Night Shift | |
---|---|
Night Shift movie poster
|
|
Directed by | Ron Howard |
Produced by | Brian Grazer |
Written by |
Lowell Ganz Babaloo Mandel |
Starring | |
Music by | Burt Bacharach |
Cinematography | James Crabe |
Edited by | Robert James Kern Mike Hill Daniel P. Hanley |
Production
company |
|
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date
|
|
Running time
|
105 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $21,095,638 |
Night Shift is a 1982 American comedy film, directed by Ron Howard, concerning a timid night shift morgue employee whose life is turned upside down by a free-spirited entrepreneur. It stars Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler along with Michael Keaton, in his first starring role, and Shelley Long. Also appearing are Richard Belzer and Clint Howard. A young Kevin Costner has a brief scene as "Frat Boy #1", Shannen Doherty appears as a Bluebell scout, and Vincent Schiavelli plays a man who delivers a sandwich to Winkler's character.
Winkler was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, while Keaton won the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Chuck (Winkler), formerly a successful stockbroker, has found a refuge from the ulcer-inducing Wall Street rat race in his job as an attendant at the New York City morgue. His displeasure at being "promoted" to Night Shift Supervisor to make room for his boss's nephew is exacerbated by the irrational exuberance of Bill "Blaze" Blazejowski (Keaton), his new co-worker. They are inspired by the plight of Chuck's prostitute neighbor, Belinda (Long), 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 undercover cops 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 guys 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 breaks up with him.