# The Jerk, Too > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Jerk%2C_Too > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Jerk%2C_Too.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jerk%2C_Too > Source revision: 1339279152 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1984 television film directed by Michael Schultz The Jerk, Too Genre Comedy Written by Steve Martin (characters) Carl Gottlieb (characters) Ziggy Steinberg Rocco Urbisci Directed by Michael Schultz Starring Mark Blankfield Stacey Nelkin Ray Walston Music by Frank Denson Phil Galdston John Sebastian Country of origin United States Original language English Production Executive producer Steve Martin Producer Ziggy Steinberg Cinematography Joseph F. Biroc Editors Jack Gleason Harry Keramidas Running time 95 minutes Production companies 40 Share Productions, Inc. Universal Television Original release Network NBC Release January 6, 1984 (1984-01-06) ***The Jerk, Too*** is a 1984 American [made-for-television](/source/Television_film) [comedy film](/source/Comedy_film) starring [Mark Blankfield](/source/Mark_Blankfield) as [title character](/source/Title_character) Navin Johnson, in a reworked version of the 1979 [Steve Martin](/source/Steve_Martin) film *[The Jerk](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Mark_Blankfield) as Navin Johnson - [Ray Walston](/source/Ray_Walston) as Diesel - Robert Sampson as Van Buren - [Patricia Barry](/source/Patricia_Barry) as Mrs. Van Buren - [Barrie Ingham](/source/Barrie_Ingham) as Carl the Butler - [Stacey Nelkin](/source/Stacey_Nelkin) as Marie Van Buren - [Jean LeClerc](/source/Jean_LeClerc_(actor)) as Count Marco - [Thalmus Rasulala](/source/Thalmus_Rasulala) as Crossroads - [Pat McCormick](/source/Pat_McCormick_(actor)) as Dudley - [Bill Saluga](/source/Bill_Saluga) as Shoes - [Mabel King](/source/Mabel_King) as Mama Johnson - Lina Raymond as Cheetah Johnson - [William Smith](/source/William_Smith_(actor)) as Suicide - [Pete Schrum](/source/Pete_Schrum) as Ugly Eddie - [Lainie Kazan](/source/Lainie_Kazan) as Card Player ## Development While credited by some as a sequel,[1] *The Jerk, Too* was written by [Ziggy Steinberg](/source/Ziggy_Steinberg) and [Rocco Urbisci](/source/Rocco_Urbisci) to be a reworked version of the 1979 Steve Martin film.[2] It was intended to serve as a TV pilot, but was never picked up for series.[3] Martin was brought on as an executive producer but did not return as an actor or writer for *The Jerk, Too*.[4] Mark Blankenfield was brought on to portray the main character, Navin.[5] John Sebastian was brought on to write some of the music, penning "Navin's Theme".[6] ## Release *The Jerk, Too* premiered on NBC on January 6, 1984.[5] 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,[7] and the second was in 2017, through Fabulous Films Ltd and Fremantle Media Enterprises.[8] ## Reception Critical reception for the film has been negative.[1] Tom Green of *[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)* panned the film, criticizing the pacing as too slow and the comedy as "contrived and predictable slapstick."[3] Erik Davis covered the film for his [Moviefone](/source/Moviefone) blog Cinematical, calling it and another "Too" film, *[Splash, Too](/source/Splash%2C_Too)*, horrific films.[4] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) Flander, Judy (January 6, 1984). ["NBC turns to comedy"](https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/551902475/?match=1&terms=%22Jerk%2C%20Too%22%20Mark%20Blankfield%20). *The Herald-Times (Newspapers.com)*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Shelley, Peter (October 29, 2015). [*Gwen Verdon: A Life on Stage and Screen*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Gwen_Verdon/jnnXCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Jerk+Too%22+Michael+Schultz&pg=PA187&printsec=frontcover). McFarland. p. 187. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7864-9736-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7864-9736-2). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_3-1) Green, Tom (January 5, 1984). ["'Jerk, Too' is too slow, too dumb"](https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/1143675408/?match=1&terms=%22Jerk%2C%20Too%22%20Mark%20Blankfield%20). *USA Today (Newspapers.com)*. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_4-1) Davis, Erik (April 2, 2010). ["Yes, These Exist: 'Splash Too' and 'The Jerk, Too'"](http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/04/02/yes-these-exist-splash-too-and-the-jerk-too/). [Moviefone](/source/Moviefone). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_5-1) [O'Connor, John J.](/source/John_J._O'Connor_(journalist)) (January 6, 1984). ["TV WEEKEND; 'JERK TOO,' 'BLUE THUNDER'"](https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/06/arts/tv-weekend-jerk-too-blue-thunder.html?scp=5&sq=blue%20thunder&st=cse). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. Retrieved November 8, 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Terrace, Vincent (January 17, 2020). [*Encyclopedia of Television Pilots: 2,470 Films Broadcast 1937-2019, 2d ed*](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). McFarland. p. 121. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4766-3810-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4766-3810-2). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** *The Jerk/The Jerk, Too*. [DVD] Reiner, Carl, Schultz, Michael. Universal Pictures, Universal Television, UCA Catalogue. 1979, 1984, 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** *The Jerk, Too*. [DVD] Schultz, Michael. Universal Television, Fabulous Films Ltd, Fremantle Media Enterprises. 1984, 2017. ## External links - [*The Jerk, Too*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087499/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) v t e Films directed by Michael Schultz Together for Days (1972) Honeybaby, Honeybaby (1974) Cooley High (1975) Car Wash (1976) Greased Lightning (1977) Which Way Is Up? (1977) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) Scavenger Hunt (1979) Carbon Copy (1981) The Jerk, Too (1984) The Last Dragon (1985) Krush Groove (1985) Timestalkers (1987) The Spirit (1987) Disorderlies (1987) Tarzan in Manhattan (1989) Livin' Large! (1991) Day-O (1992) Shock Treatment (1995) Killers in the House (1998) L.A. Law: The Movie (2002) Woman Thou Art Loosed (2004) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Jerk, Too](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jerk%2C_Too) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jerk%2C_Too?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.