Police Academy
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Short description
Police Academy is a comedy set in a city where the newly elected mayor has removed the height, weight, sex and education requirements for joining the police force. The change draws a large and varied group of recruits to the municipal police academy, to the dismay of the instructors who must train them. Among the newcomers is Carey Mahoney, a troublemaker who enrols only to avoid a jail sentence. He quickly clashes with Lieutenant Harris, an instructor who wants him gone, while Mahoney comes to enjoy cadet life and tries to stay.
The film was directed by Hugh Wilson, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Pat Proft and Neal Israel, and was produced by Paul Maslansky. It was Wilson's first feature as director, followed by Rustlers' Rhapsody, Burglar, Guarding Tess, The First Wives Club and Blast from the Past. Steve Guttenberg plays Mahoney, with Kim Cattrall as Karen Thompson, G.W. Bailey as Lieutenant Harris, Bubba Smith as Moses Hightower, Donovan Scott as Leslie Barbara and George Gaynes as Commandant Lassard. The production involved 67 credited cast members and 164 credited crew.
Made for about 5 million dollars, the film took roughly 81 million dollars worldwide, a return that far exceeded its cost. On IMDb it holds 6.7 out of 10 from around 148,000 votes, and on TMDB it also scores 6.7 from about 3,100 votes. A critics' rating of 5.6 from 33 reviews places it below the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The only film in the entire franchise to receive an R rating for theatrical release in the United States.
- Tom Hanks, Michael Keaton, Judge Reinhold, and Bruce Willis were all considered for the role of Cadet Mahoney.
- Filming wrapped up in exactly 40 days.
- Police Academy was the most successful film of the year in Germany (5.19 million tickets sold), surpassing all other Hollywood projects and even Wolfgang Petersen's The NeverEnding Story.
- Director Hugh Wilson has a cameo as a driver whose car receives minor damage during Hightower's nighttime driving lessons with Mahoney.
- The "Blue Oyster" bar in the film is actually located in Toronto and is called "Silver Dollar Room".
- This is the only one of all seven films in the series where cadets Leslie Barbara, Karen Thompson, and George Martin can be seen.
- This is the only film in the franchise where Commandant Lassard's wife appears.
- The role of Commandant Eric Lassard was offered to Robert Conrad, but the actor declined and later regretted his decision.
- Warner Bros. invited Hugh Wilson to write the screenplay for the film, but he agreed only when he was also offered to direct the project.
- The cane, which became a distinguishing feature of Lieutenant Harris throughout the film series, was not planned in the script. It was an ordinary prop brought to the set by one of the extras, who let the actor playing the role, J.W. Bailey, hold it for a while.
- During the filming of the obstacle course scene, the first person sent to test the wall, while climbing over it, ended up at such a height that he broke his leg upon landing.
- The amusing scene with shoe polish on the megaphone came from a similar prank on the set of one of British director Michael Winner’s films, when someone tried to play a trick on him. Hugh Wilson heard this story from a member of the crew and decided to include it in the script.
- Scott Thomson (Cadet Chad Copeland) and Brant von Hoffmann (Cadet Blanks) were required to wear special wigs for a number of scenes in the film. This happened because the scenes were not shot in order, and the segment where their heads were completely shaved was filmed first. Later, it turned out that there were episodes with their participation before and during their arrival at the Academy.
- Michael Winslow (Jones), David Graf (Tackleberry), and George Gaines (Commander Lassard) are the only actors who appear in all seven 'Police Academy' films.
- Filming took place in Canada from May 30th to July 14th, 1983.
- After Commandant Lassard and the cadets drive away from the raging crowd, they collide with a meat truck bearing the inscription "Maslansky`s Bologna." This is a playful reference to one of the film's producers, Paul Maslansky.
Similar movies
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Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
