The Jerk poster

The Jerk( 1979)

TV-MAComedy
69%
User
Score

A rags to riches to rags story.

Overview

After discovering he's not really black like the rest of his family, likable dimwit Navin Johnson sets off on a hilarious misadventure that takes him from rags to riches and back again. The slaphappy jerk strikes it rich, but life in the fast lane isn't all it's cracked up to be and, in the end, all that really matters to Johnson is his true love.

    Top Billed Cast

    1. cast image

      Steve Martin

      Navin R. Johnson

    2. cast image

      Bernadette Peters

      Marie Kimble Johnson

    3. cast image

      Catlin Adams

      Patty Bernstein

    4. cast image

      Mabel King

      Mother

    5. cast image

      Richard Ward

      Father

    6. cast image

      Carl Gottlieb

      Iron Balls McGinty

    7. cast image

      Dick Anthony Williams

      Taj

    8. cast image

      Bill Macy

      Stan Fox

    9. cast image

      M. Emmet Walsh

      Madman

    10. cast image

      Dick O'Neill

      Frosty

    11. cast image

      Maurice Evans

      Hobart

    12. cast image

      Helena Carroll

      Hester

    13. cast image

      Ren Woods

      Elvira

    14. cast image

      Pepe Serna

      Punk #1

    15. cast image

      Sonny Terry

      Blues Singer

    16. cast image

      Brownie McGhee

      Blues Singer

    17. cast image

      Jackie Mason

      Harry Hartounian

    18. cast image

      Gene LeBell

      Con Man

    19. cast image

      Carl Reiner

      Self

    20. cast image

      Larry Hankin

      Circus Hand (uncredited)

    21. cast image

      Howard Hesseman

      Carnival Worker (uncredited)

    22. cast image

      Rob Reiner

      Truck Driver Picking Up Navin (uncredited)

    23. cast image

      Gailard Sartain

      Guy with Cracked Airplane Seats (uncredited)

    24. cast image

      Lenny Montana

      Con Man

    25. cast image

      William Schallert

      Judge M.A. Loring

    Social

    Review 1Discussion

    A review by Wuchak

    7
    Written by Wuchak on Mon Feb 25 2019
    ***Steve Martin’s breakout comedy*** A homeless mentally-challenged man (Steve Martin) shares his amusing tale of rags-to-riches-to-hobo with flashbacks. Catlin Adams plays a stunt rider at a carnival who has the hots for Navin (Martin) while Bernadette Peters plays a more important woman in his life. “The Jerk” (1979) has several laugh-out-loud scenes like the eventual confrontation between Patty (Catlin) and Marie (Peters), but there are also some flat, overlong parts, like when Navin departs the mansion in the last act. “Forrest Gump” (1994) was obviously inspired by “The Jerk” and mad...

    Media

    Videos 2Backdrops 15Posters 26

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    Facts

    Status

    Released

    Original Language

    English

    Budget

    4000000.00

    Revenue

    100000000.00

    Keywords

    • blow
    • neominstrelsy
    • phone book
    • sharecropper
    • tennis court