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The Jerk ()


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A simpleminded, sheltered country boy suddenly decides to leave his family home to experience life in the big city, where his naivete is both his best friend and his worst enemy.

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Cast verified as complete

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Navin / Cat Juggler (as Pig Eye Jackson also)
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Marie
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Patty Bernstein
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Mother
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Father
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Taj
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Stan Fox
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Madman
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Frosty
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Hobart
Helena Carroll ...
Hester
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Elvira (as Ren Wood)
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Punk #1
Sonny Terry ...
Blues Singer
Brownie McGhee ...
Blues Singer (as Brownie McGee)
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Harry Hartounian
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Bank Manager
Domingo Ambriz ...
Father De Cordoba
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Con Man
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Con Man
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Iron Balls McGinty
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Announcer
Frances E. Williams ...
Grandma Johnson
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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. Hartounian
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Punk
Alston Ahern ...
Bride
Lawrence Green ...
Father of Bride
Ken Magee ...
Carnival Rube
Tom J. Delaney ...
Tourist
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Irving
Marc Loge ...
Farm Boy
Jon Leichter ...
Billy
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Tillie
Joe Lynn ...
Voodoo Dancer
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French Waiter
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Con Man (as Gene Lebell)
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Con Man
Jerry G. Velasco ...
Man in Garden
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Disco Party
Elizabeth Macey ...
Disco Party
Richie Reiner ...
Disco Party
Daniel Trevor ...
Disco Party
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Carl Reiner The Celebrity (as Carl Reiner The Celebrity)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Benjie Bancroft ...
Bailiff (uncredited)
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Extra in 'Cat Juggling' Scene (uncredited)
Tim Culbertson ...
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Raven Grey Eagle ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Circus Hand (uncredited)
Lars Hensen ...
Bum (uncredited)
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Carnival Worker (uncredited)
James Kindelon ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Flower Parry ...
Bag Lady (uncredited)
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Truck Driver Picking Up Navin (uncredited)
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Guy with Cracked Airplane Seats (uncredited)
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Judge M.A. Loring (uncredited)
Don Terwilliger ...
Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Directed by

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Carl Reiner ... (directed by)

Written by

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Steve Martin ... (screenplay by) &
Carl Gottlieb ... (screenplay by) &
Michael Elias ... (screenplay by)
 
Steve Martin ... (story by) &
Carl Gottlieb ... (story by)

Produced by

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Peter Macgregor-Scott ... associate producer
William E. McEuen ... producer (produced by)
David V. Picker ... producer (produced by)

Music by

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Jack Elliott ... (music composed by)

Cinematography by

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Victor J. Kemper ... director of photography

Editing by

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Bud Molin ... (edited by)
Ron Spang ... (edited by)

Editorial Department

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Ron Spang ... additional editor

Casting By

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Geno Havens ... (casting by) (as Gino Havens)
Penny Perry ... (casting by)

Production Design by

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Jack T. Collis

Set Decoration by

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Richard C. Goddard ... (set decorations) (as Richard Goddard)

Costume Design by

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Theadora Van Runkle

Makeup Department

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

Production Management

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Peter Macgregor-Scott ... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Newt Arnold ... first assistant director (as Newton Arnold)
Ed Milkovich ... second assistant director

Art Department

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

Sound Department

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Gordon Daniel ... sound effects editor
Marvin I. Kosberg ... loop dialogue editor
Gilbert D. Marchant ... sound effects editor (as Gil Marchant)
William L. McCaughey ... sound rerecording
Hoppy Mehterian ... sound rerecording
Eddie Nelson ... sound rerecording
Anthony Palk ... sound effects editor (as Tony Polk)
Keith Stafford ... sound effects editor
Charles M. Wilborn ... sound
Robert Nichols II ... sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Henry Millar ... special effects

Stunts

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

Camera and Electrical Department

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Marion Ball Jr. ... grip
William E. Fitch ... rigging grip
Earl Gilbert ... gaffer
Rhio Haessig ... best boy
Robert Marta ... assistant cameraman
Gaylin P. Schultz ... key grip (as Gaylin Schultz)
Bernie Schwartz ... best boy
Robert C. Thomas ... camera operator (as Robert Thomas)
Stephen Vaughan ... stills
Stuart Abramson ... grip (uncredited)
David Augsburger ... second assistant camera (uncredited)
Douglas Kirkland ... still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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April Ferry ... costume supervisor
Michael J. Harte ... costume supervisor

Location Management

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Dow Griffith ... location manager

Music Department

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Jack Elliott ... conductor
Milton Lustig ... music editor
Jon Charles ... orchestrator (uncredited)
George Doering ... musician (uncredited)
Malcolm McNab ... musician: trumpet (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Marshall J. Wolins ... script supervisor (as Marshal Wolins)

Transportation Department

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Steve Bonner ... production driver
Craig Pinkard ... transportation captain
'Bud' Williams ... transportation co-captain (as Bud Williams)

Additional Crew

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Betty Glickman ... assistant to producer
Terry Robertson ... production secretary
Bill Rodenbaugh ... accountant (as William Rodenbaugh)
Wayne D. Goldwyn ... location projectionist (uncredited)
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Navin is an idiot. He grew up in Mississippi as the adopted son of a black family, but on his 18th birthday he feels he wants to discover the rest of the world and sets out for St. Louis. There everyone exploits his naivete, until a simple invention brings him a fortune. Written by Tom Zoerner

Plot Keywords
Taglines From rags to riches... to rags. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Easy Money (United States)
  • Un vrai schnock (France)
  • Un loco anda suelto (Spain)
  • Szajbus (Poland)
  • Мухльото (Bulgaria, Bulgarian title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 94 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Opening Weekend United States $5,935,025, 16 Dec 1979

Did You Know?

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Trivia Stanley Kubrick was a big admirer of this film. He would often recite lines from the film to cast and crew on his films and he once invited Steve Martin over so they could play chess. See more »
Goofs When the family is sitting around the table for Navin's (Steve Martin) birthday, they congratulate him and his brother says "That's great, Steve!" See more »
Movie Connections Featured in The Jerk/Kramer vs. Kramer/Star Trek/Mr. Mike's Mondo Video/Sleeping Beauty (1979). See more »
Soundtracks Tonight You Belong To Me See more »
Crazy Credits Pig Eye Jackson - Cat Juggler (Steve Martin) See more »
Quotes Navin R. Johnson: Well I'm gonna to go then! And I don't need any of this. I don't need this stuff, and I don't need *you*. I don't need anything. Except this.
[picks up an ashtray]
Navin R. Johnson: And that's the only thing I need is *this*. I don't need this or this. Just this ashtray... And this paddle game. - The ashtray and the paddle game and that's all I need... And this remote control. - The ashtray, the paddle game, and the remote control, and that's all I need... And these matches. - The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control, and the paddle ball... And this lamp. - The ashtray, this paddle game, and the remote control, and the lamp, and that's all *I* need. And that's *all* I need too. I don't need one other thing, not one... I need this. - The paddle game and the chair, and the remote control, and the matches for sure. Well what are you looking at? What do you think I'm some kind of a jerk or something! - And this. That's all I need.
[walking outside]
Navin R. Johnson: The ashtray, the remote control, the paddle game, and this magazine, and the chair.
Navin R. Johnson: [outside now] And I don't need one other thing, except my dog.
[Shithead growls at him]
Navin R. Johnson: I don't need my dog.
See more »

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