SUMMER NIGHTS: THE JERK

In Steve Martin’s first feature film, he stars as Navin R. Johnson, a dim-witted southerner who hitchhikes to St. Louis after hearing a Lawrence Welk tune on the radio. When Navin reaches St. Louis, he finds work at a gas station that leads him to develop “Opti-Grab,” a solution for slippery glasses. Navin also finds that he is targeted by an assassin who randomly chooses Navin from the phone book. Navin escapes and hides in a nearby carnival, where he meets and falls in love with Marie. This comedic adventure, which was a box-office smash in 1979, was based on one of Martin’s stand-up routines.