The Jerk (1979)

Director:

Carl Reiner

Writers:

Steve Martin (story) &
Carl Gottlieb (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Tagline:

From rags to riches... to rags.

Plot:

A complete imbecile struggles to make it through life on his own, until a strange invention makes him unbelievably wealthy.

Plot Keywords:

Dancing | Gas Station | Cult Favorite | Riches To Rags | Grab Ass

Cast

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)
Jackie Mason	...	Harry Hartounian
David Landsberg	...	New Accounts Bank Manager
Domingo Ambriz	...	Father De Cordoba
Richard Foronjy	...	Con Man
Lenny Montana	...	Con Man
Carl Gottlieb	...	Iron Balls McGinty
Clete Roberts	...	American Times News Magazine Announcer
Frances E. Williams	...	Grandma Johnson
Lydia McGhee	...	Cleotis Johnson
Niko Denise Holmes	...	Satch Johnson
Shawn Harris	...	Pierre Johnson
Nyles Harris	...	Leroy Johnson (as Niles Harris)
Susan Denise Harrison	...	Lisa Johnson
Douglas S. Close	...	Fireman
Sharon Johansen	...	Mrs. Lenore Hartounian
Trinidad Silva	...	Punk #2 in Blue Chevy
Alston Ahern	...	Bride
Lawrence Green	...	Father of Bride
Ken Magee	...	Carnival Rube
Tom J. Delaney	...	Tourist
Alfred Dennis	...	Irving
Marc Loge	...	Farm Boy
Jon Leichter	...	Billy
Lillian Adams	...	Tillie
Joe Lynn	...	Voodoo Dancer
Maurice Marsac	...	French Waiter
Gene LeBell	...	Con Man
Fred Lerner	...	Con Man
Jerry G. Velasco	...	Man in Garden
Kimberly Cameron	...	Girl at Disco Party
Elizabeth Macey	...	Girl at Disco Party
Richie Reiner	...	Man at Disco Party
Daniel Trevor	...	Man at Disco Party
Carl Reiner	...	Carl Reiner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luis Contreras	...	Extra in 'Cat Juggling' Scene (uncredited)
Larry Hankin	...	Circus hand (uncredited)
Flower Parry	...	Bag Lady (uncredited)
Rob Reiner	...	Truck Driver Picking Up Navin (uncredited)
Gailard Sartain	...	Guy with Cracked Airplane Seats (uncredited)
William Schallert	...	Judge M.A. Loring (uncredited)

Directed by
Carl Reiner

Writing credits
Steve Martin		(story) &
Carl Gottlieb		(story)
Steve Martin		(screenplay) &
Carl Gottlieb		(screenplay) &
Michael Elias		(screenplay)

Produced by
Peter Macgregor-Scott	....	associate producer
William E. McEuen	....	producer
David V. Picker	....	producer

Original Music by
Jack Elliott

Cinematography by
Victor J. Kemper		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bud Molin

Casting by
Gino Havens
Penny Perry

Production Design by
Jack T. Collis

Set Decoration by
Richard C. Goddard		(as Richard Goddard)

Costume Design by
Theadora Van Runkle

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist
Barbara Lorenz	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Peter Macgregor-Scott	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Newt Arnold	....	first assistant director (as Newton Arnold)
Ed Milkovich	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Joseph E. Hubbard	....	set designer (as Joe Hubbard)
Ed Karas	....	construction foreman
Johnny Lattanzio	....	paint foreman (as John Lattanzio)
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master

Sound Department
Gordon Daniel	....	sound effects
Marvin I. Kosberg	....	dialogue loop editor
Gilbert D. Marchant	....	sound effects (as Gil Marchant)
William L. McCaughey	....	sound re-recordist
Hoppy Mehterian	....	sound re-recordist
Eddie Nelson	....	sound re-recordist
Anthony Palk	....	sound effects (as Tony Polk)
Keith Stafford	....	sound effects
Charles M. Wilborn	....	sound
Michael Colomby	....	sound re-recording mixer: restoration remix (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Henry Millar	....	special effects

Stunts
Debbie Evans	....	stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator (as Conrad Palmisano)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt double: Steve Martin
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
David S. Cass Sr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Diane Peterson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rick Seaman	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Rhio Haessig	....	best boy
Robert Marta	....	assistant camera
Gaylin P. Schultz	....	key grip (as Gaylin Schultz)
Bernie Schwartz	....	best boy
Robert C. Thomas	....	camera operator (as Robert Thomas)
Stephen Vaughan	....	still photographer
David Augsburger	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
April Ferry	....	costumer
Michael J. Harte	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Ron Spang	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jack Elliott	....	conductor
Milton Lustig	....	music editor
Jon Charles	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Craig Pinkard	....	transportation captain
'Bud' Williams	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Betty Glickman	....	assistant to producer
Dow Griffith	....	location manager
Terry Robertson	....	production secretary
Bill Rodenbaugh	....	accountant (as William Rodenbaugh)
Marshall J. Wolins	....	script supervisor (as Marshal Wolins)

Production Companies

• Aspen Film Society

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• DiscoVision (1979) (USA) (VHS)
• DiscoVision (1979) (USA) (laserdisc)
• MCA (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1993) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (Spain) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Optics by Victor  optigrab
• Pacific Title  titles

Also Known As:

Easy Money (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1980) | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Devonshire Downs - Devonshire Street at Zelzah Avenue, Northridge, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Aspen Film Society

Trivia:

Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time" in 2006.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the new phone books arrive, Navin finds his name on a right-hand page in the phone book. However, when the madman randomly chooses a name to be his victim, he points to Navin's name on a left-hand page.

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.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The West Wing: Drought Conditions (#6.16)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Pick A Bale Of Cotton

Laugh so hard, you'll miss half the movie

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!