A jerk tells his rags-to-riches-to-rags story in comedic flashbacks, from I was born a poor Black child, through his entrepreneurial success in his invention of the Optigrab, to his inevitable decline. Only film in history with a dog named Shithead. Martin''s first starring role, back in his wild and crazy days; his ridiculous misadventures pay tribute to Jerry Lewis movies of the late ''60s. Followed by a TV version released in 1984 as The Jerk Too, with Mark Blankfield as the Jerk.