Night Shift Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1982

Night Shift was an early 80's offbeat romantic comedy featuring a mismatched pair of morgue workers that come up with the idea of turning the city morgue into a high-class prostitution ring that provided a safe, respectful atmosphere for mistreated women-of-the-night. The well-meaning duo soon learns that the road to hell is paved with good intentions as their perfect plan begins to unravel.

Directed by Ron Howard and starring Henry Winkler, Michael Keaton and Shelley Long, Night Shift is a fun look at some of the early 80's movie and television talent. The premise is goofy and the humor sometimes falls flat, yet despite all that the movie remains entertaining due to the sheer charisma of the main stars. They all gel together extremely well, perfectly complimenting each other's quirks and style.

Henry Winkler stars as Chuck Lumley, a timid morgue employee that is content with his low-stress, safe lifestyle. Winkler's performance deserves special accolades for he played a role very different from the cocky "Fonz" on the Happy Days television series. He's very convincing as a low-key individual that doesn't want to rock the boat with his neurotic girlfriend and/or those who abuse his meekness.

Michael Keaton gives an absolutely stand-out performance as Bill Blazejowski, a new morgue employee that partners with Lumley and turns his life around. Blazejowski is an idealistic young man with a manic, carefree streak… a lifestyle diametrically opposed to that of his partner. Yet despite their differences, the two compliment each other, both as characters and actors.

When Lumpley's neighbor, a beautiful prostitute named Belinda (Shelley Long), loses her former pimp to a fatal run-in with a competing gangster, Blazejowski comes up with a novel idea: since they both work the night shift at the morgue, which is normally dead, why not start up their own prostitution ring and run it from there? By doing this they can take Belinda and her fellow prostitutes off the dangerous streets and allow them to earn more money while also getting rich themselves.

Lumley eventually agrees, and their business becomes an instant success. But as the money rolls in, Lumley and Belinda start developing a romantic interest in each other. This soon becomes a problem when Lumley wants Belinda to quit the prostitution business, a desire she doesn't share.

But that's only the beginning of the problems this threesome will face, as they learn that it's easy to run afoul of rival pimps and cops alike in the business. Will things work out in the end? You'll have to watch Night Shift to find out.

If I had to rate this movie purely on a laughter scale, I'd give it a pretty average score. There are definitely some laughs to be found by both plot scenarios and Keaton's over-the-top performance, but the film wasn't a laugh a minute for me. Nor do I think it was meant to be. Night Shift thrives on the pleasing performances of its leads, and it was a gamble worth taking.

Those looking for a good-natured comedy should enjoy this look at an odd couple trying to run a novel, if not exactly legal, business from the place people would least expect it. Night Shift dishes up a serving of laughs and delightful star power.

Movie rating: 7 stars

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