{{Short description|1984 television film directed by Michael Schultz}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = The Jerk, Too.jpg | caption = | genre = Comedy | director = [[Michael Schultz]] | writer = [[Steve Martin]] (characters)<br>[[Carl Gottlieb]] (characters)<br>[[Ziggy Steinberg]]<br>[[Rocco Urbisci]] | executive_producer = [[Steve Martin]] | producer = [[Ziggy Steinberg]] | starring = [[Mark Blankfield]]<br>[[Stacey Nelkin]]<br>[[Ray Walston]] | cinematography = [[Joseph Biroc|Joseph F. Biroc]] | location = | editor = Jack Gleason<br>[[Harry Keramidas]] | music = Frank Denson<br>Phil Galdston<br>[[John Sebastian]] | company = 40 Share Productions, Inc.<br>[[Universal Television]] | network = [[NBC]] | released = {{Start date|1984|01|06}} | runtime = 95 minutes | country = United States | language = English }}
'''''The Jerk, Too''''' is a 1984 American [[television film|made-for-television]] [[comedy film]] starring [[Mark Blankfield]] as [[title character]] Navin Johnson, in a reworked version of the 1979 [[Steve Martin]] film ''[[The Jerk]]''. While Martin is credited as "executive producer" of the film, he did not write or appear in the film.
==Plot== The story centers upon Navin Johnson, the white adopted son of a black farming family living in Alabama. One day his penpal Marie informs him that she will be marrying Count Marco and that the wedding will take place in Los Angeles, California. Navin decides that he shall attend the wedding and along the way, meets a hobo named Diesel. The two discover that Navin is a natural poker player, so they travel to [[Las Vegas]] in order to raise funds to complete Navin's journey to Los Angeles.
Once there, Navin attends Marie's engagement party and realizes that he is in love with Marie. He decides to climb into her room later that night to confess, in the process discovering that Marco is cheating on Marie. Navin is ultimately unsuccessful at telling Marie his feelings. Correctly assuming that Marie is in love with Navin, Marco arranges for Navin to get abducted until after the wedding is complete. Navin manages to escape and stop the wedding. The film ends with Navin and Marie flying away together in a hot air balloon, where she gives him his first kiss.
==Cast== * [[Mark Blankfield]] as Navin Johnson * [[Ray Walston]] as Diesel * Robert Sampson as Van Buren * [[Patricia Barry]] as Mrs. Van Buren * [[Barrie Ingham]] as Carl the Butler * [[Stacey Nelkin]] as Marie Van Buren * [[Jean LeClerc (actor)|Jean LeClerc]] as Count Marco * [[Thalmus Rasulala]] as Crossroads * [[Pat McCormick (actor)|Pat McCormick]] as Dudley * [[Bill Saluga]] as Shoes * [[Mabel King]] as Mama Johnson * Lina Raymond as Cheetah Johnson * [[William Smith (actor)|William Smith]] as Suicide * [[Pete Schrum]] as Ugly Eddie * [[Lainie Kazan]] as Card Player
== Development == While credited by some as a sequel,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Flander |first=Judy |date=January 6, 1984 |title=NBC turns to comedy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/551902475/?match=1&terms=%22Jerk%2C%20Too%22%20Mark%20Blankfield%20 |work=The Herald-Times (Newspapers.com)}}</ref> ''The Jerk, Too'' was written by [[Ziggy Steinberg]] and [[Rocco Urbisci]] to be a reworked version of the 1979 Steve Martin film.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shelley |first=Peter |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Gwen_Verdon/jnnXCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Jerk+Too%22+Michael+Schultz&pg=PA187&printsec=frontcover |title=Gwen Verdon: A Life on Stage and Screen |date=2015-10-29 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-9736-2 |pages=187 |language=en}}</ref> It was intended to serve as a TV pilot, but was never picked up for series.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Green |first=Tom |date=January 5, 1984 |title='Jerk, Too' is too slow, too dumb |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/1143675408/?match=1&terms=%22Jerk%2C%20Too%22%20Mark%20Blankfield%20 |work=USA Today (Newspapers.com)}}</ref> Martin was brought on as an executive producer but did not return as an actor or writer for ''The Jerk, Too''.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last=Davis |first=Erik |date=2010-04-02 |title=Yes, These Exist: 'Splash Too' and 'The Jerk, Too' |url=http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/04/02/yes-these-exist-splash-too-and-the-jerk-too/ |publisher=[[Moviefone]]}}</ref> Mark Blankenfield was brought on to portray the main character, Navin.<ref name=":3">{{cite news|authorlink=John J. O'Connor (journalist)|title= TV WEEKEND; 'JERK TOO,' 'BLUE THUNDER'|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=6 January 1984|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/06/arts/tv-weekend-jerk-too-blue-thunder.html?scp=5&sq=blue%20thunder&st=cse|accessdate=2010-11-08|first=John J.|last=O'Connor}}</ref> John Sebastian was brought on to write some of the music, penning "Navin's Theme".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Terrace |first=Vincent |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_Television_Pilots/69-_DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Jerk+Too%22+Michael+Schultz&pg=PA121&printsec=frontcover |title=Encyclopedia of Television Pilots: 2,470 Films Broadcast 1937-2019, 2d ed. |date=2020-01-17 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-3810-2 |pages=121 |language=en}}</ref>
== Release == ''The Jerk, Too'' premiered on NBC on January 6, 1984.<ref name=":3" /> The film received two DVD releases in the United Kingdom. The first was in 2007, as a double feature with ''The Jerk'' through UCA Catalogue,<ref>''The Jerk/The Jerk, Too''. [DVD] Reiner, Carl, Schultz, Michael. Universal Pictures, Universal Television, UCA Catalogue. 1979, 1984, 2007.</ref> and the second was in 2017, through Fabulous Films Ltd and Fremantle Media Enterprises.<ref>''The Jerk, Too''. [DVD] Schultz, Michael. Universal Television, Fabulous Films Ltd, Fremantle Media Enterprises. 1984, 2017.</ref>
== Reception == Critical reception for the film has been negative.<ref name=":0" /> Tom Green of ''[[USA Today]]'' panned the film, criticizing the pacing as too slow and the comedy as "contrived and predictable slapstick."<ref name=":1" /> Erik Davis covered the film for his [[Moviefone]] blog Cinematical, calling it and another "Too" film, ''[[Splash, Too]]'', horrific films.<ref name=":2" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|0087499}}
{{Michael Schultz}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jerk, Too, The}} [[Category:1984 films]] [[Category:1984 English-language films]] [[Category:1984 television films]] [[Category:1984 comedy films]] [[Category:Television sequel films]] [[Category:Universal Pictures films]] [[Category:NBC original films]] [[Category:Films directed by Michael Schultz]] [[Category:American comedy television films]]