Police Academy

Police Academy (1984)

Timing: 1:37 (97 min)

6.697/10
2963

7.865/10
150692

6.7/10
148000

All about film

Video 3

Photo 50

Actors and characters

Release date

1984-03-22

Country

United States

Production

Warner Bros. Pictures, The Ladd Company, Warner Bros.

Genre

Comedy, Crime

Budget

$4 500 000

Revenue

$81 198 894

Website

https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/police-academy/

Director

Hugh Wilson

Actors

Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall, G.W. Bailey, Bubba Smith, Donovan Scott, George Gaynes, Andrew Rubin, David Graf, Leslie Easterbrook, Michael Winslow
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Paul Maslansky, Alan Ladd Jr., Gareth Wigan

Operator

Michael D. Margulies

Composer

Robert Folk

Artist

Audition

Fern Champion, Pamela Basker

Editing

Zach Staenberg, Robert Brown
All team (163)

• 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.
• Michael Winslow (Jones), David Graf (Tackleberry), and George Gaines (Commandant Lassard) are the only actors to appear in all seven installments of "Police Academy".
• 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.
• After Commandant Lassard and the cadets drive away from the rioting crowd, they collide with a meat truck that reads "Maslansky's Bologna." This is a humorous reference to one of the film's producers, Paul Maslansky.
• 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.