Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Hardly Working

Play trailer Poster for Hardly Working PG 1981 1h 31m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
9% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 24% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
An out-of-work clown (Jerry Lewis) spills drinks and knocks things over when he tries regular 9-to-5 jobs.

Critics Reviews

View All (11) Critics Reviews
Richard Brody New Yorker The movie's desperately amiable tone plays like a chastised boy's terrified plea for love; the oblivious cruelty that emerges nonetheless (as in Lewis's embarrassing parody of a Japanese chef) makes it all the sadder. May 19, 2014 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times I was absolutely stunned by the vast stupidity of this film. Rated: 0/4 Oct 17, 2007 Full Review Janet Maslin New York Times The result is utter confusion. Aug 30, 2004 Full Review Leonard Klady Winnipeg Free Press The picture looks as if it had been made a decade ago and kept in cold storage. Despite some fine moments, it suffers from a lack of originality. Jun 16, 2022 Full Review David Sterritt Christian Science Monitor It's a bumpy movie, no more graceful than its buffoonish main character. Worse, the star tries to have it two ways, alternating between manic physical comedy and softspoken self-pity. The result if often awkward, and sometimes downright weird. May 20, 2014 Full Review People Staff People Magazine To adults this poky movie may seem a bit sad. Lewis' once-manic energy is barely suggested in a few labored outbursts, and his lovable bewilderment is now more like bitterness. May 20, 2014 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (13) audience reviews
CRAIG M Just bad - a comic without a straight man, everything fell flat Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/24 Full Review Audience Member Jerry Lewis first film after a ten year hiatus is called Hardly Working. It tells the story of an unemployed clown who goes from job to job creating awkward situations wherever he goes. Hardly Working was a moronic and pathetic film filled with obvious product placement, lazy editing, racist costume design, and painfully unfunny gags. To be honest, Jerry Lewis' unfinished and unreleased film The Day the Clown Cried could be a better film than Hardly Working because the film is hardly competent. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member I watched this film in 1981 in a packed house at the Mayfair theatre in Gutenberg , NJ. The audience laughed and laughed . Jerry is excellent . The story is fun. But like so many slapstick oriented films, there are numerous opportunities blown . The beautiful deanna Lund (Tony Rome , land of the Giants) never shows a kneecap. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review mike m I saw this movie on HBO in the 80's and never forgot it. How bad could it be if I still remember it. It had some funny moments. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Later works of Jerry Lewis, not the best but not the worst. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Again, if you like Lewis and slapstick then this one is worth a see. Otherwise, stay away. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Hardly Working

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
Author! Author! 50% 49% Author! Author! Watchlist Unfaithfully Yours 33% 46% Unfaithfully Yours Watchlist Bushwhacked 18% 38% Bushwhacked Watchlist The Toy 3% 53% The Toy Watchlist My Favorite Year 97% 84% My Favorite Year Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All Hardly Working photos

Hardly Working

Hardly Working (1981) Hardly Working (1981) Hardly Working (1981) Hardly Working (1981) Hardly Working (1981) Hardly Working (1981) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis An out-of-work clown (Jerry Lewis) spills drinks and knocks things over when he tries regular 9-to-5 jobs.
Director
Jerry Lewis
Producer
James J. McNamara, Igo Kantor, Mickey Blowitz
Screenwriter
Michael Janover, Jerry Lewis
Production Co
20th Century Fox, Hardly Working
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 31m