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
Updated Feb 16, 2026
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Box office
Hardly Working earned $49.0M worldwide on a $3.4M budget — a 1,341% return on investment.
Year context
Hardly Working was released 46 years ago in 1980.
Hardly Working is a Comedy film with a runtime of 1h 31m.
CAST (10)
Jerry Lewis
Bo Hooper
Susan Oliver
Claire Trent
Roger C. Carmel
Robert Trent
Deanna Lund
Millie
Harold J. Stone
Frank Loucazi
Steve Franken
Steve Torres
Buddy Lester
Claude Reed
Leonard Stone
Ted Mitchell
Jerry Lester
Slats
Billy Barty
Sammy
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
