“The Jerk” is a comedy film telling the story of a homeless man in Los Angeles, who started out as the adopted white son of black sharecroppers in Mississippi. Director Carl Reiner (“The Comic” 1969) and screenwriter Steve Martin put together a very unusual comedy which basically reflects the strange sense of humor of Martin. Carl Gottlieb and Michael Elias co-wrote the script with Martin.
Steve Martin made his feature film debut here as Navin R. Johnson, who seemed to go from situation to situation and comedy to drama and back again to comedy in the meandering style of the storyline. His co-stars include Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams, Mabel King, Bill Macy, M. Emmet Walsh, Dick O’Neill, Maurice Evans, Jackie Mason, David Landsberg, Richard Foronjy, Lenny Montana, Rob Reiner, Carl Reiner, and newsman Clete Roberts.
The watchable “The Jerk” was very successful at the box office for Aspen Film Society and Universal Pictures. A made-for-television sequel called “The Jerk, Too” was aired on NBC in 1984 with Steve Martin as producer, but not appearing in or writing for the show.
The Jerk (1979)
cinema
My Review
“The Jerk” is a comedy film telling the story of a homeless man in Los Angeles, who started out as the adopted white son of black sharecroppers in Mississippi. Director Carl Reiner (“The Comic” 1969) and screenwriter Steve Martin put together a very unusual comedy which basically reflects the strange sense of humor of Martin. Carl Gottlieb and Michael Elias co-wrote the script with Martin.
Steve Martin made his feature film debut here as Navin R. Johnson, who seemed to go from situation to situation and comedy to drama and back again to comedy in the meandering style of the storyline. His co-stars include Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams, Mabel King, Bill Macy, M. Emmet Walsh, Dick O’Neill, Maurice Evans, Jackie Mason, David Landsberg, Richard Foronjy, Lenny Montana, Rob Reiner, Carl Reiner, and newsman Clete Roberts.
The watchable “The Jerk” was very successful at the box office for Aspen Film Society and Universal Pictures. A made-for-television sequel called “The Jerk, Too” was aired on NBC in 1984 with Steve Martin as producer, but not appearing in or writing for the show.