Police Academy (1984)

A group of good-hearted, but incompetent misfits enter the police academy, but the instructors there are not going to put up with their pranks.

Director:

Hugh Wilson

Writers:

Neal Israel (screenplay), Pat Proft (screenplay)

Stars:

Steve Guttenberg, G.W. Bailey, Kim Cattrall

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Guttenberg	...	Carey Mahoney
Kim Cattrall	...	Karen Thompson
G.W. Bailey	...	Lt. Harris
Bubba Smith	...	Moses Hightower
Donovan Scott	...	Leslie Barbara
George Gaynes	...	Commandant Lassard
Andrew Rubin	...	George Martín
David Graf	...	Tackleberry
Leslie Easterbrook	...	Sgt. Callahan
Michael Winslow	...	Larvell Jones
Debralee Scott	...	Mrs. Fackler
Bruce Mahler	...	Doug Fackler
Ted Ross	...	Capt. Reed
Scott Thomson	...	Chad Copeland
Brant von Hoffman	...	Kyle Blankes (as Brant Van Hoffman)

Storyline

In desperate need of a fresh batch of police officers, the newly appointed Lady Mayoress of a crime-plagued metropolis lowers the bar for the recruitment process. As a result, all types of misfits start flocking into Commandant Eric Lassard's prestigious Police Academy, and the leader of this assortment of pariahs is Carey Mahoney: a light-hearted, devil-may-care young rebel. But now, there is no turning back, and to make matters worse, the autocratic martinet, Lieutenant Harris, can't wait to see them quit. Then, a full-scale riot breaks out, and the inexperienced but dauntless cadets will have to put their training to good use. Do they have what it takes to be law-enforcement officers?

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Plot Keywords:

bikini | prostitute | big breasts | breast | buxom | 

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Taglines:

When THESE cops hit the streets, even the bad guys die laughing!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steve Guttenberg mentions in his biography "The Guttenberg Bible" that Donovan Scott shot home-movies during filming. According to Guttenberg, there is a "very funny, touching, and unreleased documentary that he made of the shoot." Some of this footage will be seen publicly for the first time in the documentary What an Institution: The Story of Police Academy (2021).

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Goofs

Chief Hurst's name is misspelled during the end credits (as 'Chief Hurnst').

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: On March 4th of this year...
Title Card: ...newly elected Mayor Mary Sue Beal announced that she was changing the hiring practices of this city's police force.
Title Card: No longer would height, weight, sex, education, or physical strength be used to keep new recruits out of the Metropolitan Police Academy.
Title Card: Hundreds of people who never dreamed of becoming police officers signed up immediately.
Title Card: Naturally, the police completely freaked.

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Crazy Credits

The movie's opening titles lights up white via the sound of a thunderclap.

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Alternate Versions

NBC edited 5 minutes from this film for its 1987 network television premiere.

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Connections

Spoofed in Vice Academy Part 3 (1991)

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Soundtracks

El Bimbo
Performed by Jean-Marc Dompierre and his Orchestra
Courtesy of Arthur Young Enterprises, Inc.

User Reviews

Put your mind in neutral and be entertained!

This is a great movie for relaxing after a hard day at work. It's sheer escapism and good-humoured fun that only requires the watcher to put their mind in neutral, rest their feet, and not think too much.

A lot of the gags are not very original; we've seen most of them before in some other form. But the basic premise of a Police Academy full of misfits provides a novel context.

I've only seen this first movie of the series and don't really have plans to see any of the others. Can't believe they've made ssssssssooooo many sequels.

Too much Police Academy could certainly wear a bit thin, but first time around it's sheer good fun.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 March 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Police Academy

Filming Locations:

Simcoe Place, Simcoe Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,570,007, 25 March 1984

Gross USA:

$81,198,894

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$81,198,894

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Ladd Company, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1