COMEDY . 1980 . 1h 31m . 4.6/10

Hardly Working_

"The world's funniest funny man is back!"

In Jerry Lewis's first film in a decade, he plays Bo Hooper, an unemployed circus clown who can't seem to hold down a job. The film opens with a brief montage of clips from past Lewis movies. He then moves into a succession of jobs that he gets himself fired from including a gas station attendant and a mailman - all with disastrous results.

Starring Jerry Lewis, Susan Oliver, Roger C. Carmel
Box Office $49.0M
4.6/10
Rating
$49.0M
Box Office
1h 31m
Runtime
1980
Year
MASSIVE HIT
+1,341% ROI
Profitability
Updated Feb 16, 2026
Hardly Working poster
The world's funniest funny man is back!

In Jerry Lewis's first film in a decade, he plays Bo Hooper, an unemployed circus clown who can't seem to hold down a job. The film opens with a brief montage of clips from past Lewis movies. He then moves into a succession of jobs that he gets himself fired from including a gas station attendant and a mailman - all with disastrous results.

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Box office
Hardly Working earned $49.0M worldwide on a $3.4M budget — a 1,341% return on investment.
Cast
Jerry Lewis stars as Bo Hooper in Hardly Working.
Jerry Lewis →
Year context
Hardly Working was released 46 years ago in 1980.
Hardly Working is a Comedy film with a runtime of 1h 31m.

BOX OFFICE

$3.4M
Budget
$49.0M
Revenue
+1341%
ROI
MASSIVE HIT
Verdict

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
91 min (1h 31m)
Country
Rating
4.6/10 (19 votes)
Budget
$3,400,000
Box Office
$49,000,000
Profit
+$45,600,000

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Hardly Working about?
In Jerry Lewis's first film in a decade, he plays Bo Hooper, an unemployed circus clown who can't seem to hold down a job. The film opens with a brief montage of clips from past Lewis movies. He then moves into a succession of jobs that he gets himself fired from including a gas station attendant and a mailman - all with disastrous results.
How long is Hardly Working?
Hardly Working has a runtime of 91 minutes (1h 31m).
Who stars in Hardly Working?
The cast of Hardly Working includes Jerry Lewis, Susan Oliver, Roger C. Carmel, Deanna Lund, Harold J. Stone.
How much did Hardly Working make at the box office?
Hardly Working earned $49,000,000 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $3,400,000.
What is the rating of Hardly Working?
Hardly Working has a rating of 4.6 out of 10 based on 19 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (1)

Comedy
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