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Police Academy

Call them slobs. Call them jerks. Call them gross. Just don't call them when you're in trouble.
1984 | 97m | English

(146293 votes)

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Popularity: 5 (history)

Details

New rules enforced by the Lady Mayoress mean that sex, weight, height and intelligence need no longer be a factor for joining the Police Force. This opens the floodgates for all and sundry to enter the Police Academy, much to the chagrin of the instructors. Not everyone is there through choice, though. Social misfit Mahoney has been forced to sign up as the only alternative to a jail sentence and it doesn't take long before he falls foul of the boorish Lieutenant Harris. But before long, Mahoney realises that he is enjoying being a police cadet and decides he wants to stay... while Harris decides he wants Mahoney out!
Release Date: Mar 22, 1984
Director: Hugh Wilson
Writer: Hugh Wilson, Neal Israel, Pat Proft
Genres: Comedy, Crime
Keywords trainer, recruit, shenanigan, police academy
Production Companies The Ladd Company
Box Office Revenue: $81,198,894
Budget: $4,500,000
Updates Updated: Aug 04, 2025
Entered: Apr 13, 2024
Trailers and Extras

Full Credits

Name Character
Steve Guttenberg Carey Mahoney
Kim Cattrall Karen Thompson
G.W. Bailey Lieutenant Harris
Bubba Smith Moses Hightower
Donovan Scott Leslie Barbara
George Gaynes Commandant Lassard
Andrew Rubin George Martin
David Graf Tackleberry
Leslie Easterbrook Sergeant Callahan
Michael Winslow Larvell Jones
Debralee Scott Mrs. Fackler
Bruce Mahler Doug Fackler
Ted Ross Captain Reed
Scott Thomson Chad Copeland
Brant von Hoffman Kyle Blankes
Marion Ramsey Laverne Hooks
Georgina Spelvin Hooker
Doug Lennox Main Bad Guy
George R. Robertson Chief Hurst
Don Lake Mr. Wig
Bill Lynn Parking Lot Manager
Michael J. Reynolds Office Executive
Joyce Gordon Mrs. Thompson
Don Payne Barber
Bruce McFee Supply Clerk
Beth Amos Little Old Lady
Araby Lockhart Mrs. Lassard
Barry Greene Cadet with Hat
Gary Farmer Sidewalk Store Owner
Josef Field Blue Oyster Dancer
Gary Colwell Blue Oyster Dancer
James Bearden Driver
Fred Brigham Street Punk
Marco Bianco Tough
Ted Hanlan Tough
F. Braun McAsh Tough
Rob Watson Tough
Roger Dunn Booking Sergeant
Vladimir Bondarenko Officer
J. Winston Carroll Officer
David Clement Officer
George E. Zeeman Officer
Gino Marrocco Arresting Cop
Gene Mack Street Thug
Bob Collins Drill Instructor
Danny Pawlick Pool Hall Man
Ruth Sisberg Mayor
Peter Cox Bar Patron
Danny Lima Bar Patron
Dwayne McLean Bar Patron
Brent Meyer Bar Patron
Carole Alderson Martin's Lady
Suzanne Barker Martin's Lady
Kimberley Boorman Martin's Lady
Jayne Broughton Martin's Lady
Julie McLeod Martin's Lady
Karen Robyn Martin's Lady
James D. Brown Hippie Recruit with Sunglasses (uncredited)
Charles W. Gray Weird Waiter (uncredited)
John Hawkes Driver of Teskey Truck (uncredited)
Kay Hawtrey Surprise Party Lady (uncredited)
Wink Roberts Rope Climbing Cadet in Gym (uncredited)
Dar Robinson Menacing Thug in Plaid (uncredited)
T.J. Scott Tough (uncredited)
Hugh Wilson Angry Driver (uncredited)
John Sampson Prisoner (uncredited)
Name Job
Alan Ladd Jr. Presenter
Michael D. Margulies Director of Photography
Robert Brown Editor
Penelope Hynam Script Supervisor
Trevor Williams Production Design
Steve Shewchuk Set Decoration
Christopher Ryan Costume Design
James D. Brown Hairstylist
Ken Brooke Makeup Artist
James Margellos Production Manager
Pamela Basker Casting
Shin Sugino Still Photographer
Peter Luxford Camera Operator
Joe Dunne Stunt Coordinator, Stunts
Douglas M. Lackey Music Editor
Suzanne Lore Production Coordinator
Howard Heard Assistant Editor
Anthony Ippolito Supervising Sound Editor
John M. Colwell Sound Editor
Stanley Paul Sound Editor
William Hooper Sound Editor
John L. Mack Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Don MacDougall Sound Re-Recording Mixer
David Lee Production Sound Mixer
Richard Tyler Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Buzz Bundy Stunts
Debbie Kirby Stunts
Denver Mattson Stunts
Angie Reno Stunts
Allan Harmon Second Assistant Director
Robert Saad Additional Photography
Alan Holly Foley Mixer, ADR Mixer
Bob Rutledge Foley Editor
Paul B. Clay ADR Editor
Dave Kulczycki Assistant Sound Editor
Paula Spang Music Coordinator
Joachim Martin Assistant Camera
Steve Switzer Boom Operator
Richard Flower Second Assistant Director
Rocco Gismondi Second Assistant Director
David Neil Trifunovich Special Effects
Roger Hansen Special Effects
Janet Brady Stunts
Paul Maslansky Original Concept
Guenter Bartlik Scenic Artist
John 'Frenchie' Berger Property Master
Chris Biden Property Master
Neil Grocutt Construction Coordinator
I.R. McEune Painter
Paul Theodore Carpenter
Serge Genitempo Painter
Ron Scelza Sound Assistant
Don White ADR Mixer
Gene Grigg Special Effects Assistant
Marco Bianco Stunts
Peter Cox Stunts
Carol Daniels Stunts
Ted Hanlan Stunts
Gene Mack Stunts
F. Braun McAsh Stunts
Brent Meyer Stunts
George Marshall Ruge Stunts
Todd Schroeder Stunt Double, Stunts
Tony Eldridge Best Boy Electric
Glen Goodchild Best Boy Grip
Ron Gillham Key Grip
Chris Holmes Gaffer
David G. Todd Generator Operator
Pat Williams Assistant Camera
Peter Lavender Extras Casting
Linda Kemp Wardrobe Assistant
Larry S. Wells Wardrobe Assistant
SJ Teasdale Wardrobe Assistant
Donah Bassett Negative Cutter
Robert Raring Color Timer
Ben Williams Editorial Staff
Terry Kelley Editorial Staff
Michael Brownstone Location Manager
Dan Wallin Scoring Mixer
Robert Adcock Musician
Murray Adler Musician
Arnold Belnick Musician
Harry Bluestone Musician
Denyse Buffum Musician
Larry Bunker Musician
Norman Carr Musician
Ronald Cooper Musician
Vince De Rosa Musician
Drew Dembowski Musician
Alan DeVeritch Musician
Bob DiVall Musician
George Doering Musician
Chuck Domanico Musician
David Duke Musician
Dominick Fera Musician
Elizabeth Finch Musician
Harris Goldman Musician
Pamela Goldsmith Musician
Norman Herzburg Musician
Paula Hochhalter Musician
Barbara Hunter Musician
Michael Lang Musician
Ronald Langinger Musician
Ron Leonard Musician
Arthur Maebe Musician
Frank Marocco Musician
Peter Mercurio Musician
Richard Nash Musician
Buell Neidlinger Musician
Erno Neufeld Musician
Mike Nowak Musician
Richard Perissi Musician
Joe Porcaro Musician
George Roberts Musician
Jay Rosen Musician
Harry Shlutz Musician
Haim Shtrum Musician
Henry Sigismonti Musician
Sheridon Stokes Musician
Linn Subotnick Musician
James Thatcher Musician
Louise Di Tullio Musician
Lloyd Ulyate Musician
Ian Underwood Musician
Ken Watson Musician
John Winter Musician
John Wittenberg Musician
Graham Young Musician
Bob Zimmitti Musician
Penny Hynam Script Supervisor
Jim Kennedy Transportation Coordinator
Craig S. Kohne Transportation Captain
Benita Allen Production Assistant
Patricia Johnson Publicist
Christopher Kroll Production Assistant
Andrea Poulis Production Secretary
Donald L. West Production Accountant
Curtis Carlin Set Production Assistant
Lyn Lucibello Assistant Accountant
Sasha Maslansky Production Assistant
Robert Fernandez Scoring Mixer
Hugh Wilson Director, Screenplay
Neal Israel Screenplay, Story
Pat Proft Screenplay, Story
Robert Folk Conductor, Orchestrator, Original Music Composer
Zach Staenberg Editor
Fern Champion Casting
Julius LeFlore Stunts
Dar Robinson Stunt Double, Stunts
Gary A. Hecker Foley Artist
Celia Bond Stunts
Dwayne McLean Stunts
Branko Racki Stunts
T.J. Scott Stunts
Craig Huxley Musician
Tommy Johnson Musician
Malcolm McNab Musician
Gwenn Heller Musician
Gary McLarty Stunts
Michael Zenon First Assistant Director
Wink Roberts Stunts
Drew Struzan Art Designer
Name Title
Paul Maslansky Producer
Gareth Wigan Executive Producer
Alan Ladd Jr. Executive Producer
Organization Category Person
Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 4 44 60 33
2024 5 55 77 38
2024 6 46 68 33
2024 7 51 67 36
2024 8 40 56 29
2024 9 32 49 24
2024 10 45 81 26
2024 11 35 58 25
2024 12 33 40 26
2025 1 36 55 30
2025 2 27 41 5
2025 3 8 34 3
2025 4 6 11 4
2025 5 6 11 5
2025 6 6 7 5
2025 7 6 9 5
2025 8 8 10 6
2025 9 8 12 5
2025 10 6 7 5

Trending Position


Year Month High Avg
2025 10 458 725
Year Month High Avg
2025 9 471 729
Year Month High Avg
2025 8 227 627
Year Month High Avg
2025 7 179 796
Year Month High Avg
2025 6 405 779
Year Month High Avg
2025 5 352 705
Year Month High Avg
2025 4 245 729
Year Month High Avg
2025 3 476 759
Year Month High Avg
2025 2 619 885
Year Month High Avg
2025 1 482 769
Year Month High Avg
2024 12 938 960
Year Month High Avg
2024 11 458 797
Year Month High Avg
2024 9 974 974
Year Month High Avg
2024 8 635 881

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Reviews

FilipeManuelNeto
7.0

**A comedy landmark.** I have no doubt that this film inaugurates what was one of the comic franchises that most marked the 80s and 90s. I remember that, until the dawn of the new century, films from this franchise were a regular presence on TV channels, and they still make routine appearances on ... movie or comedy channels. Unlike many other film works from this era, I feel they are aging well and haven't fallen by the wayside. The script helped a lot, because it was very well written, considering that it is a light film and does not lack great depth: after a municipal decision to open police training courses to all those who wanted to, regardless of physical, mental and psychological requirements, the Police Academy was swamped by the most inept aspirants. Now, there will be a declared effort to get them to give up, and one of them is prevented from doing so, no matter how much he wants to. If I'm told that the film's script is quite simple and that it's not exactly good, I would surely agree. However, it served perfectly for the intended effect and held up well to the film and the successive jokes that were happening. Many of them are predictable, many are overly sexual, but many of the jokes work reasonably well. There is some female nudity here, but it's nothing that current cinema hasn't shown in much more abusive ways in other films. Still, parents be warned! There are several actors of great quality here who do an excellent job. Despite being many years old, it is the great film in the career of Steve Guttenberg, who shone in the franchise in the role of the irreverent Mahoney. The actor made the best use of the opportunity and reaped the rewards of that commitment. G.W. Bailey also deserves a round of applause for an inspired, funny and beautifully executed work. Despite speaking very little, Bubba Smith also stands out, using his physical grandeur and serious air. The actor was excellent. Even more impressively, David Graf is really funny and steals attention whenever he appears. As with Graf, Marion Ramsey also had the culmination of her career in these films, and made the best of it with an extraordinarily good performance. Michael Winslow and George Gaynes also did an excellent job. Kim Catrall is beautiful, but she is very little used in the movie, as are other actors because the cast is just huge! The film was made in an old psychiatric sanatorium and the buildings have a beautiful, somewhat institutional appearance, which lends credibility to the atmosphere of the academy. The cinematography is regular and doesn't bring us anything new or original, but it works well, and the soundtrack has one of the most recognizable main themes in comedy films. The film has a very good pace and is not tiring.

Sep 19, 2022
r96sk
6.0

<em>'Police Academy'</em> is proper lacklustre. I didn't find any of it amusing, even so I can usually see why a film may actually work for others - not here. Given I've heard of this franchise, I assume folk enjoy these so I am a tad surprised. To me, it's just all a rather limp effort. The char ... acters have one joke associated to them (e.g. tall man, quiet woman, wannabe war guy etc.) and it's just repeated numerous times throughout the movie; it doesn't get any funnier. How many times do they play the theme song, btw? It is catchy to be fair, but damn. Michael Winslow is the only plus that I have for this. I wasn't aware of him until this very moment, those voice sounds are outrageously brilliant; even had me questioning if they were dubbed over sound effects. Awesome talent! Of the rest of the cast, Donovan Scott is the 'best' (?). I found lead Steve Guttenberg to be more annoying than anything else, shame we never got Bruce Willis instead; he auditioned for the role, so I read. Elsewhere, Kim Cattrall is underused; interesting to see her <em>'Mannequin'</em> co-star G. W. Bailey in this though, he is OK. Despite everything, in the end when the credits rolled around I didn't hold any annoyance or anything towards the flick. The feeling is more so how lame and low quality it comes across, I expected snappier comedy. Lastly, how are there 7 of these movies?! I'm in for a ride...

Mar 23, 2025