Jim Varney: From pitch man to movie star.

[Throwback]

I grew up loving anything related to Ernest. From his commercials, to his tv shows to his movies. Looking back at it, It's kind of fascinating how big his career got playing a character from a string of commercials and how well remembered he is for that character.

Here are some of his commercials


First episode of Hey Vern It's Ernest


The first time I saw him out of his Ernest Role. I thought he played a great Jed Clampett

[Deleted]

He may've been in terrible movies, but he had a helluva voice. And he did the Jed Clampett role rather well.

I enjoyed his Disney voice work (Atlantis and Toy Story 1 & 2)....

[willywonka666]

I used to rent videotapes of his commercials. How many people could put out entire videos of commercials and people would buy them?

As an aside I bought some on dvd a few years ago

[Throwback]

Dec 28, 2012 15:56:06 GMT -5 willywonka666 said:

I used to rent videotapes of his commercials. How many people could put out entire videos of commercials and people would buy them?

As an aside I bought some on dvd a few years ago

I have the Essential Ernest Collection which includes his commercials.

[willywonka666]

Dec 28, 2012 15:58:40 GMT -5 Throwback said:

Dec 28, 2012 15:56:06 GMT -5 willywonka666 said:

I used to rent videotapes of his commercials. How many people could put out entire videos of commercials and people would buy them?

As an aside I bought some on dvd a few years ago

I have the Essential Ernest Collection which includes his commercials.

very cool! me too. I see the others have different movies but the same videos which are what i'm really interested in. I guess the only videos left are Dr. Otto and The Riddle of The Gloom Beam(I think)

[Throwback]

the one I have has Ernest Goes to Africa, Ernest's Greatest Hits I,Ernest's Greatest Hits II, Ernest in the Army,Hey Vern! It's My Family Album and Your World As I See It. Dr Otto is the only Jim Vaeny movie I need to get. I heard he was working on another Ernest movie when he died.

Did you see this commercial that was made with a sound alike after Varney's death?


also remember when he was the first person to ride on Splash Mountain?

[Throwback]

Dec 28, 2012 16:31:36 GMT -5 Apricots And A Pear Tree said:

^ I totally posted that same video like 5 minutes before you did

[Apricots And A Pear Tree]

Dec 28, 2012 16:35:15 GMT -5 Throwback said:

Dec 28, 2012 16:31:36 GMT -5 Apricots And A Pear Tree said:

^ I totally posted that same video like 5 minutes before you did

I dont know what your talking about.

[BearDogg-X]

Unless you guys want double copies of some movies, I found a 10 disc "Best of Ernest" set on Amazon which is basically Essential Ernest Collection plus Ernest Goes To School, Ernest Rides Again, Slam Dunk Ernest, and Dr. Otto.

[Throwback]

Dec 28, 2012 16:38:14 GMT -5 BearDogg-X said:

Unless you guys want double copies of some movies, I found a 10 disc "Best of Ernest" set on Amazon which is basically Essential Ernest Collection plus Ernest Goes To School, Ernest Rides Again, Slam Dunk Ernest, and Dr. Otto.

That would be a cool set for someone who didn't already have the movies. But it's missing Goes to Camp, Goes to Jail, Saves Christmas and Scared Stupid. Which IMO are 4 of his best.

[willywonka666]

Dec 28, 2012 17:02:22 GMT -5 Throwback said:

Dec 28, 2012 16:38:14 GMT -5 BearDogg-X said:

Unless you guys want double copies of some movies, I found a 10 disc "Best of Ernest" set on Amazon which is basically Essential Ernest Collection plus Ernest Goes To School, Ernest Rides Again, Slam Dunk Ernest, and Dr. Otto.

That would be a cool set for someone who didn't already have the movies. But it's missing Goes to Camp, Goes to Jail, Saves Christmas and Scared Stupid. Which IMO are 4 of his best.

I read some reviews and they said the quality is BAD on some of the movies, one of which might have been recorded from television

[wildojinx]

Just a warning, Dr. Otto only features Ernest in a cameo. Its still pretty good though (caught it on the USA network MANY years ago).

[Deleted]

I read this from Pitch Man to Porn Star.

[Crappler El 0 M]

Don't smoke. Know what I mean?

[celticjobber]

Dec 28, 2012 15:58:40 GMT -5 Throwback said:

Dec 28, 2012 15:56:06 GMT -5 willywonka666 said:

I used to rent videotapes of his commercials. How many people could put out entire videos of commercials and people would buy them?

As an aside I bought some on dvd a few years ago

I have the Essential Ernest Collection which includes his commercials.

I received that set as a Christmas gift. It's pretty great.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Don't forget his TV series, "The Rousters"!



Chad Everett was Wyatt Earp III, direct descendant of the legendary Wyatt Earp, bouncer for a small-time carnival and part-time bounty hunter. Jim Varney was his comic relief/brother Earl.

Last one season, but I remember it fondly.

[Throwback]

Dec 28, 2012 17:35:45 GMT -5 wildojinx said:

Just a warning, Dr. Otto only features Ernest in a cameo. Its still pretty good though (caught it on the USA network MANY years ago).

All I remember about the movie was me and my brother used to put each others hands on our heads and pretend to be Varney's character.

[unc40]

Dec 28, 2012 18:35:17 GMT -5 El Pollo Guerrera said:

Don't forget his TV series, "The Rousters"!



Chad Everett was Wyatt Earp III, direct descendant of the legendary Wyatt Earp, bouncer for a small-time carnival and part-time bounty hunter. Jim Varney was his comic relief/brother Earl.

Last one season, but I remember it fondly.

I loved the Rousters! I remember Jim Varney's character was always inventing strange things hoping to get rich off of it.

Does anyone remember when Jim Varney was on Fernwood 2Night?

[wildojinx]

He was great on the Simpsons as well.

[Throwback]

I liked his character in Roseanne.