The Jerk (1979)
The Jerk was the link movie connecting Starsky & Hutch and Toothless.
Linked through Richard Ward and Catlin Adams.
Both Richard Ward and Catlin Adams appeared in The Jerk.
About The Jerk
"A rags to riches to rags story."
After discovering he's not really black like the rest of his family, likable dimwit Navin Johnson sets off on a hilarious misadventure that takes him from rags to riches and back again. The slaphappy jerk strikes it rich, but life in the fast lane isn't all it's cracked up to be and, in the end, all that really matters to Johnson is his true love.
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, Michael Elias
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Behind the camera
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Soundtrack
Score by Jack Elliott
The film features a duet in which Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters sing Tonight You Belong to Me; Martin called the moment his favorite yet noted that much of the audience at the St. Louis premiere left during the scene to buy more popcorn.
Movie trivia
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1
The Jerk was Steve Martin's first starring role in a feature film.
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2
The film opens with Navin addressing the camera directly to tell his life story, using direct-to-camera narration as a framing device.
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3
David Picker convinced his new employer Universal Studios to distribute the film after leaving Paramount, securing a deal that left Martin with creative control.
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4
Martin initially chose Mike Nichols to direct, but Nichols bowed out in 1978 and Carl Reiner ultimately directed the picture.
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5
Martin wrote the role of Marie with Bernadette Peters in mind and adapted several of his standup bits into the screenplay, including the I don't need anything exit gag.
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6
Principal photography lasted 45 days across 85 Greater Los Angeles locations on a $4.6 million budget; Reiner reportedly ran a joyful set with cast and crew eating lunch together each day.
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