The third movie in the Ernest P. Worrell franchise finds the hapless rube in penitentiary trouble. Ernest Goes to Jail provided the opportunity for Jim Varney to stretch his acting muscles in a dual role.

While serving on a jury, Ernest becomes the target of a sinister plot. The defendant’s lawyer notices that Ernest looks identical to his client, Felix Nash, who is the prison ‘boss’ currently on death row. The lawyer arranges for the jury to tour the prison, where Ernest is kidnapped and Felix Nash takes his place. Ernest is now stuck in the big house, facing one misadventure after the other, especially in his escape attempts. Ernest is finally led to the electric chair but something goes wrong and the surge of electricity gives him superhuman powers, which he uses to escape. After his jailbreak, he discovers that Felix Nash assumed his life and identity, including his job as a janitor at a bank that Felix plans to rob. Ernest arrives in the nick of time to thwart the robbery and uses his newfound shocking powers to put Felix Nash back where he belongs.

The 1990 movie was fairly successful for Disney—grossing about 25 million, if you can believe it—and  kept the Ernest series going strong.