs at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. A few weeks later, Jim showed up in Washington, D.C., at a place where no one would ever have believed Ernest would be invited.

  Larry Speakes, the White House Press Secretary at the time, decided to play a prank on the press corps. He informed them that the new deputy assistant to the president for economic policy was going to speak. The reporters got a surprise when Jim walked out dressed as Ernest, acting as the advisor. Along with Ernest, Jim portrayed a few more of his favorite characters, including mean ol’ Lloyd. He brought along hats to help him transition into each character.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN: ERNEST IN THE MOVIES

  In the summer of 1986, Ernest fans around the country rejoiced when it was announced that a movie called “Ernest Goes to Camp” would be released the following spring. Nashville residents were soon reading in the local newspapers about Disney representatives scouting the area for locations.

  That fall, the “Camp” movie crew descended on the small town of Dickson, Tenn., to start shooting at the Montgomery Bell State Park, which would serve as Kamp Kikakee in the movie. The crew consisted of many of the same people who had filmed the Ernest commercials, in addition to others recruited from the area.

  Jim brought his mother down from Lexington to visit the set. She was impressed with the whole production and enjoyed meeting and getting her picture taken with Iron Eyes Cody, the actor famous for playing Native Americans (although he was actually of Italian descent).

  Many of the boys playing campers were acting for the first time. Most were local kids who enjoyed the opportunity to work with someone they had grown up watching on TV commercials. They soon grew comfortable enough with Jim to have a little fun with him on the set.

  There were around 26 Ernest outfits in wardrobe, enough to endure the many pratfalls in the script. Early one morning, a bunch of the boys decided to dress up in the costumes and surprise Jim as he walked up the road to the set. Jim admitted that he had to question if he was really awake when he saw the few dozen smiling mini-Ernests.

  The plot of “Camp” involves Ernest working as maintenance man at a summer camp. His dream to be a camp counselor is soon answered when the camp director assigns him to look after a group of juvenile delinquents sent from a youth detention center. As one of the few adults who treats the juveniles with respect, Ernest is eventually able to win them over. When an evil mining company manipulates the owner of the camp property to sign away the land, Ernest and the boys team up to help. By constructing clever weapons, including parachuting snapping turtles, they successfully destroy the company’s equipment and save the camp.

  One major decision John Cherry had to confront with the film was the way in which Vern’s character would be portrayed. The commercials were always seen through Vern’s point of view, but that shooting style would not be practical for the big screen. This meant that the only way to include Vern would be to reveal him on the other side of the camera. But showing Vern (even partially) after so long could blow the perception of him that Ernest’s fans had built up through the years. Ultimately it was decided not to show Vern, but Ernest did manage to bring his name up on occasion. In a campfire scene, for example, Ernest mentions his friend “Vernon” when recalling a version of the classic “hook killer” story mentioned in another summer camp movie, the Bill Murray hit “Meatballs.”

  Even though Vern didn’t make it into the movie, audiences were sure to recognize well-known faces that John Cherry cast opposite Jim. John Vernon, who portrayed Dean Wormer in “Animal House,” played a merciless construction boss, and Gailard Sartain signed on as camp chef Jake. Sartain, a consistently underrated actor, had excelled in comedic and dramatic roles. From Francis Ford Coppola’s film “The Outsiders” to the popular TV Series “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Hee Haw,” Sartain displayed enormous range. In “Camp,” Sartain’s knack for comedy is on full display. His character spends much of the time in the camp’s kitchen perfecting a dish he dubbed “Eggs Erroneous.” The sight of the foamy green concoction leads one to believe that its ingredients are more “erroneous” than “egg.” Every time he thinks of a new way to improve the recipe, his eyes dart back and forth like pinballs. Despite sharing little screen time with Jim, Sartain perfectly conveys the brand of humor that John Cherry was looking for in the film.

  The writers retained many of the physical elements that were strongly identified with Ernest’s appeal. Whether he was falling out of a school bus, smashing his face into a lunch tray, getting body-slammed by a vending machine, attacked by his homemade outdoor grill or beaten up by ex-NFL great Lyle Alzado, Jim endured more than his fair share of stunts. Alzado was expertly cast as a construction worker with a bad disposition. Jim filmed his entire fight scene with Alzado without the assistance of a stuntman to ensure the close-ups would look authentic. Jim was holding up fine until Alzado, not realizing Jim was right behind him, swung his arm back and smashed Jim right in the nose. Jim later revealed, “The loud crack you hear on the soundtrack wasn’t added later.” Jim was luckier than many of the quarterbacks Alzado had faced in his football career, as he was – miraculously – able to walk away uninjured after the encounter.

  Although no one considered Ernest anything approaching a complex character, the movie did allow writers an opportunity to give Ernest more substance than had been portrayed in the commercials. In a scene where Ernest is feeling down in the dumps, he sings a song to himself called, “Gee I’m Glad It’s Raining.” The lyrics revealed a more sensitive side of the character that rarely surfaced in the flurry of his constant foolishness. The song remains a favorite of many Ernest fans and is often used today in Internet tribute videos to Jim.

  Being a Disney movie, “Ernest Goes to Camp” was aimed at the 8- to 14-year-old audience. Jim had previously spoken of Ernest’s characteristics as being like that of an 8-year-old. It was true in many ways. Ernest and Vern’s relationship resembled the one between comic-strip character Dennis the Menace and neighbor Mr. Wilson. Dennis, who was written to be around 8, was always wandering over to his neighbor’s house uninvited. His intrusions, although well meaning, were often invasive and occasionally destructive. Ernest had the same childlike energy and curiosity, and while not as cute as Dennis, he endeared himself to an audience in the same way.

  “Ernest Goes to Camp” not only allowed Jim to display his slapstick abilities on the big screen, he proved that the character could carry an entire movie. Earlier he wasn’t so sure it could be done. He had actually told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in October 1985 that he never would portray Ernest in a movie. “Could you watch two hours of Gomer Pyle?” he had said. Perhaps it was the partnership offer from a studio with a name like Disney and the lucrative terms that changed his mind. It was never a question of Jim’s acting ability but more about how he could make the character work in a different medium. While Ernest had appeared in “Dr. Otto,” it
had been only a cameo.

  Along with the writers, Cherry deserves much of the credit for taking the elements that made Ernest work in commercials and translating them successfully to the big screen with “Camp.” Directing a feature film for Disney was a big leap for Cherry, and he proved that he was up to the challenge. In a 2005 interview for The Tennessean, Cherry recalled the pressure. “It took five weeks to shoot,” he said of the movie. “It terrified me, and it never ceased to terrify me.”

  Cherry’s many talents complemented Jim’s. He had studied at Florida’s Ringling Arts School (now the Ringling College of Art and Design). His artistic skills included proficiency with painting in oil and watercolor. For “Camp” he created storyboards for Jim that demonstrated how Ernest’s actions were to play out in a scene. Jim compared Cherry’s artistic talents to those of director Terry Gilliam, a member of Monty Python and creator of their imaginative and often-surreal animation.

  As Jim was preparing to take Ernest to movie screens, a video of one of his Las Vegas shows from the previous year was set to air on Nashville’s community access channel. “Jim Varney: Live in Las Vegas” was supposed to be on multiple times to allow local fans to see another side of Jim.

  After pressure on the station from Jim’s manager, Betty Clark, the special never aired. She claimed that her concerns were related to the inferior quality of the tape itself and not over any material in the act. In a newspaper story concerning the cancelled airings in The Tennessean, Jim let his feelings be known. He said Clark’s apprehension related more to Ernest’s image and the overall relationships with clients such as Purity Dairies. He told the reporter that he had been doing Ernest for six years and was looking to grow. “It can be bad to stay in one character for too long,” he added. Perhaps he summed up his frustration most accurately when responding to a statement made in the article by the channel’s program director. The director said he didn’t know who “owned” Jim Varney. Jim responded bluntly, “I’m beginning to wonder that myself.”

  As upset as Jim seemed during the whole episode, he had to realize that the local airing of a smalltime video (shot by a cameraman hired by Jim and comedian Mike Price) would hardly lead to being contacted by agents or studio executives for a starring role in the next Hollywood blockbuster. His frustration probably centered more on his intense desire for the public to see another side of him.

  Yet as much as Jim wanted to expand, he still wasn’t willing to give up Ernest to pursue other opportunities. It was hard to walk away from the fame and large paychecks. He had already played the part of the struggling actor-comedian in New York and Los Angeles. He was closing in on 40 and probably didn’t feel like going through those challenges for a second round. He loved his comfortable existence living outside of Nashville, a city that continued to bring him more consistent work than anywhere else he had ever lived.

  As demanding as the commercials and public appearances could be, Jim was well aware of how fortunate he was to play Ernest. “Where else can you get paid to chainsaw a turkey?” he asked a writer for Louisville’s Courier-Journal. In a Nashville Banner article, which ran the day before “Camp” hit the theaters, Jim said, “I’ve always been afraid of that (typecasting) with this character. I’m taking a real gamble with this film. (but) … it would be silly of me not to take advantage of the offer when it’s made. … (and) Broadway’s not exactly beating my door down.” It was obvious to Jim that playing Ernest in a Disney movie could take his identity with the character to a whole new level.

  “Ernest Goes to Camp” was released on May 22, 1987. Jim thought with the late-spring release, kids could see it before heading off to summer camp. On the film’s opening day, a Hollywood-esque red-carpet premiere was held in Nashville. Jim arrived in a tuxedo, sporting a black satin baseball cap. It was an ensemble that only someone like Ernest, or perhaps Randy Quaid’s “Cousin Eddie” character from the National Lampoon Vacation movies, would find fashionable. Many media outlets, including Entertainment Tonight, showed up to interview Jim and John Cherry. It was the first time a movie had been made based entirely on a character who had originated in TV commercials.

  Realizing that critics would likely not be kind, Disney decided not to hold advance screenings for the press. But they needn’t have worried. In the South and Midwest, where many Ernest commercials had aired, ticket sales were high. With an estimated budget of $3 million and a resulting gross of $23 million, Disney was extremely happy with the results. The box-office take may have been a surprise, but the skewering from critics was not. Cherry took the poor reviews in stride. He had expected it. He said, “They’re (critics) trying to find artistic value to something that’s purely a commercial enterprise.” Then he added, “It’s like an art critic reviewing a baseball card.” He said that he was not worried since kids buy more movie tickets than critics anyway. In 2009, Steve Martin spoke to the Associated Press about his own experiences with bad reviews. He mentioned the poor reviews American critics gave “The Jerk” when it was released. He said, “Comedy is not a critics’ medium, it just isn’t.”

  The bad reviews for “Camp” sometimes went beyond the typical one-star critique. One critic took his bashing so far as to say that Jim Varney was a “grotesque figure.” It was almost as if critics were furious over having to endure the 90-minute movie in order to write the review. Funny enough, some radio ads promoting the movie had humorously claimed, “It may be the least-important 90 minutes of your life.” At least the critics had been given fair warning.

  Jim spent the week following the movie’s release as a guest on “The New Hollywood Squares” game show. He was returning to California as a star. Most people move to Nashville to make it big in country music. Jim had managed to find a way to become a movie star in Music City.

  While working on “Camp,” Jim had been approached by popular country singer Roger Miller, who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway play “Big River,” a musical version of the Huckleberry Finn story. Miller asked Jim if he would play the role of Huck’s father, Pappy Finn. John Goodman initially starred in the part but bowed out after accepting a movie role. Jim reluctantly had to turn the part down because of obligations to “Camp.” During the musical’s successful run, Miller himself played Pappy for a short stretch.

  The play premiered April 25, 1985, at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City. It became a runaway hit and a critical success, winning seven Tony awards including Best Musical, with Miller earning one for best score. (To this day, he is the only country artist to win a Tony Award.)

  In a 1996 interview with a Montreal radio station, Jim said regretfully, “I thought I’d never turn down a role on Broadway.” In the coming years, it seemed that the musical never ventured far from Jim’s mind. In the 1990s Jim recorded a cover of Roger Miller’s “River in the Rain” from the play. It was Miller’s last major hit, climbing to No. 36 on the country chart in 1985. In November 1999, in one of Jim’s final interviews, he spoke with Beverly Keel of the alternative weekly Nashville Scene about having one regret: “Looking back now, I’d like to have cut in and out of Ernest more.” Later on, he was asked about “Big River” and replied, “I have no regrets, I just like to work.” The contradiction seems to illustrate how difficult it was for Jim to come to terms with missed opportunities.

  At this stage, Jim was also answering more and more questions about how the character’s popularity might affect his future acting career. He admitted that the transition from commercials to movies had not gone as originally planned. He joked, “I’ve always gotten things backwards. I mean, I started out doing Shakespeare, and now I’m doing this.” But his overall outlook seemed optimistic. He repeatedly stated that he didn’t see Ernest as a roadblock and didn’t believe he would need to give up the character in order to pursue further acting opportunities. It’s almost as if he thought that the power of his optimism could create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

  He often reminded reporters how Robin Williams, his former Come
dy Store alum, had broken away from his zany Mork character to find serious movie roles. Jim may have been shortsighted when comparing himself to Williams, who had given up Mork years before being cast in serious roles, a few of which earned him Academy Award nominations.

  Another actor Jim mentioned when discussing typecasting was Art Carney. Carney had played Jackie Gleason’s best friend and neighbor, Ed Norton, on the legendary 1950s TV series “The Honeymooners.” The character’s trademark look was much like Ernest’s, with his own style of vest, T-shirt and hat. Carney went on to win an Oscar at the age of 56 for his dramatic role in the movie “Harry and Tonto.” Even though Carney’s achievement came later in his career, it seemed to give Jim hope during the times when he wrestled with the long-term effects of playing Ernest. But as Jim would find out, Ernest would overshadow almost every other role he would ever play and be a major roadblock to many more he hoped to pursue.

  Around 1988, Jim and Betty Clark parted ways, and a friend of Jim’s arranged a meeting with agent Phil Walden. Walden rose to prominence in the music industry starting in 1959 when he began managing Otis Redding. Two years after Redding’s tragic death in 1967, Walden formed Capricorn Records with his brother Alan and record executive Frank Fenter. Along with the help of Atlantic Records executive Jerry Wexler, Capricorn helped launch the careers of The Allman Brothers and the Marshall Tucker Band, among others.

  But in 1979 Capricorn’s successful run came to an end, and Walden declared bankruptcy. He moved to Nashville from Macon, Ga., in 1984 and tried to work his way back into the music business with little success. Throughout that time, he battled drug and alcohol abuse, finally becoming sober on December 30, 1987. He was forever grateful to Jim for giving him the opportunity to manage him. He later said, “Jim Varney virtually saved my life.”