The Summary for this unviewed film was based on reviews in the 15 Dec 1982 Var, 8 Feb 1983 LAT, and the Apr 1983 Box. Therefore, the credits are incomplete and may not reflect what is listed onscreen. Although credits announced actor Walker Olkewicz in an "introducing" role, he received onscreen credit in several previous releases.
       The 9 Jan 1980 Publishers Weekly announced the acquisition of motion picture rights for Donald E. Westlake’s novel, Jimmy the Kid, by Zephyr Productions. Writer Sam Bobrick had already begun work on the screenplay, and child actor Gary Coleman had committed to the title role. Principal photography began more than a year later in downtown Los Angeles, CA, on 4 May 1981, as reported in the 5 May 1981 DV.
       An article in the 12 Jun 1981 HR stated that Jimmy the Kid was originally to be produced in Dallas, TX, the setting of the source novel. When producer Ronald Jacobs learned that neither of the city’s professional production units were available, he considered Chicago, IL, before settling on Los Angeles, CA, where he could make the best use of his modest $4 million budget and strict seven-week schedule. Locations included the Hope Ranch in Malibu, CA, Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park in Valencia, CA, the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, and the nearby cities of Sylmar and Oxnard.
       According to a news item in the 25 Jun 1981 HR, written during production, the film’s publicists attempted to promote actors Gary Coleman and Ruth Gordon as a comedy team, to which the publication responded with derisive comments regarding Coleman’s pre-adolescence and Gordon’s dotage. On 26 Jun 1981, DV reported that photography was completed two days ahead of schedule, though no exact date was given. Gordon’s commitment to the production forced her to cancel a speaking engagement at the Quincy, MA, high school, where she was a student seven decades earlier.
       A year later, on 7 Jul 1982, Var announced New World Pictures’ plans for a wide release in the northwestern U.S., at 400 to 600 locations. The 18 Aug 1982 Var later revised the number to a minimum of 500 locations, with a scheduled release date of 12 Nov 1982. New World founder Roger Corman told the 15 Nov 1982 DV that his company received $2.5 million in “guarantees and advances” for his services and anticipated gross receipts of $5 million to $10 million.
       Jimmy the Kid opened 28 Jan 1983 in Los Angeles, and garnered mostly negative reviews. Among them were the 8 Feb 1983 LAT, which argued that kidnapping was an inappropriate premise for a comedy, and the 31 Jan 1983 LAHExam, which labeled it “the worst movie of the year.”