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.
