Police Academy (film series)
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Police Academy was a long-running series of comedy films, the first six of which were made in the 1980s. The seventh and last installment, Mission to Moscow, was released in 1994.
The series opened with Police Academy (1984) which started with the premise that a new mayor had announced a policy requiring the police department to accept all willing recruits. The movie followed a group of misfit recruits in their attempts to prove themselves capable of being police officers. The main character, Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), was a repeat offender who was forced to join the police academy as punishment.
In general, all of the movies and television shows depended on low-brow humor, usually based on simple characterizations and physical comedy. As with many similar movies, the theme was a group of underdogs struggling to prove themselves while various stereotyped authority figures tried to suppress them. The sequels have not been well received by some critics over the years; in 2004, the magazine Total Film said that making more than one Police Academy was the eighth "dumbest decision in movie history".
The first film grossed $81.2 million in North America, with the following films earning $150 million in total. It spawned five sequels, released in consecutive years, and a seventh sequel, Police Academy: Mission to Moscow, was released in 1994.
[edit] Main characters
[edit] Carey Mahoney
Played by: Steve Guttenberg
Mahoney is the lead character of the first four movies of the series. A troublemaking, womanizing cad with a heart of gold, whose worst habit is retaliating against insults in bizarrely effective ways. For instance, the last straw before his police career was when he was a parking lot attendant when he was forced to park a car of an abusive driver in a full parking lot; he put the car into a side-wheelie and crashed it between two cars and proudly proclaims, "It fits!". Mahoney was forced to join the police academy as an alternative to jailtime after several minor run-ins with the law. He is best known for protecting Cmndt. Lassard and playing practical jokes on Harris, Mauser and Proctor as the three view Mahoney to be unworthy of being a police officer due to his carefree attitude about life. Despite his womanizing and his habit of breaking the rules, Mahoney is portrayed as being a good and courageous person willing to help those in need, regardless of the consequences. The fact that he graduates with a decoration for bravery speaks to that personal valor.
[edit] Moses Hightower
Played by: Bubba Smith
Featured in six of the seven films, Hightower was a florist before joining the academy. He is best known for his immense stature and inhuman strength (Hightower practices for his driving test by ripping the front seat out of a compact car (a 1977 Honda Civic owned by Copeland), and steering comfortably from the back). However, he is the most soft-spoken of all the characters. His character often breaks things or uses force to threaten the bad guys. He can also drop easily into bad-cop mode, to gain the trust of crooks he's about to arrest. However, he too graduated from the academy with a decoration for bravery, and eventually made Lieutenant.
In the sixth movie, in pursuit of the Wilson Heights Gang, the only time he actually acknowledges himself being angry is when he is almost injured in by the largest of the Wilson Heights Gang criminals. When he gets up after having construction zone items fall on him, Hightower notices that his name pin was displaced and says to himself, "Now I'm mad."
[edit] Eugene Tackleberry
Played by: David Graf
Tackleberry is in all seven films and is best known for his love of firearms. He is portrayed as a Rambo-type figure in the movies. In the second film, it is revealed that although he is 28 years old, he is still a virgin. However, upon meeting his police partner, a beautiful and equally gun-obsessed woman, Sgt. Kathleen Kirkland (played by Colleen Camp), he falls in love and they eventually get married. This leads to a series of gags involving the Kirkland family, featuring a father and son whose jibes and admonishments are usually punctuated by a good-natured-yet-brutal punch to the jaw. The mother sees the sadistic horseplay as all in good fun. Unfortunately, David Graf died of cardiac arrest in April of 2001.
[edit] Larvell Jones
Played by: Michael Winslow
Jones is one of the key characters in the series and is famous for making sound effects with his mouth. He is one of the characters often remembered from the films as he uses his ability to make noises to play pranks and deceive both criminals and authority figures. Jones is able to clearly imitate such sounds as a flat tire, a couple noisily eating fast food, and, memorably, a badly-dubbed martial arts star when he defeats a trio of hoods bullying an Asian grocer. This revealed Jones' expertise in martial arts. He also has an ability to communicate with parrots, training them to call Captain Harris a "dork." Larvell is the only character to appear in all of the movies, the television series and the animated series.
[edit] Laverne Hooks
Played by: Marion Ramsey
Hooks is a soft-spoken, unassertive woman who often has trouble putting people in line. However, she is known for becoming aggressive and authoratative when frustrated, punching people out or pulling her service weapon, uttering the memorable phrase: "Don't move, dirtbag!"
[edit] Kathleen Kirkland
Played by: Colleen Camp
Sergeant Kathleen Kirkland started on the second film as a trainer, and eventually married Eugene Tackleberry. Authoritative and gun-crazy, she makes the perfect match for Tackleberry. She is from a police family, her father and brother being police officers themselves. She is best known for her army-style mannerisms and commands.
[edit] Debbie Callahan
Played by: Leslie Easterbrook
This character is best known for her pure sex appeal, specifically her large breasts, which provided the series with countless sight gags. A more serious version of Tackleberry, Callahan is portrayed as a stoic, no-nonsense officer who is both physically and sexually aggressive. She is an avid weightlifter and also knows martial arts. In the first film, she has a relationship with Cadet Martin; in the third and fourth film, she has a relationship with Japanese foreign-exchange cadet, Nagata. She is in 6 of the 7 films (having not appeared in number 2), and eventually makes Captain.
[edit] Eric Lassard
Played by: George Gaynes
Eric Lassard is Commandant, or head, of the Metropolitan Police Academy (sometimes also called the Midcity Police Academy). He is initially not into the politics of the police department. When Chief Hurst and Lieutenant Harris are denouncing the new female mayor's policy change to remove race and sex as barriers from academy admissions, he plays along with them and quickly dismisses their comments once they've left the room. A few years later, however, he will initiate a program known as Citizens on Patrol (COP), which is a community outreach course. Lassard featured in all seven films. He is often portrayed as benevolent yet clueless, fond of his accident-prone goldfish and of making longwinded, optimistic speeches about the future of the academy.
[edit] Thaddeus Harris
Played by: G.W. Bailey
"Mister Nasty" of the police academy, he always attempts to discredit Lassard and his men, but ends up being the butt of most of the jokes. He is followed everywhere by his lackey Proctor. He generally seems to be success-driven, at the cost of Lassard and his men. Started as Lieutenant in the first film but is Captain in other films to come.
[edit] Proctor
Played by: Lance Kinsey
Gullible sidekick to Harris (or Mauser). He is portrayed as a fool or dimwit. He is generally nicer than Harris or Mauser and is often just following orders, which he mostly manages to screw up.
[edit] Mauser
Played by: Art Metrano
Mauser (or Miser in the series) is a similar character to Harris, and his role in the movies is essentially the same. Playing a ruthless and demeaning, success-driven officer, Mauser is often the butt of many of the jokes played by Lassard's men. His lackey is also Proctor. He only appeared in Police Academy 2 and 3. In Police Academy 2, he tricks his way into becoming Captain of the Precinct. In Police Academy 3, he is Commandant of the rival police academy.
[edit] Sweetchuck
Played by: Tim Kazurinsky
Sweetchuck joined as a cadet in the third movie after an appearance in the second. A stereotypical nerd, Sweetchuck's diminutive size and geeky appearance provided many gags, usually in relation to his physical weakness or as a foil for fellow recruit Zed.
Sweetchuck first appeared in the second film as a shop owner terrorized by Zed and his gang. In the third film, Sweetchuck decides to join the police force; unfortunately, his former tormentor Zed joins in the same class. The two became mismatched roommates.
[edit] Zed
Played by: Bobcat Goldthwait
In the second film, Zed is portrayed as a hyperactive, antisocial gang leader with eccentric mannerisms, appearance, and taste. Many gags are based around Zed's fondness for things that contrast with his wild-man image, such as Family Affair and Mickey Mouse watches. Zed is almost like a child, admonishing his cronies to "act their age" while they trash a supermarket and thanking the cashier for the "great bargains" (as his gang trundle shopping carts full of food out of the store). Zed was caught at the end of the second film.
In the third film, Zed inexplicably joins the police force. He often brings trouble to Sweetchuck, who was the subject of harassment during their civilian years. They become roommates while they are both training at the Police Academy and they manage to get along (to an extent) with each other in time. He suffers from inability to speak properly and often squeaks or swallows his words. He falls in love in the fourth film with Laura, one of the Citizens On Patrol.
[edit] Nick Lassard
Played by: Matt McCoy
Nephew of Eric Lassard, he appears in the fifth and sixth films. Nick is an officer in the Miami police department in the fifth film, where he falls in love with another cop. In the sixth film, Nick replaces Mahoney's character as the lead prankster. Mahoney and Nick's characters are very similar, as much as Harris and Mauser.
[edit] Douglas Fackler
Played by: Bruce Mahler
Bespectacled and accident-prone police officer who unknowingly causes injury and havoc to just about everyone and everything in his path. He appears in the first, second, third, and sixth movies. In a parody of the scene with his wife's reluctance to let him be a policeman, he shows similar opposition to his wife joining the new recruits in the third film, by jumping on the car's hood and riding it from their home to the police academy.
[edit] Chad Copeland
Played by: Scott Thomson
He is one of the cadets who spies for Mauser and Harris. He is often fooled into walking in the gay bar, The Blue Oyster. He appeared in the first, third and fourth films.
[edit] Kyle Blankes
Played by: Brant Van Hoffman
Along with Copeland, he was often the comic foil for Mahoney and the other officers. He only appeared in the first and third films.
[edit] Henry J. Hurst
Played by: George R. Robertson
Initially chief of police, he was later promoted to commissioner. He is strict but fair and does not like to be taken for a ride. He sometimes appears concerned about Commandant Lassard's behavior. He is often bothered by the several attempts to curry favors that Harris and Mauser do.
[edit] Pete Lassard
Played by: Howard Hesseman
Capt. Pete Lassard, brother of Cmdnt. Lassard, appeared as the captain of the precinct from the second film. This precinct is where the new academy graduates were first posted.
[edit] Movie details
[edit] Police Academy
A new mayor has announced a policy requiring the police department to accept all willing recruits. The movie followed a group of misfit recruits in their attempts to prove themselves capable of being police officers and their adventures at the police academy.
Released: 1984
Director: Hugh Wilson
Characters:
- Chief Henry Hurst
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Reed (Ted Ross)
- Lt. Thaddeus Harris
- Sgt. Debbie Callahan
- Cadet Cpt. Kyle Blankes
- Cadet Cpt. Chad Copeland
- Cadet Carey Mahoney
- Cadet Moses Hightower
- Cadet Eugene Tackleberry
- Cadet Larvell Jones
- Cadet Douglas Fackler
- Cadet Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall)
- Cadet Leslie Barbara (Donovan Scott)
- Cadet George Martin (Andrew Rubin)
- Mrs. Fackler (Debralee Scott)
This film is number 59 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies".
[edit] Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
The newly graduated cadets are sent to one of the worst precincts in the city to improve the conditions. Lt. Mauser undermines their attempts so that he can get Capt. Lassard fired and get the position in charge.
Released: 1985
Director: Jerry Paris
Characters:
- Chief Henry Hurst
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Peter Lassard
- Lt. Mauser
- Sgt. Proctor
- Sgt. Kathleen Kirkland
- Officer Carey Mahoney
- Officer Moses Hightower
- Officer Eugene Tackleberry
- Officer Larvell Jones
- Officer Douglas Fackler
- Officer Laverne Hooks
- Chief Henry Hurst
- Zed
- Sweetchuck
[edit] Police Academy 3: Back in Training
When the governor of the state announces that budget cuts are in order to get rid of the worse of the two police academies, the Metropolitan police academy, led by Cmndt. Lassard, work on ensuring it is not theirs. This is hindered by their unusual gang of new cadets.
Released: 1986
Director: Jerry Paris
Characters:
- Chief Henry Hurst
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Cmndt. Mauser, Midcity Police Academy
- Cpt. Proctor
- Lt. Debbie Callahan
- Sgt. Carey Mahoney
- Sgt. Moses Hightower
- Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Sgt. Larvell Jones
- Sgt. Douglas Fackler
- Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Sgt. Kyle Blankes
- Sgt. Chad Copeland
- Cadet Nogata (Brian Tochi)
- Cadet Zed
- Cadet Sweetchuck
- Cadet Karen Adams (Shawn Weatherly)
[edit] Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
New recruits are brought in when the officers work with a newly formed Citizens On Patrol group. However, Harris and Proctor are in charge and plan to dismantle the program.
Released: 1987
Director: Jim Drake
Characters:
- Commissioner Henry Hurst
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Thaddeus Harris
- Lt. Proctor
- Lt. Debbie Callahan
- Sgt. Carey Mahoney
- Sgt. Moses Hightower
- Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Sgt. Larvell Jones
- Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Sgt. Chad Copeland
- Officer Zed
- Officer Sweetchuck
- Claire Mattson (Sharon Stone)
- Butterworth (David McGrath)
- C.O.P. Mrs. Lois Feldman (Billie Bird)
- C.O.P. Laura (Corinne Bohrer)
- C.O.P. Artie (Brian Backer)
- C.O.P. Kyle (David Spade)
- C.O.P. Thomas "House" Conklin (Tab Thacker)
[edit] Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach
The officers attend a police convention in Florida where Cmndt. Lassard inadvertently switches his briefcase with that of a group of jewel thieves. The thieves try to get it back.
Released: 1988
Director: Alan Myerson
Characters:
- Commissioner Henry Hurst
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Thaddeus Harris
- Lt. Proctor
- Lt. Debbie Callahan
- Sgt. Nick Lassard
- Sgt. Moses Hightower
- Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Sgt. Larvell Jones
- Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Officer Thomas Conklin (House)
- Commissioner Hurst
- Kate (Janet Jones)
- Tony (Rene Auberjonois)
[edit] Police Academy 6: City Under Siege
When the city suffers from a dangerous set of crimes by a gang of jewel thieves, the Metropolitan Police Academy graduates are brought in to do something about it.
Released: 1989
Director: Peter Bonerz
Characters:
- Commissioner Henry Hurst
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Debbie Callahan
- Capt. Thaddeus Harris
- Lt. Proctor
- Lt. Moses Hightower
- Sgt. Nick Lassard
- Sgt. Douglas Fackler
- Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Sgt. Larvell Jones
- Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Commissioner Hurst
- The Mayor/Mastermind (Kenneth Mars)
- Ace (Gerrit Graham)
- Flash (Brian Seeman)
- Ox (Darwyn Swalve)
[edit] Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow
The officers go to Russia to help catch an international crime figure.
Released: 1994
Director: Alan Metter
Characters:
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Debbie Callahan
- Capt. Thaddeus Harris
- Lt. Talisnky (Gregg Berger)
- Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Sgt. Larvell Jones
- Cadet Kyle Connors (Charlie Schlatter)
- Commandant Alexandrei Nikolaivich Rakov (Christopher Lee)
- Konstantine Konali (Ron Perlman)
- Katrina (Claire Forlani)
- Adam Sharp (Richard Israel)
[edit] Police Academy 8: 2007 (Maybe Cancelled)
Status : 'Waiting for a Producer to get independent financing'
Plans were in motion for an eighth Police Academy MAHONEY edition film to be released in 2007 after a decade of absence. Says series creator Paul Maslansky: "I felt it was time to start again. Saw that Starsky & Hutch and a number of other revivals were doing really well. Police Academy has such a great history. I thought, 'Why not?'" [1]
Most of the main cast members were due to return, except David Graf (Eugene Tackleberry), who died of a heart attack in April of 2001. Hugh Wilson was slated to direct.
Leslie Easterbrook and Marion Ramsey mentioned that filming for the next Police Academy film was due to start shooting in summer 2006 for a release in 2007. The film was shelved (cancelled) in October, 2006.
Leslie Easterbrook says in December 2006 that there is still hope for a direct to DVD sequel: "I think Warner Home Video wanted to do one straight to video and that seemed like a good idea. The last I heard, Warner wants to do it, but they want a producer to get independent financing."
Characters:
- Thaddeus Harris (G.W. Bailey)
- Debbie Callahan (Leslie Easterbrook)
- Eric Lassard (George Gaynes)
- Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg)
- Carl Sweetchuck (Tim Kazurinsky)
- Proctor (Lance Kinsey)
- Douglas Fackler (Bruce Mahler)
- Laverne Hooks (Marion Ramsey)
- Henry Hurst (George R. Robertson)
- Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith)
- Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow)
[edit] Quotes
- Harris: "You make me sick."
- Mahoney: Thank you sir, I make everybody sick.
- Captain Harris approaches a bar where Cmdt. Lassard, Chief Hurst, Chief Murdock, and the Mayor of Miami is seated. He does not realize what had been burned on to his chest.
- Harris: "Oh, Mr. Mayor. Excuse me sir. I don't mean to insult your city, but the people on this beach are very rude and hostile."
- Mayor: "Well, I'm sorry to hear that...Captain Dork!"
- Everyone breaks down laughing. Captain Harris finally realizes that the word "Dork" had been burned on to his chest.
Later, Jones is seen talking to a parrot at a pet store. Harris and Proctor walk by the pet store as Jones leaves.
- Parrot: *squawks* Hey Dork! Hey Dork!
- Hooks: "DON'T MOVE, DIRTBAG!!!!" (recurring line)
- In Capt. Harris' office, Proctor is playing with Harris' Newton's cradle.
- Harris: (screams) "DON'T TOUCH THOSE! DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY BALLS WITHOUT ASKING!"
- Slowly turning to see the entire squad (who can't see the newton's cradle) watching them
- Academy dormitory, Cadet Nogata is walking to Jones' room, and hears a house beat playing. He opens the door to find Jones himself providing the beat, pretending to play a synthesizer.
- Nogata: "Excuse me, perhaps I should come back later, when all is well with your mind?"
- Jones pretends to pull an earphone from his ear
- Jones: "My mind's about as well as it gets, but you look a little tense."
[edit] Theme Song
- There is an instrumental theme used throughout the series. However, a pop song entitled I'm Gonna be Somebody by Jack Mack is used at the end of #1. For #4, a rap song (with the same title as the film) Citizens on Patrol was written by John Debney and sung by Michael Winslow & The L.A. Dream Team.
[edit] Television details
There were also two syndicated television series loosely based on the movies; an animated series in 1988 lasting two seasons, and a live action series starring Joe Flaherty in 1997, lasting only one season. Some notable episodes which was a tie in to Marvel comics, were the appearance of the Kingpin villain. This was unique as Kingpin normally is confronted by Marvel characters such as Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Punisher, but in this case was being pursued solely by the Police Academy group who were police officers with no supernatural abilities.
[edit] Voices
- Dan Hennessey as Zed and Tackleberry
- Howard Morris as Sweetchuck and the Professor
- Greg Morton as Jones and Hightower
- Suzette Myers as Anchor
- Len Carlson as Captain Harris
- Noam Zylberman as Bobby and Bill
- Ron Rubin as Mahoney
- Denise Pidgeon as Callahan and Hooks
- Don Francks as House and Proctor
- Tedd Dillon as Commander Lassard
- Rex Hagon as Mauser
[edit] Additional Voices
- Colin O'Meara
- Jeri Craden
- Michael Stark
- Gordon Masten
- Harvey Atkin
- Tara Strong
- Marvin Goldhar
- Doug Stratton
- Rob Cowan
- Don McManus
- Alyson Court
- George Buza
- Edie Mirman
- Dorian Joe Clark
- Anthony Correa
- Catherine Gallant
- Charles W. Gray
- Greg Swanson
- Susan Roman
- Paulina Gillis
- Catherine Disher
- Gary Crawford
- Elizabeth Hanna
- John Stocker
- Stephen Ouimette
- Thick Wilson
- Michael Lamport
- Paul Haddad
- Stuart Stone
- Tony Daniels
- Terri Hawkes
- Stephanie Morgenstern
- Robert Cait
- Linda Sorensen
- Allen Stewart Coates
- R. Nelson Brown
Categories: 1980s American television series | 1990s American television series | Animated television series | American comedy television series | Fictional police officers | Film series | Police Academy film series | Television series by Warner Bros. Television | Television shows set in Washington | Vancouver television series
