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Comedy

The Jerk

- A rags to riches to rags story.

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.

Release Date : 1979-12-14

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Universal PicturesAspen Film Society

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Jerk, The

Cast

Steve Martin

Character Name : Navin R. Johnson

Original Name : Steve Martin

Gender : Male

Bernadette Peters

Character Name : Marie Kimble Johnson

Original Name : Bernadette Peters

Gender : Female

Catlin Adams

Character Name : Patty Bernstein

Original Name : Catlin Adams

Gender : Female

Mabel King

Character Name : Mother

Original Name : Mabel King

Gender : Female

Richard Ward

Character Name : Father

Original Name : Richard Ward

Gender : Male

Carl Gottlieb

Character Name : Iron Balls McGinty

Original Name : Carl Gottlieb

Gender : Male

Dick Anthony Williams

Character Name : Taj

Original Name : Dick Anthony Williams

Gender : Male

Bill Macy

Character Name : Stan Fox

Original Name : Bill Macy

Gender : Male

M. Emmet Walsh

Character Name : Madman

Original Name : M. Emmet Walsh

Gender : Male

Dick O'Neill

Character Name : Frosty

Original Name : Dick O'Neill

Gender : Male

Maurice Evans

Character Name : Hobart

Original Name : Maurice Evans

Gender : Male

Helena Carroll

Character Name : Hester

Original Name : Helena Carroll

Gender : Female

Ren Woods

Character Name : Elvira

Original Name : Ren Woods

Gender : Female

Pepe Serna

Character Name : Punk #1

Original Name : Pepe Serna

Gender : Male

Sonny Terry

Character Name : Blues Singer

Original Name : Sonny Terry

Gender : Male

Brownie McGhee

Character Name : Blues Singer

Original Name : Brownie McGhee

Gender : Male

Jackie Mason

Character Name : Harry Hartounian

Original Name : Jackie Mason

Gender : Male

Gene LeBell

Character Name : Con Man

Original Name : Gene LeBell

Gender : Male

Carl Reiner

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Carl Reiner

Gender : Male

Larry Hankin

Character Name : Circus Hand (uncredited)

Original Name : Larry Hankin

Gender : Male

Howard Hesseman

Character Name : Carnival Worker (uncredited)

Original Name : Howard Hesseman

Gender : Male

Rob Reiner

Character Name : Truck Driver Picking Up Navin (uncredited)

Original Name : Rob Reiner

Gender : Male

Gailard Sartain

Character Name : Guy with Cracked Airplane Seats (uncredited)

Original Name : Gailard Sartain

Gender : Male

Lenny Montana

Character Name : Con Man

Original Name : Lenny Montana

Gender : Male

William Schallert

Character Name : Judge M.A. Loring

Original Name : William Schallert

Gender : Male

Reviews

W

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

***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 made a more serious, popular picture. Jim Carrey also took a lot of inspiration from Martin and “The Jerk” to forge the even funnier “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” (1994). The movie runs 1 hour, 34 minutes and was shot in the Los Angeles area. GRADE: B