Police Academy (film)

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Police Academy
Police Academy film.jpg
Theatrical release poster by Drew Struzan
Directed by Hugh Wilson
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Neal Israel
  • Pat Proft
Produced by Paul Maslansky
Starring
CinematographyMichael D. Margulies
Edited by
Music by Robert Folk
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • March 23, 1984 (1984-03-23)
Running time
96 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States [1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4.8 million [2]
Box office$149.8 million [3]

Police Academy is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson in his directorial debut, and distributed by Warner Bros.. [4] Its storyline follows a new recruitment policy for an unnamed city's police academy to take in any recruit who wishes to apply and study to become a police officer. The film stars Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall, and G. W. Bailey.

Contents

The film was produced by The Ladd Company. It premiered on March 23, 1984. [5] It grossed $8.5 million in its opening weekend and more than $149 million worldwide, against a budget of $4.8 million, and remains the most successful film of the series as of 2022. [3] The film spawned six sequels in the Police Academy franchise, and is the only film in the franchise to be rated R by the MPAA.

Plot

In an unnamed city, the mayor announces that the Metropolitan Police must accept all willing applicants for training, regardless of their suitability for the role. Hundreds of citizens, who never thought they could be police officers, apply: rich girl Karen Thompson; former criminal and human beatbox Larvell Jones; gentle giant Moses Hightower, gun fanatic Eugene Tackleberry; lothario George Martin; soft-spoken Laverne Hooks; accident-prone Douglas Fackler; and bullied Leslie Barbara. Rebellious underachiever, Carey Mahoney, arrested for yet another petty crime, is given a chance to escape prison time by Captain Reed, a friend of his father: enroll in the academy and complete training. Mahoney agrees, planning to misbehave and be forced out, but he learns from Commandant Eric Lassard that he cannot quit or be rejected until training is complete.

Dismayed at being forced to take undesirable recruits, Police chief Henry Hurst plots to make the training unbearable so they will willingly quit. Several cadets drop out while training under the ruthless Lieutenant Thaddeus Harris. Harris targets Mahoney, believing his behaviour is preventing him from training actual officers, but when given the chance to quit, Mahoney declines as he and Karen have developed a mutual attraction. Cadets Copeland and Blankes are chosen as squad leaders by Harris to help him torment Mahoney and spy on the other recruits. Copeland and Blankes investigate a party hosted by Mahoney, who uses Barbara to trick them into attending the Blue Oyster Bar, a gay biker bar, where they are intimidated into dancing with the patrons. In revenge, they hide a prostitute in Barbara's dorm room before a room inspection to get him expelled. Mahoney attempts to smuggle her off campus, but they are forced to hide under a lectern just as Lassard leads a presentation to a group of fellow officers. The prostitute covertly performs fellatio on Lassard while he is speaking, and when Lassard later sees Mahoney sneak out, he assumes Mahoney performed the act.

Hightower requests Mahoney's help in learning to drive before the cadet driving test. The pair steal Copeland's small, two-door Honda to practice in, evade a police pursuit, and leave it heavily damaged. Following Hightower's successful completion of the test, Copeland racially insults Laverne after she drives over his feet. Enraged, Hightower overturns a police cruiser with Copeland inside it, leading to his ejection from the academy, to the dismay of his fellow cadets. Copeland and Blankes attempt to make Mahoney fight them over Copeland's destroyed car, but he refuses, knowing they are trying to get him thrown out. Barbara stands up for Mahoney and strikes Copeland first, leading to a brawl. Harris threatens to eject Barbara, but Mahoney takes the blame to protect him and is expelled from the academy.

Meanwhile, Fackler throws an apple from his police car during patrol, inadvertently striking a man who mistakenly assumes someone else is responsible, starting a fight which escalates into a city-wide riot. Before he can leave, Mahoney joins the deployed cadets to tackle the disorder, but they find themselves inadvertently transported into the center of the riots and heavily outnumbered. One criminal steals Blankes and Copeland's revolvers and takes Harris hostage on a rooftop. Mahoney tries to help, but the criminal threatens to kill Harris and Mahoney is forced to surrender. Hightower, having followed the chaos, arrives and deceives the criminal into thinking he is on his side, before throwing him down a flight of stairs where he is arrested by Laverne.

At the cadet graduation ceremony, Mahoney and Hightower have been reinstated to the academy and receive the highest commendations for their bravery. Mahoney prepares to give a speech, but it is revealed that Lassard has hidden the prostitute beneath the Lectern to take revenge on Mahoney.

Cast

Casting

The producers considered Michael Keaton, Tom Hanks, and Judge Reinhold for the role of Carey Mahoney. [6] Bruce Willis auditioned for the role of Carey Mahoney. [7]

Production

Development

Paul Maslansky says he got the idea for the film when in San Francisco filming The Right Stuff :

I noticed a bunch of ludicrous-looking police cadets being dressed down by a frustrated sergeant. They were an unbelievable bunch, including a lady who must have weighed over 200 pounds and a flabby man well over 50. I asked the sergeant about them, and he explained that the mayor had ordered the department to accept a broad spectrum for the police academy. "We have to take them in,"...[he said] ..."And the only thing we can do is wash them out." [8]

Maslansky said he wondered "But what if they actually made it?" [8] He took the idea to Alan Ladd Jr., who agreed to finance. [8] Neal Israel was hired to write the script with Pat Proft. Israel said:

It's a matter of block comedy scenes. Perhaps the most recognizable was the obvious results of guys eating beans in Blazing Saddles . If you have four or five of these block comedy scenes in a teen-age comedy, you have a hit. If your block comedy scenes are very, very strong ones, you have a blockbuster. [8]

Dom DeLuise was considered to direct the film but he was unavailable. [9] Hugh Wilson was hired as director based on his success with WKRP in Cincinnati , even though he was not familiar with many films of this genre. He then saw a lot of those sort. saying "it was fairly discouraging. This immediately convinced me to cut down on the sleaze. I asked for, and got, the power to refine the Israel-Proft script. Maintaining that 'funny is money,' I wanted to go for real laughter rather than going for the elements such as gratuitous sex and anti-Establishment exploits. I wanted jokes which were rooted in reality." [8]

Maslansky says Wilson "took a lot of the vulgarity out; some of the very things I considered necessary. I worried that it was becoming more homogenized, and I told Hugh, "Let's keep some of the flatulence in." [8]

Wilson says "I found out that the shower scene, the party scene, and the fellatio scene were obligatory; I had to put them in. So I was stuck with trying to make those scenes as artistic as possible." [8]

According to the Los Angeles Times, about "20 of the major elements in the movie" remain from the Israel and Proft version. Israel says that when Wilson and Maslansky turned in their rewrite to the Ladd Company, "it was rejected and the project was almost shelved. Only when they put back in dozens of our gags did the project get the go ahead." [8]

Some of the scenes Wilson was unhappy with included the fellatio scene and the scene where a police sergeant was hurled into the backside of a horse. A compromise was reached where these acts were not actually directly shown. [8]

"I realize that you can carry grossness, rudeness, and crudeness just so far before the audience finds it terribly repetitive and not so funny," said Wilson. "After the enormous success of Police Academy, I no longer believe that you have to show the female breast or make cruel ethnic jokes, not to mention the rampant sexism. And you don't have to reproduce the sounds that an overfed body makes." [8]

Filming

Opening scenes were shot in Toronto, Ontario. The camera booth scene was shot on the Cherry Street Bridge in Toronto. [10] The academy itself was previously the site of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital in Etobicoke, and has since become the Lakeshore campus of Humber College. [11] The studio scenes were shot at Lakeshore Film Studios; the city scenes were filmed in various parts of Toronto. [12] The riot scenes was filmed at Kensington Market in Toronto. The Silver Dollar Room on Spadina Avenue is the real name of the bar that was filmed for the Blue Oyster Bar scenes.

Music

In 2013, La-La Land Records issued a limited edition album of Robert Folk's score. [13]

  1. Main Title/Night Rounds (1:52)
  2. Rounds Resume/Tackleberry (1:10)
  3. Barbara (0:51)
  4. Join Up (1:10)
  5. The academy (1:16)
  6. Recruits (1:54)
  7. Pussycat/Uniforms (1:56)
  8. Assignment (1:20)
  9. Formation/Move Out (3:26)
  10. Obstacles (2:15)
  11. Martin and Company (0:46)
  12. Ball Games (0:27)
  13. More Martin (0:28)
  14. Regrets (1:05)
  15. Guns/In Drag (4:01)
  16. Warpath (0:28)
  17. Improvement (1:15)
  18. Jam Up (0:42)
  19. Hightower Drive (1:37)
  20. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie (0:40)
  21. Need to Talk/Hightower Leaves (1:16)
  22. Riot Starts (1:25)
  23. Riot Gear (2:42)
  24. SOB (0:32)
  25. Match (1:44)
  26. Where's Harris? (2:40)
  27. Straighten Up (1:26)
  28. Police Academy March (1:06)
  29. El Bimbo - Claude Morgan, performed by Jean-Marc Dompierre and His Orchestra (1:49)

Release

Home media

Reception

Box office

Police Academy opened in the number 1 spot in 1,587 U.S. theaters on March 23, 1984, to a first weekend total gross of $8.6 million. The film went on to gross $81.2 million, becoming the 6th highest-grossing American film of 1984. [15] It grossed $68.6 million overseas for a total worldwide gross of $149.8 million. [3] The film made a profit of $35 million. [3]

Critical response

Police Academy received mixed reviews from critics. [16] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 58% based on 33 reviews, with the critical consensus reading: “Police Academy is rude, crude, and proudly sophomoric – which is either a condemnation or a ringing endorsement, depending on your taste in comedy.” [17] On Metacritic the film has a score of 41 out of 100 based on reviews from 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [18]

Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times , gave the film zero stars out of four, commenting: “It's really something. It's so bad, maybe you should pool your money and draw straws and send one of the guys off to rent it so that in the future, whenever you think you're sitting through a bad comedy, he could shake his head, and chuckle tolerantly, and explain that you don't know what bad is”. [19]

Critic Vincent Canby, of The New York Times , gave a mixed review, saying: “The movie plows through one outrageous sequence to the next with the momentum of a freight train”. [20] Rita Kemply, of The Washington Post , wrote: “Attention, all units: Slapstick in progress in the vicinity of Police Academy. Suspects wanted for mugging the camera [...] with the intent to incite a laugh riot. Please respond to this blues burlesque, a uniformly funny hit sure to have a long run. Its target audience: those who can take their T&A with a grain of assault. Its plot [is] a combo of Animal House and An Officer and a Gentleman . Its stars a rainbow coalition of hot newcomers and dependable, unexpendable pros.” [21]

Producer Paul Maslansky says that original feedback on the film was that it was not gross enough, with one executive reportedly saying: “What are you trying to do, make a damned Tootsie ?”; and another claiming: “Paul, it doesn't fit the formula; it needs more flatulence, more slobbishness, more T&A.” [8]

Related Research Articles

Police Academy is a comedy franchise of seven theatrical films and two spin-off television shows. The 1984 film Police Academy followed the premise of a new mayor requiring the local police department to accept all recruits. The film franchise relies heavily on slapstick humor and physical comedy, as the misfit recruits attempt to prove themselves capable of being police officers, succeeding despite their eccentricities. The first four films follow Carey Mahoney, a repeat offender forced to join the police academy as punishment. The 1994 film Mission to Moscow marked the seventh installment, with cast members George Gaynes, Michael Winslow, and David Graf appearing throughout the film series.

Commandant Eric Lassard is a fictional character in the 1984 film Police Academy, as well as its six sequels. He was portrayed by George Gaynes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. W. Bailey</span> American actor (born 1944)

G. W. Bailey is an American actor. Although he has appeared in many dramatic roles, he may be best remembered for his "crusty" comedic characters such as Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo in M*A*S*H ; Lieutenant/Captain Thaddeus Harris in the Police Academy films (1984–1994), and Captain Felix Maxwell in Mannequin (1987). He played the role of Detective Lieutenant Louie Provenza on TNT's television crime drama The Closer, and its spinoff series Major Crimes, from 2005 to 2018.

<i>Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment</i> 1985 film directed by Jerry Paris

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment is a 1985 American comedy film directed by Jerry Paris. It is the second installment in the Police Academy franchise and the sequel to Police Academy.

<i>Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach</i> 1988 film by Alan Myerson

Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Alan Myerson. It is the fifth installment in the Police Academy franchise, released on March 18, 1988. The film was given a PG rating for language and ribald humor.

<i>In the Heat of the Night</i> (film) 1967 film by Norman Jewison

In the Heat of the Night is a 1967 American mystery drama film directed by Norman Jewison, produced by Walter Mirisch, and starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. It tells the story of Virgil Tibbs (Poitier), a Black police detective from Philadelphia, who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation in a small town in Mississippi. The film was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from John Ball's 1965 novel of the same name.

Pat Proft is an American comedy writer, actor, and director. Born in Minnesota in 1947, Proft began his career at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis in the mid-1960s. He went on to perform as a one-man comedy act in the late 1960s. In 1972, Proft began working at The Comedy Store in Hollywood which led to work in television and film writing for the Smothers Brothers and Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker.

<i>Police Academy 3: Back in Training</i> 1986 film directed by Jerry Paris

Police Academy 3: Back in Training is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Jerry Paris. It is the third installment of the Police Academy franchise and the sequel to Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment.

Hugh Hamilton Wilson Jr. was an American film director, writer and television showrunner. He was the creator of the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati and Frank's Place, and was the director of the film comedies Police Academy and The First Wives Club.

<i>Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol</i> 1987 film by Jim Drake

Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol is a 1987 American comedy film. It is the fourth installment in the Police Academy franchise. It was released on April 3, 1987 and is the sequel to Police Academy 3: Back in Training.

<i>Police Academy 6: City Under Siege</i> 1989 film by Peter Bonerz

Police Academy 6: City Under Siege is a 1989 American comedy crime film starring Bubba Smith, David Graf and Michael Winslow. It was directed by Peter Bonerz and written by Stephen Curwick, based on characters created by Neal Israel and Pat Proft. The film was given a PG rating for violence and language. This was the fifth and last Police Academy sequel to be released in the year immediately following the previous installment of the series. It would take five years until the release of the following film, Police Academy: Mission to Moscow. Police Academy 6: City Under Siege was also the last film in the series to feature Bubba Smith, Marion Ramsey, Bruce Mahler, Lance Kinsey and George R. Robertson as Hightower, Hooks, Fackler, Proctor and Commissioner Hurst respectively.

<i>Police Academy: Mission to Moscow</i> 1994 film directed by Alan Metter

Police Academy: Mission to Moscow is a 1994 American action comedy film starring George Gaynes, Michael Winslow, David Graf, and Claire Forlani. The film was directed by Alan Metter and written by Randolph Davis and Michele S. Chodos. The seventh installment in the Police Academy franchise, sequel to Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, cast members Gaynes, Winslow, and Graf appear in all seven films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Police Academy Stunt Show</span>

Police Academy Stunt Show or Loca Academia de Policía is a slapstick comedy stunt show located at Parque Warner Madrid. Formerly, the show was also at Warner Bros. Movie World (1991–2008), Six Flags Magic Mountain (1994), and Warner Bros. Movie World Germany (1996–2004).

Bruce Mahler is an American actor, producer, and writer. He is known for his role as Sgt. Fackler in the comedy films Police Academy, and as Rabbi Glickman on the sitcom Seinfeld.

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Police Academy is a 1988 animated television series based on the Police Academy series of films. The show was produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises for Warner Bros. Television. It aired weekdays and lasted two seasons for a total of 65 episodes.

<i>Police Academy: The Series</i> American-Canadian TV sitcom (1997–1998)

Police Academy: The Series is a sitcom series that was a spin-off sequel to the Police Academy series of films. Michael Winslow was the only actor from the Police Academy films to have a recurring role on the show, although several of the film's cast made occasional guest appearances. The series was written by Paul Maslansky and produced by James Margellos and Gary M. Goodman and aired in syndication from September 27, 1997, until May 23, 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Thomson (actor)</span> American actor (born 1957)

Scott Thomson is an American actor. He has appeared in the films Twister (1996), Ghoulies (1985), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Police Academy (1984).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Maslansky</span> American film producer and writer (1933–2024)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Police Academy". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  2. ↑ Thomas, Bob (11 January 1985). "IF YOU ENJOYED 'POLICE ACADEMY,' GET READY FOR ANOTHER". Chicago Tribune. p. E.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Block, Alex Ben; Wilson, Lucy Autrey, eds. (2010). George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success . HarperCollins. p.  631. ISBN   9780061778896.
  4. ↑ "Police Academy". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  5. ↑ "Home Page". Warnerbros.com. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  6. ↑ "The elusive Steve Guttenberg". Entertainment Weekly .
  7. ↑ "Bruce Willis's Tragic Mask (washingtonpost.com)". The Washington Post .
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Brown, Peter H. (January 20, 1985). "WE'RE TALKING GROSS, TACKY AND DUMB". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  9. ↑ "15 Lawful Facts About the Police Academy Movies". 28 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Fotofast Kiosk Going in River Scene | Police Academy | MovieLocate". movielocate.com. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  11. ↑ "Police Academy Grounds Scene | Police Academy | MovieLocate". movielocate.com. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  12. ↑ "Police Academy Movie Filming Locations - The 80s Movies Rewind". Fast-rewind.com. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  13. ↑ "Film music | movie music| film score | Police Academy - Robert Folks - Limited Edition". Archived from the original on 2014-08-21. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  14. ↑ "Police Academy Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk. July 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  15. ↑ Police Academy at Box Office Mojo
  16. ↑ "Police Academy". Variety . December 31, 1983. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  17. ↑ "Police Academy (1984)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  18. ↑ "Police Academy". Metacritic . Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  19. ↑ Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1984). "Police Academy". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved February 26, 2020– via RogerEbert.com.
  20. ↑ Canby, Vincent (March 23, 1984). "'Police Academy' With No Entrance Rules". The New York Times . Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  21. ↑ Kempley, Rita (23 March 1984). "'Police Academy': Arresting Comedy". Washington Post . p. 23.
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