Bates Scott Schwartz as "Master" Eric Bates Ned Beatty as Sydney Morehouse Teresa Ganzel as Fancy Bates Wilfrid Hyde-White as Barkley Annazette Chase as Angela Brown Tony King as Clifford Virginia Capers as Ruby Simpson Production The film was made by Rastar, the company of Ray Stark, then under the head of a production Guy McElwaine, who had been an agent of clients including Pryor before being enticed to join Rastar. In his autobiography Pryor Convictions, Pryor wrote that he and Gleason got along like "kindred souls". He stated the stories Gleason told between setups were funnier than the film itself. Moreover, in a 1982 Los Angeles Times interview Pryor stated he had "loved Jackie Gleason for years." A national talent search was held to find an actor to play Gleason's son. Pryor cast Annazette Chase to portray Angela after they worked together in The Mack (1973). The film was shot on location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana during the summer of 1982. In May, during filming, Pryor was hospitalized with pneumonia. He was released after a week and resumed filming. Donner blamed this on the air pollution in Baton Rouge which he said was the worst he had ever experienced. The director said he would "never" work in the city again. Michael Jackson attempted to write a theme song for the film and a possible soundtrack in 1981, but did not complete it due to his commitments working on the Thriller album. Jackson would continue to rework the track throughout his career, renaming it "I Am Your Joy", and eventually, "Best Of Joy". A version recorded in 2008 was remixed by Theron "Neff-U" Feemster and Brad Buxer, being released posthumously on the Michael album in 2010. Reception The Toy was panned by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 3% based on reviews from 30 critics, with the consensus reading: "A muddled and unfunny collision of two comedic titans, The Toy is unsuitable for children -- or anyone else seeking entertainment." Metacritic gave the film a score of 16 based on 8 reviews, indicating an "overwhelming dislike". Vincent Canby gave the film a bad review, stating "My mind wasn't simply wandering during the film—it was ricocheting between the screen and the exit sign." The film opened in the United States the same weekend as Airplane II: The Sequel and 48 Hrs. and finished at number one