The Jerk
A clueless but well-meaning man sets out to find his place in the world, only to stumble from rags to riches and back again as his naïve schemes clash with absurd fortunes, forcing him to discover what truly matters.
“A rags to riches to rags story.”
Synopsis
Navin Johnson, a likable but dim-witted man who discovers he is not biologically black like the rest of his family, embarks on a series of comedic misadventures that take him from poverty to wealth and back again. Initially a slaphappy jerk, Johnson strikes it rich, only to find that life in the fast lane does not live up to its expectations. Ultimately, he realizes that what truly matters to him is his true love.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 137+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Bud MolinShot by Victor J KemperScored by Jack ElliottDesigned by Jack T CollisCostumes by Theadora Van RunkleStunts by Conrad E Palmisano
Box Office
1979 · Box office
💰 Box-office hit — grossed 25× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$100.0M
US & Canada: $73.7M — 74% of worldwide · International: $26.3M (26%)
Opening weekend: $5.9M — 8% of its US run. It had legs — it kept earning long after opening weekend.
Peak 525 theaters
Also known as
- Reichtum ist keine Schandede
- Un loco anda sueltoes
- Un vrai schnockfr
- Lo straccioneit
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Cast & Crew
137 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Supporting cast
52Renn Woods
as Elvira
Pepe Serna
as Punk #1
Sonny Terry
as Blues Singer
Brownie Mcghee
as Blues Singer
Jackie Mason
as Harry Hartounian
David Landsberg
as Bank Manager
Domingo Ambriz
as Father De Cordoba
Richard Foronjy
as Con Man
Lenny Montana
as Con Man
Carl Gottlieb
as Iron Balls McGinty
Clete Roberts
as Announcer
Frances E Williams
as Grandma Johnson
Lydia Mcghee
as Cleotis Johnson
Niko Denise Holmes
as Satch Johnson
Shawn Harris
as Pierre Johnson
Nyles Harris
as Leroy Johnson
Susan Denise Harrison
as Lisa Johnson
Douglas S Close
as Fireman
Sharon Johansen
as Mrs. Hartounian
Trinidad Silva
as Punk
Alston Ahern
as Bride
Lawrence Green
as Father of Bride
Ken Magee
as Carnival Rube
Tom J Delaney
as Tourist
Alfred Dennis
as Irving
Marc Loge
as Farm Boy
Jon Leichter
as Billy
Lillian Adams
as Tillie
Joe Lynn
as Voodoo Dancer
Maurice Marsac
as French Waiter
Gene Lebell
as Con Man
Fred Lerner
as Con Man
Jerry G Velasco
as Man in Garden
Kimberly Cameron
as Disco Party
Elizabeth Macey
as Disco Party
Richie Reiner
as Disco Party
Daniel Trevor
as Disco Party
Carl Reiner
as Carl Reiner The Celebrity
Benjie Bancroft
as Bailiff
Luis Contreras
as Extra in 'Cat Juggling' Scene
Tim Culbertson
as Courtroom Spectator
Raven Grey Eagle
as Minor Role
Larry Hankin
as Circus Hand
Lars Hensen
as Bum
Howard Hesseman
as Carnival Worker
James Kindelon
as Party Guest
Norman Palmer
as Wedding Guest
Flower Parry
as Bag Lady
Rob Reiner
as Truck Driver Picking Up Navin
Gailard Sartain
as Guy with Cracked Airplane Seats
William Schallert
as Judge M.A. Loring
Don Terwilliger
as Wedding Guest
Directors
1Writers
4Producers
4Other crew
71Richard C Goddard
(as Richard Goddard)
Bill Rodenbaugh
accountant (as William Rodenbaugh)
Robert Marta
assistant cameraman
Bernie Schwartz
best boy
Rhio Haessig
best boy
Robert C Thomas
camera operator (as Robert Thomas)
Geno Havens
Casting Director, casting by (as Gino Havens)
Penny Perry
Casting Director, casting by
Victor J Kemper
Cinematographer, director of photography
Jack Elliott
Composer
Jack Elliott Nm0254477
Composer, conductor
Ed Karas
construction foreman
Parents Guide
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