Police Academy

"You make me sick."

"Thank you, sir.  I make everybody sick."

The newly elected mayor has removed the law that restricts the qualifications for police cadets.  Her actions frustrate Police Chief Henry Hurnst (George R. Robertson) and other members of the police force.  Hurnst orders Commandant Eric Lassard (Gaynes) to accept all candidates, but encourages Lieutenant Harris (Bailey) to force the undesirables to quit.

The police academy is overwhelmed with cadets, who move onto the campus for the duration of their training.  Carey Mahoney (Guttenberg) enters the academy as an alternate to prison.  His father was a well-known and respected police officer, but Mahoney spends more time on the other side of the law.  He also recruits Larvell Jones (Winslow), who is a human beatbox.  They are joined by trigger-happy security guard Eugene Tackleberry (Graf), ladies man George Martin (Rubin), pushover Leslie Barbara (Scott), timid Laverne Hooks (Ramsey), gentle giant Moses Hightower (Smith), and wealthy Karen Thompson (Cattrall) among others.  Can they survive training wht Harris and Sergeant Debbie Callahan (Easterbrook) to officially join the police force?


Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, this film launched a film franchise.  The film was written by Neal Israel and Pat Proft.  They wrote the screenplay with Hugh Wilson, who also directed the film.  The film was produced Paul Maslansky, who was one of the few people to be involved in all 7 films (Police Academy in 1984, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment 1985, Police Academy 3: Back in Training in 1986, Police Academy 4: Citizens of Patrol 1987, Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach in 1988, Police Academy 6: City Under Siege in 1989, and Police Academy: Mission to Moscow in 1994).

The film is funny and makes the most of it's cast.  It launched the careers of many of the cast members.

In addition to the 7 films, Warner Brothers made a TV show, Police Academy: The Series.  It ran for 26 episodes from 1997-1998 and featured several cast members from the film franchise.

Police Academy (1984) 96 minutes
Director: Hugh Wilson
Starring: Steve Guttenberg as Carey Mahoney
Bubba Smith as Moses Hightower
Kim Cattrall as Karen Thompson
G.W. Bailey as Lieutenant Thaddeus Harris
Donovan Scott as Leslie Barbara
George Gaynes Commandant Eric Lassard
Michael Winslow as Larvell Jones
Andrew Rubin as George Martin
David Graf as Eugene Tackleberry
Leslie Easterbrook as Sergeant Debbie Callahan
Bruce Mahler as Douglas Fackler
Marion Ramsey as Laverne Hooks
Brant Von Hoffman as Kyle Blankes
Scott Thomson as Chad Copeland