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:

The new police recruits. Call them slobs. Call them jerks. Call them gross. ...Just don't call them when you're in trouble.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steve Guttenberg said that he got to keep the "One in the Oven" shirt that he wore in this movie.

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Goofs

When Captain Harris tells the cadets that Blankes and Copeland will be the cadets in charge, he says ¨Blankes and Dopeland.¨ This is probably deliberate as Captain Harris doesn't respect Copeland as much as Blankes, as indicated by Harris's reaction to Copeland attempting to shake Harris's hand earlier.

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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

On the network TV version, NBC, after the cadets are laughing at Lt. Harris about his accident in the horse wagon, there is extra footage. Harris says to the cadets just before graduation "I'm going to cut you. I swear it." After that, Thompson is now not sure of going to the prom with Mahoney. She thinks he has "done enough already" (caused trouble).

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Connections

Referenced in What's Up Doc?: Episode #2.16 (1993)

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Soundtracks

She's in My Corner
Performed by Jack Mack and the Heart Attack
Written by Max Carl and Andrew Kastner
Vocals by Mark Campbell (uncredited)

User Reviews

Up the "Academy"...

Yep, this is the one that started it all. The right one to blame. "Police Academy" - never duplicated, countlessly imitated.

But before you go throwing any stones...this one is funny.

Yep, believe it or not, its joke success ratio is amazingly high. Is it because it's R-rated? That's a lot of it, but it also has a good pedigree.

Director/co-writer Wilson also created TV's "WKRP in Cincinnati", Israel and Proft have written "Bachelor Party" and some other funny stuff you may have heard of (they had a hand in the "Naked Gun" films).

And the cast, in this instance, is fresh! Guttenberg has seldom been better, nor has Cattrall (well, maybe except for "Porky's"), Gaynes, Bailey, Smith, Winslow or Easterbrook. There are a handful of good lines, more good scenes here than in any four of the sequels you can name and plenty more opportunity for good old raunchy "Animal House"-style guffaws.

You don't believe me? Think about the scene with the hooker (Spelvin) in the speaker's podium. Then think about the punch line ("Good speech."). You see? Ah, memories.

Take it from a hard-bitten veteran of the series. This is as good as it gets. You want to see a funny movie about cops? Register at your local "Police Academy".

Six stars, plus a star more for Guttenberg's final scene. Classic.

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