Night Shift (1982 film)

Last updated
Night Shift
Night shift.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ron Howard
Written by
Produced by Brian Grazer
Starring
Cinematography James Crabe
Edited by
Music by Burt Bacharach
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • July 30, 1982 (1982-07-30)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8.1 million [1]
Box office$21.1 million

Night Shift is a 1982 American comedy film directed by Ron Howard. The film centers on a timid night-shift morgue employee whose life is turned upside down by a new co-worker who fancies himself a free-spirited entrepreneur. It stars Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler along with Michael Keaton, in his first starring role, [2] and Shelley Long. Also appearing are Richard Belzer and Clint Howard. There are brief scenes with a young Kevin Costner [3] as "frat boy #1", Shannen Doherty as a Bluebird scout, [4] Vincent Schiavelli as a man who delivers a sandwich, [5] and Charles Fleischer [6] as one of the jail prisoners.

Contents

Winkler was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, [7] while Keaton won the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor. [8]

Plot

Charles "Chuck" Lumley, formerly a successful stockbroker, has found a refuge from the ulcer-inducing Wall Street rat race in his job as an attendant at a New York City morgue. His displeasure at being "promoted" to night-shift supervisor to make room for his boss' nephew, Leonard, is exacerbated by the irrational exuberance of Bill "Blaze" Blazejowski, his new co-worker. They are inspired by the plight of Chuck's prostitute neighbor, Belinda, to apply Chuck's financial acumen and Bill's entrepreneurial spirit to open a prostitution service headquartered at the morgue.

Chuck falls in love with Belinda, but their relationship becomes complicated when Belinda refuses to quit prostitution. Chuck's passiveness keeps him from telling Belinda he loves her. Meanwhile, Chuck and Bill's foray into the prostitution business draws the ire of dangerous pimps who come to the morgue and threaten to kill Chuck. Bill inadvertently leads two undercover police officers to the morgue where Chuck is being assaulted by the pimps. A shootout ensues. Chuck and Bill are rescued, but are arrested for promoting prostitution. Because their arrest would be a political embarrassment, the two men are offered their old jobs back and a dismissal of all charges. Chuck accepts this, but Bill sees it as an opportunity to bargain with the mayor's office. Chuck and Bill fight and part ways. Chuck's fiancée Charlotte ends their engagement.

Chuck sees Belinda in the hall of their apartment complex, but again fails to express his true feelings for her. Belinda leaves, and Chuck becomes angry with himself for being afraid. With renewed determination, Chuck finds Belinda working in an adult club and professes his love for her. He also finds Bill is employed there, apologizes for his harsh words, and assures Bill of the value of his creative ideas. The three leave the club together and go out on the town.

Cast

Soundtrack

The film's opening theme song is "Night Shift" by Quarterflash. [9] The closing theme song, "That's What Friends Are For" was written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager and performed by Rod Stewart. [9] It gained popularity a few years later when covered by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder. [9]

The official soundtrack was released in 1982 on the Warner Bros. label. It included ten selected tracks from the film, six of which were written specifically for the film:

  1. "Night Shift" by Quarterflash
  2. "Street Talk" by Burt Bacharach
  3. "Girls Know How" by Al Jarreau
  4. "The Love Too Good to Last" by The Pointer Sisters
  5. "That's What Friends Are For" by Rod Stewart
  6. "Someday, Someway" by Marshall Crenshaw
  7. "Penthouse and Pavement" by Heaven 17
  8. "Talk Talk" by Talk Talk
  9. "Everlasting Love" by Rufus and Chaka Khan
  10. "That's What Friends Are For (Night Shift Love Theme) (instrumental)" by Burt Bacharach

The soundtrack was released solely on vinyl and cassette. The versions of "Talk Talk" and "Penthouse and Pavement" that are on the soundtrack are different from any other releases of the songs as they were specially mixed for the soundtrack.

Other songs heard in the film include "You Really Got Me" by Van Halen [10] and a live version of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones, taken from the 1977 live album Love You Live ; a section of "Cutting Branches for a Temporary Shelter" by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra is also heard.

Reception

Box office

Night Shift grossed $21,095,638 at the domestic box office. [11]

Critical reception

Night Shift received mostly positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 6.70/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Night Shift bristles with pitch-perfect laughs thanks to Ron Howard's snappy direction and a side-splitting turn from Michael Keaton." [12] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 11 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [13] Many reviewers praised the performances of the two male leads, particularly Michael Keaton.

TV Guide 's Movie Guide wrote that "Winkler turns in the best performance of his career, and Keaton is wonderful." [14] The Chicago Reader 's Jonathan Rosenbaum compared Night Shift to the subsequent comedy film Risky Business (which also dealt with the theme of prostitution), noting that Night Shift is not "as snappily directed or as caustically conceived, ... but it's arguably just as sexy and almost as funny." [15] Janet Maslin of The New York Times , however, deemed Night Shift "a halfway funny movie, one that's got loads of good gags in its first half and nothing but trouble in its second." [16] Gene Siskel, writing in the Chicago Tribune , gave the film two stars out of four but hailed Keaton's "superb comic performance", writing that "based on this one role, I would now pay to see Keaton in just about anything. Anything except Night Shift." [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Galaxy Quest</i> 1999 sci-fi comedy film directed by Dean Parisot

Galaxy Quest is a 1999 American satirical science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. A parody of and homage to science-fiction films and series, especially Star Trek and its fandom, the film depicts the cast of a fictional cult television series, Galaxy Quest, who are drawn into a real interstellar conflict by actual aliens who think the series is an accurate documentary. It stars Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, and Daryl Mitchell. The film was a modest box office success and positively received by critics: It won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and the Nebula Award for Best Script. It was also nominated for 10 Saturn Awards, including Best Science Fiction Film and Best Director for Parisot, Best Actress for Weaver, and Best Supporting Actor for Rickman, with Allen winning Best Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Howard</span> American filmmaker and actor (born 1954)

Ronald William Howard is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Howard started his career as a child actor before transitioning to directing films. Over his six-decade career, Howard has received multiple accolades, including two Academy Awards, six Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2003 and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2013. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions in film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Costner</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1955)

Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, producer, and director. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane Keaton</span> American film actress (born 1946)

Diane Keaton is an American actress. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and two Emmy Awards. She was honored with the Film Society of Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 2007 and an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Keaton</span> American actor (born 1951)

Michael John Douglas, known professionally as Michael Keaton, is an American actor. He has received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. In 2016, he was named Officer of Order of Arts and Letters in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelley Long</span> American actress and comedian (born 1949)

Shelley Long is an American actress, singer, and comedian. For her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom Cheers, Long received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She also won two Golden Globe Awards for the role. Long reprised her role as Diane Chambers in three episodes of the spin-off Frasier, for which she received an additional guest star Emmy nomination. In 2009, she began playing the recurring role of DeDe Pritchett on the ABC comedy series Modern Family.

Lowell Ganz is an American writer and producer. He is the long-time writing partner of Babaloo Mandel and has written for television, film, and theatre.

<i>Shes Having a Baby</i> 1988 film by John Hughes

She's Having a Baby is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed and written by John Hughes and starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern. It tells the story of a young newlywed couple who try to cope with married life and their parents' expectations. The film was met with mixed reviews.

<i>Mr. Mom</i> 1983 American film directed by Stan Dragoti

Mr. Mom is a 1983 American comedy film directed by Stan Dragoti and produced by Lynn Loring, Lauren Shuler, and Aaron Spelling. It stars Michael Keaton, Teri Garr, Martin Mull, Ann Jillian, and Christopher Lloyd. It tells the story of a furloughed Detroit automotive engineer who becomes a stay-at-home dad and takes care of three young children, as his wife returns to a career in the advertising industry as an executive at a large agency. Released on July 22, 1983, the film received generally positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing $64 million against its $5 million budget.

<i>Nickelodeon</i> (film) 1976 film by Peter Bogdanovich

Nickelodeon is a 1976 American comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and stars Ryan O'Neal, Burt Reynolds and Tatum O'Neal. According to Bogdanovich, the film was based on true stories told to him by silent film directors Allan Dwan and Raoul Walsh. It was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.

<i>The Paper</i> (film) 1994 US comedy-drama film by Ron Howard

The Paper is a 1994 American comedy drama film directed by Ron Howard and starring Michael Keaton, Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Randy Quaid and Robert Duvall. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Make Up Your Mind", which was written and performed by Randy Newman.

<i>Clean and Sober</i> 1988 film directed by Glenn Gordon Caron

Clean and Sober is a 1988 American drama film directed by Glenn Gordon Caron and starring Michael Keaton as a real estate agent struggling with a substance abuse problem. This film was Keaton's first dramatic departure from comedies. The supporting cast includes Kathy Baker, M. Emmet Walsh, Morgan Freeman, Luca Bercovici and Tate Donovan.

<i>His Kind of Woman</i> 1951 crime thriller movie produced by Howard Hughes

His Kind of Woman is a 1951 film noir starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. The film features supporting performances by Vincent Price, Raymond Burr and Charles McGraw. The direction of the film, which was based on the unpublished story "Star Sapphire" by Gerald Drayson, is credited to John Farrow.

<i>Speechless</i> (1994 film) 1994 film

Speechless is a 1994 American romantic comedy film directed by Ron Underwood. It stars Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Bonnie Bedelia, Ernie Hudson, and Christopher Reeve.

<i>Firewalker</i> (film) 1986 film by J. Lee Thompson

Firewalker is a 1986 American action-adventure comedy film starring Chuck Norris, Louis Gossett Jr., Will Sampson in his final feature film role, and Melody Anderson. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson and written by Norman Aladjem, Robert Gosnell and Jeffrey M. Rosenbaum. This was the first comedic role for Norris, giving him a chance to poke fun at his action persona.

<i>Spite Marriage</i> 1929 film

Spite Marriage is a 1929 American silent comedy film co-directed by Buster Keaton and Edward Sedgwick and starring Keaton and Dorothy Sebastian. It is the second film Keaton made for MGM and his last silent film, although he had wanted it to be a "talkie" or full sound film. While the production has no recorded dialogue, it does feature an accompanying synchronized score and recorded laughter, applause and other sound effects in some scenes. Keaton later wrote gags for some up-and-coming MGM stars like Red Skelton, and from this film recycled many gags, some shot-for-shot, for Skelton's 1943 film I Dood It.

Gina Hecht is an American actress.

Soak the Rich is a 1936 American comedy film written and directed by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, and starring Walter Connolly, John Howard, Mary Zimbalist, Lionel Stander, Ilka Chase and Alice Duer Miller. It was released on January 17, 1936, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>That Night with You</i> 1945 film

That Night With You is a 1945 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Susanna Foster, Franchot Tone and Louise Allbritton. Produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, it featured Buster Keaton in a supporting role. At one stage the film used the working title Once Upon a Dream.

<i>Maybe I Do</i> 2023 film by Michael Jacobs

Maybe I Do is a 2023 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Michael Jacobs, based on his own play Cheaters, and starring Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, and William H. Macy. It is Jacobs' feature directorial debut.

References

  1. ↑ "AFI|Catalog".
  2. ↑ "Michael Keaton looks back on Batman, Beetlejuice, and more of his memorable roles" by Leah Greenblatt at ew.com
  3. ↑ "Kevin Costner" by Norman Wilner, Toronto Star (24 Aug, 1991) Retrieved from ProQuest   436459378
  4. ↑ "Obscure Movie Review: Night Shift, a star studded comedy that ended up a John Doe" Mudgee Guardian and Gulgong Advertiser (16 May 2020) Retrieved from ProQuest   2403151138
  5. ↑ "Vincent Schiavelli Cuckoo's Nest character actor with unforgettable features" by Alison Kerr, The Herald (29 Dec, 2005) [Final Edition] Retrieved from ProQuest   332958187
  6. ↑ "Film Notes: Fleischer tunes up his 'Toony' voice for Roger Rabbit" by Lawrence Van Gelder, The Globe and Mail (1 July 1988) Retrieved from ProQuest   386002204
  7. ↑ "Officer takes the lead in Golden Globe rush" The Globe and Mail (11 Jan, 1983) Retrieved from ProQuest   386603946
  8. ↑ "KCFCC Award Winners – 1980-89". KCFCC. December 14, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 "Night Shift Let Ron Howard Direct a Morgue-Set Sex Romp 40 Years Ago" by Craig D. Lindsey at www.pastemagazine.com
  10. ↑ Debra Filcman. "Everything You Need To Know About Van Halen's 'You Really Got Me'" . Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  11. ↑ Night Shift Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Night Shift (1982)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Night Shift Reviews". Metacritic .
  14. ↑ "Night Shift: Review," TV Guide's Movie Guide. Retrieved February 11, 2019. Archived 2019-02-12 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ Rosenbaum, Jonathan. "Night Shift," Chicago Reader.
  16. ↑ Janet Maslin. "'Night Shift' Vice Ring Humor at Morgue The New York Times (July 30, 1982).
  17. ↑ Gene Siskel (July 30, 1982). "Comedy given short shrift with 'Night Shift'". Chicago Tribune . p. c1.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.