This early Ron Howard effort is somewhat forgotten in the aftermath of his big-budget hits that have come in the last decade. That is too bad, because this is probably Howard's best comedy and it is one of the funniest movies you will ever see.
The story centers on Chuck Lumley (played by Henry Winkler), a nebbish who works at the city morgue after leaving his high powered finance job due to stress. Chuck is a loser who cannot face up to any kind of bully, including his fiance. After being relegated to the night shift, Chuck is teamed with a morgue new-comer, Bill Blazejowski (Michael Keaton at his maniacal best). Bill, who likes to be called Billy Blaze, is "an idea man". When Chuck's prostitute next-door neighbor (Shelly Long) loses her pimp, Bill's new idea is to use the morgue to run a call-girl ring. Doesn't sound funny? Well, trust me, it is hilarious.
Keaton steals the show with his over-the-top performance. His high-energy comedy is the perfect contrast to Winkler's nerdy Chuck. Winkler, in a departure at the time from his Happy Days role as the Fonze, is also dryly funny. The supporting cast (most of whom made their mark on t.v., not movies) is also fantastic. The prostitutes, lead by Long, combine looks and humor. Richard Belzer (Homocide), Pat Corley (Murphy Brown), Gina Hecht (Mork and Mindy) and Derek Munoz (Freaks and Geeks) are among those who provide memorable moments in small roles. Clint Howard as usual has a role in his brother's film and is very funny as a loser who employees the services of Chuck and Bill.
And, as a previous reviewer noted, this movie is ripe with great, quotable movie lines.
And, as a previous reviewer noted, this movie is ripe with great, quotable movie lines.
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