Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam is a 1985 American science fiction comedy film starring Jim Varney. It was written and directed by John Cherry. It is the first film to feature the Ernest P. Worrell character, but it has a slightly darker tone than his later films. It was shot in Fall Creek Falls State Park, Boxwell Scout Reservation, and Nashville, Tennessee.
https://archive.org/details/dr.-otto-and-the-legend-of-the-gloom-beam-with-intro
I was wondering if that Ernest P Worrell character came from something before all those random holiday movies about him
they did. If I remember correctly he started doing some commercials for a roofing company, then a natural gas company, and finally the character was so popular he went to Hollywood.
This isn't even Ernest's original appearance. He did local ads in Tennessee, and the character just got super popular.