Night Shift

They don't seem to make comedies like this anymore, but thankfully, they did once. "Night Shift," directed by Ron Howard, stars Michael Keaton, Henry Winkler, and Shelley Long. Winkler plays Chuck Lumley, a securities broker who may have had a nervous breakdown - anyway, he has taken a job at the morgue so he can be in a quiet place. When he's transferred to the night shift, it ruins his time with his eternally dieting fiancée (Gina Hecht).

Worse than that, Chuck's quiet is shattered by a new employee, Bill Blazejowski (Keaton), who talks into a tape recorder and runs a limo service using the hearses. When Chuck's attractive neighbor, Belinda, a hooker, is in need of a pimp, Bill gathers her and her friends, and he and Chuck run a prostitution service out of the morgue. They take much less of a cut than the average pimp, and Chuck invests their money for them, and gets health insurance for them.

This is a really fun movie, with a terrific performance by Keaton as a wild man whose sense of adventure is infectious to the down and out Winkler. Winkler is the anti-Fonz, and he's wonderful. I had the pleasure of interviewing him once. He's one of the warmest, most natural people one could ever meet. Shelley Long is both funny and sympathetic as Belinda.

Very entertaining.

NIGHT SHIFT (1982) ***1/2 Henry Winkler, Shelley Long, Michael Keaton, Richard Belzer, Clint Howard. Fast paced and funny black comedy about a prostitution ring run from a NYC morgue and odd couple attendants Winkler and Keaton (in an amazing and hysterical film debut) as their pimps. Great dialogue and sharp direction by Ron Howard in this, his first big-budgeted directorial debut*. Look sharply for Kevin Costner as a frat boy in the morgue party scene. Best line: Keaton's Billy Blazejowski: "Is this a great country or what?!" Interesting note: closing song "That's What Friends Are For" sung by Rod Stewart is the same song later sung by Elton John & co. for AIDS benefit proceeds. * I know... Howard directed previously "Grand Theft Auto" for Roger Corman, so lighten up , Francis!

Very funny comedy from Ron Howard. Winkler and Keaton are a great duo and they team up very successfully from what I see. The whole premise is completely absurd, but you never know, it could happen. Nonetheless, engaging performances and great humor serve up a very good film. 9/10

... well actually several of them are. The film is based on a true story of a couple of morgue employees caught running a brothel out of the morgue at night.

You have Michael Keaton in his breakout role acting like...well..Michael Keaton, at least pre "Clean and Sober" Michael Keaton, with his smart remarks and cheery yet loser persona. You've got Henry Winkler as a guy who just lets people walk on him to the point that he's engaged to a woman he really doesn't love because she is there, and just takes it when he's moved from his day post at the morgue to the night shift with Keaton's Bill "Blaze" Blazejowski. Winker's character, Chuck, got to this sad state of affairs when he had a nervous breakdown working on Wall Street, even though he is a talented investor. Since then he's decided the best way to get through life is keep his head down and keep a low profile.

But then his night shift brings a little sunshine his way in the person of prostitute Belinda (Shelley Long), who is getting home about the time that Chuck does, and they begin to have breakfast together and get to know each other. When Belinda is injured by a client because she doesn't have a pimp, Bill talks Chuck into letting Belinda and her friends work for them, and Chuck agrees to invest the girls' money so they'll have a nest egg.

Eventually Chuck and Belinda fall in love, with Chuck assuming Belinda will quit prostitution. Belinda asks the pertinent question - "And do what?". She asks it tearfully, because of course she doesn't like this life, we really never get any background as to how she got here, but future employers would want to know what she was doing with this big blank space on her resume and she knows she has no acceptable answer.

The whole situation comes to a head when other pimps don't care for Bill and Chuck cutting in on their territory. And then there is the little matter of undercover cops. I'll let you watch and see how this all works out.

This would probably just be a six if it weren't for the important place it holds in film history. It is the first feature film directed by Ron Howard at only age 28, and he did a very able job his first time out. It boosted the careers of both Michael Keaton and Shelley Long, who was less than a month away from beginning her star making role on Cheers. And then there is the film's theme song "That's What Friends are For" that was rerecorded in 1985, became a hit, and whose proceeds went to benefit the American Foundation for AIDS.

And what of Henry Winkler who was top billed here? Well, even though he was nominated for awards for this performance, it was pretty much downhill from here professionally. Since 1973 Winkler had built the reputation as the ultimate Eisenhower era alpha male - Fonzie - on the long running TV show "Happy Days". He was a cross between Brando and Elvis. People stepped out of his way when he walked down the street, and he would snap his fingers and several beautiful girls would come running just to be on his arm. A great performance as a man who is a walking doormat through most of the film does not mean that it enlarged his fan base.

I'd say watch it for its place in film history for all the reasons I gave. Even if you weren't alive at the time, the film is at least mildly amusing. Also watch out for cameos by Richard Belzer (Munch on Homicide and then Special Victims Unit), Kevin Costner, and of course Clint Howard who I don't think ever got an acting job without big brother's help, with the exception of maybe his part on TV show Gentle Ben.

In my humble opinion, Ron Howard should have tried directing R rated comedies more often during his career as he shows here to have a real knack for it. Written by frequent collaborators Lowell Ganz and "Babaloo" Mandel, and marking an early joint effort for him and producer Brian Grazer, "Night Shift" is not only an agreeably saucy film, but the writers and director are also able to mine this material for a lot of heart, and the actors create likable, memorable characters. Howards' 'Happy Days' co-star Henry Winkler shines in a part far removed from that of the ultra-cool Fonz. He's Chuck Lumley, a timid, nerdy type who got stressed out working as an investment counselor and sought the peace and quiet of working in the city morgue. This doesn't last long when he's forced to work the night shift and partnered with wild man Bill "Blaze" Blazejowski (Michael Keaton, in one hell of a film debut), a talkative "idea man". Among his ideas are edible paper, therefore cutting down on garbage, and feeding mayonnaise to tunafish. Anyway, things take a bizarre turn for Chuck after he's made friends with Belinda (Shelley Long), a sweet hooker who's moved into his building. Her pimp has been knocked off and now her johns are taking advantage of her. So after some thought he agrees to Bills' idea that they should become the pimps for Belinda and all of her gal pals. This is great fun all the way through, with Keaton completely stealing the show as Blaze, and getting most of the good lines. Long admittedly makes for a rather unlikely hooker, but she still has a lot of appeal here and does look very nice cooking eggs in her underwear. The film does go on for quite a bit but is entertaining enough that you don't feel that much time going by. An impressive amount of familiar faces fill out supporting and bit parts: Gina Hecht, Pat Corley, Bobby Di Cicco, Nita Talbot, Howards' brother Clint, Joe Spinell, Richard Belzer, Grand L. Bush, Charles Fleischer, Vincent Schiavelli, Michael Pataki, Howard himself in dual cameo roles, Shannen Doherty, and Kevin Costner (you have to be quick to spot him) as a frat boy. Good score (by Burt Bacharach) and songs (by Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager); the songs include "That's What Friends Are For", sung by Rod Stewart, years before it was a hit for Dionne Warwick & Friends.

Here's just a couple of lines to pique your interest:

"This is Chuck to remind Bill to SHUT UP!" "Call Star-Kist." "Oh, that Barney Rubble...what an actor!" "LOOOVE brokers!"

All in all, it's an 80s comedy worth seeking out or rediscovering.

Eight out of 10.