262:, where a bank affected by the Gloom Beam decides to disrupt Dr. Otto's scheme before it can cause world chaos by sending in his archnemesis: all-American boy Lance Sterling, born on the same day in the same hospital as Dr. Otto. While Lance was a gifted child born to loving parents, Dr. Otto was the result of a botched abortion, neglected by his parents (whom he later kills). To foil Lance, Dr. Otto uses a "changing coffin" and transforms himself into various characters in an effort to stop the heroes: Rudd Hardtack, Australian trainer of child militants; Laughing Jack O'Cockney, pirate captain; Auntie Nelda, the cantankerous elderly woman; and Guy Dandy, wealthy playboy.
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269:; when Laughing Jack uses Lance as bait to catch a swamp monster, the monster turns out to be an old friend of Lance's, who lets them free; when Auntie Nelda drugs them into a trap, Lance is able to sway Tina (a woman Dr. Otto used as bait) into using Dr. Otto's transporter blanket to get them out; and they stumble into an elevator that leads straight to Dr. Otto's lair during a chase with Guy Dandy. Meanwhile, the gloom beam continues to cause chaos around the world, with comical effects.
276:
The scene then flash-cuts to Doris, Lance and Tina pushing their car down a road. At a gas station, they encounter Ernest, who informs them that they have had no gas since the money went bad. As they all push the car down the road, Ernest takes his hat off to reveal Dr. Otto's third hand.
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Lance and Doris face off against Dr. Otto, all his disguises, and his robot henchman. In the end, it comes down to Lance choosing between a conspicuously labeled "Right Button" and "Wrong Button." He chooses the Right Button and massive electric bolts fire off in all directions; the lair
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Dr. Otto is a mysterious villain with a hand attached on top of his head. He is plotting world domination using his "gloom beam," an electromagnetic device that he uses to launch attacks on financial institutions to erase their contents and cause worldwide chaos. In a
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is showing off a new device he has bartered from a guy off the street. He called it a "changing coffin" that transforms the user into any disguise. Ernest enters the coffin as Vern flips a switch, then Ernest gets pulled in screaming.
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The film was originally distributed on VHS in 1986 by KnoWhutImean Home Video. It was re-released on VHS in 1992 by
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Lance and his sidekick Doris
Talbert escape each disguise in unusual ways: they survive Hardtack's game of
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as Dr. Otto von
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character, and has a slightly darker tone than his later films. It was shot in
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The All New
Adventures of Laurel & Hardy in For Love or Mummy
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The film was released in limited theaters on July 19, 1985.
464:"Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam | VHSCollector"
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335:. It was digitally remastered and released on DVD by
255:, Dr. Otto announces the "Riddle of the Gloom Beam:"
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494:"Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam DVD"
963:English-language science fiction comedy films
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792:Knowhutimean? Hey Vern, It's My Family Album
729:Knowhutimean? Hey Vern, It's My Family Album
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800:Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam
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558:Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam
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22:Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam
339:in 2007, and was later included in the
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219:. It is the first film to feature the
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378:from the original on February 5, 2023
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918:Films directed by John R. Cherry III
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908:1980s science fiction comedy films
534:from the original on 29 March 2019
474:from the original on 29 March 2019
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215:. It was written and directed by
933:American children's comedy films
504:from the original on 31 May 2024
366:"The Importance of Being Ernest"
296:Glenn Petach as Otto's Head Hand
441:from the original on 2024-05-31
427:Lawson, Terry (July 21, 1985).
399:"Ernest P. Gets Rich With Vern"
364:Klady, Leonard (May 31, 1987).
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337:Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
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305:Daniel Butler as Slave Willie
948:1980s English-language films
923:1985 directorial debut films
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258:Dr. Otto's first target is
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16:1985 film by John Cherry
943:Films shot in Tennessee
913:Ernest P. Worrell films
343:DVD boxset released by
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149:July 19, 1985
938:1980s children's films
816:Ernest Saves Christmas
711:Hey Vern, It's Ernest!
856:Ernest Goes to Africa
429:""Beam" a little off"
308:Esther Huston as Tina
302:Jackie Welch as Doris
953:1980s American films
880:Pirates of the Plain
832:Ernest Scared Stupid
524:"Best of Ernest DVD"
333:GoodTimes Home Video
233:Nashville, Tennessee
824:Ernest Goes to Jail
808:Ernest Goes to Camp
345:Image Entertainment
204:is a 1985 American
121:Carden & Cherry
95:Pamela Scott Arnold
864:Ernest in the Army
840:Ernest Rides Again
780:John R. Cherry III
778:Films directed by
124:Studio Productions
33:VHS release poster
928:1985 comedy films
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621:Ernest P. Worrell
434:Dayton Daily News
371:Los Angeles Times
291:Ernest P. Worrell
244:Ernest P. Worrell
221:Ernest P. Worrell
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848:Slam Dunk Ernest
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405:. Archived from
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437:. p. 40.
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536:. Retrieved
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506:. Retrieved
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476:. Retrieved
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448:– via
443:. Retrieved
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411:. Retrieved
407:the original
403:Sun Sentinel
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293:(uncredited)
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165:Running time
142:Release date
693:In the Army
665:Rides Again
528:Blu-ray.com
498:Blu-ray.com
217:John Cherry
209:comedy film
66:Produced by
55:John Cherry
43:John Cherry
39:Directed by
903:1985 films
897:Categories
445:2024-05-30
413:2010-10-06
351:References
327:Home media
312:Bill Byrge
287:Jim Varney
213:Jim Varney
169:92 minutes
153:1985-07-19
111:Production
78:Jim Varney
49:Written by
703:TV Series
679:Slam Dunk
347:in 2012.
211:starring
193:$ 800,000
113:companies
92:Edited by
69:Coke Sams
58:Coke Sams
538:29 March
532:Archived
508:29 March
502:Archived
478:29 March
472:Archived
439:Archived
376:Archived
182:Language
100:Music by
74:Starring
721:Related
319:Release
185:English
174:Country
151: (
87:Jim May
883:(1999)
875:(1999)
867:(1998)
859:(1997)
851:(1995)
843:(1993)
835:(1991)
827:(1990)
819:(1988)
811:(1987)
803:(1985)
795:(1983)
623:series
565:
382:Feb 4,
231:, and
190:Budget
629:Films
563:IMDb
540:2019
510:2019
480:2019
384:2023
281:Cast
239:Plot
578:at
561:at
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