IMDb > The Jerk (1979)
The Jerk
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The Jerk (1979) -- A complete imbecile struggles to make it through life on his own, until a strange invention makes him unbelievably wealthy.
The Jerk (1979) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   17,387 votes
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Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Steve Martin (story) &
Carl Gottlieb (story) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Jerk on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 December 1979 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
From rags to riches... to rags. more
Plot:
A complete imbecile struggles to make it through life on his own, until a strange invention makes him unbelievably wealthy. full summary | full synopsis
NewsDesk:
(16 articles)
Forgotten Classics -- Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid
 (From Celebrity Bio Examiner. 5 January 2010, 1:56 PM, PST)

Steve Martin: 'Failure inspires me'
 (From digitalspy. 5 November 2009, 7:26 AM, PST)

User Reviews:
Laugh so hard, you'll miss half the movie more (88 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Steve Martin ... Navin R. Johnson / Cat Juggler / Pig Eye Jackson / Engineer Fred (also as Pig Eye Jackson)

Bernadette Peters ... Marie Kimble Johnson
Catlin Adams ... Patty Bernstein
Mabel King ... Mother
Richard Ward ... Father
Dick Anthony Williams ... Taj Jonson
Bill Macy ... Stan Fox

M. Emmet Walsh ... Madman

Dick O'Neill ... Frosty
Maurice Evans ... Hobart
Helena Carroll ... Hester

Ren Woods ... Elvira Jonson (as Ren Wood)
Pepe Serna ... Punk #1 in Blue Chevy
Sonny Terry ... Blues Singer
Brownie McGhee ... Blues Singer (as Brownie McGee)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Easy Money (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
94 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
According to his book "Born Standing Up", Martin's favorite line in the movie is ad libbed. When his character is hitchhiking, a man in a truck stops and asks, "St. Louis?" - to which Martin replies, "No, Navin Johnson." more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: During Catlin Adams stunt where she falls off the bike after going through the flaming wall, the wire used to snag her off the bike is obviously visible during her ride towards the wall. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Navin R. Johnson: Huh? I am not a bum. I'm a jerk. I once had wealth, power, and the love of a beautiful woman. Now I only have two things: my friends and... uh... my thermos. Huh? My story? Okay. It was never easy for me. I was born a poor black child. I remember the days, sittin' on the porch with my family, singin' and dancin' down in Mississippi.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Rhapsody (2006) more
Soundtrack:
You Belong To Me more

FAQ

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27 out of 31 people found the following review useful.
Laugh so hard, you'll miss half the movie, 27 May 2000
Author: MIK7x3 from Toronto, Canada

I'm glad that I didn't see this in the theatre, because when I watched it the first time on video, I needed to pause the movie several times just to catch my breath from laughing so hard! Wait a minute...was that the first time, or the tenth time? Playing Navin R. Johnson, the white son of a black family, Steve Martin leaves home to find "his special purpose." By the end of the movie, we all know what that was...to entertain his fans the way he has! As for Navin's special purpose, if you haven't already seen the movie, you aren't going to get any more information than what's here. It takes intelligence to play a complete idiot, and Steve Martin does the job extremely well. Also take note of Martin's costar Bernadette Peters, and the cameo appearances by Jackie Mason and Carl Reiner. Whoever wrote that people who watch "The Jerk" will be quoting its jokes for years after was absolutely right. This was the funniest of Steve Martin's movies!

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DUET SONG NAME zegas-jeff
broke ground on a style of comedy that's just recently become popular mr_brown_shoes
Funniest Scene? mdtracie
The new phone book's here!! The new phone book's here!! djopdyke
he hates these cans! gwargamel
Stanley Kubrick Billy1210
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