Police Academy (franchise)

Infobox Film
name = Police Academy film series


image_size = 170px
caption = "Police Academy" DVD boxset
director = Hugh Wilson
("PA")
Jerry Paris
("2 & 3")
Jim Drake
("4")
Alan Myerson
("5")
Peter Bonerz
("6")
Alan Metter ("7")
producer = Paul Maslansky
writer =
narrator =
starring = David Graf
G. W. Bailey
Steve Guttenberg
Bubba Smith
Leslie Easterbrook
George Gaynes
Michael Winslow
music = Robert Folk
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Warner Bros.
released = 1984-1994
runtime = 627 min. (total)
country = USA
language = English
budget =
gross = $231.2 million
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id =

"Police Academy" is a long-running series of comedy films, the first six of which were made in the 1980s. The seventh and to date last installment, "", 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.

The first film grossed $81.2 million in North America, with the following films earning $150 million in total.

Movie details

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.

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.

Police Academy 3: Back in Training

When the governor of the state announces that budget cuts are in order to get rid of the worst 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.

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.

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.

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.

Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow

The officers go to Russia to help catch an international crime figure.

Future

Plans were in motion for an eighth "Police Academy" MAHONEY edition film to be released in 2007 after a decade of absence. [ [http://www.aintitcool.com/?q=node/16068 Police Academy 8 is in the works] ] Says series creator Paul Maslansky: "I felt it was time to start again. I saw that "Starsky & Hutch" and a number of other revivals were doing really well. "Police Academy" has such a great history, so I thought, 'Why not?'" [ [http://www.cinecon.com/news.php?id=0407084 New "Police Academy" movie in the works] ] Most of the main cast members were due to return, [ [http://www.moviehole.net/news/6223.html What's happening with Police Academy 8?] at Moviehole] except David Graf (Eugene Tackleberry), who died of a heart attack in April of 2001, and Billie Bird (Lois Feldman) who died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Hugh Wilson was slated to direct. [ [http://www.twcfight.com/forum/showthread.php?p=825267 Police Academy 8] ]

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. [ [http://www.moviehole.net/news/20061221_police_academy_shuts_down.html "Police Academy" shuts down] ] The film was shelved in October, 2006. Leslie Easterbrook did mention that there was still hope for a direct to DVD sequel. She added that while Warner Bros. wanted to do one, they wanted a producer to get independent financing. [ [http://www.stargater.co.uk/forum/movies-films/police-academy-2007-t2207.html Police Academy (2007)] ] [ [http://www.filmstalker.co.uk/archives/2006/12/police_academy_8_dead.html Police Academy dead?] ] In May 2008 Michael Winslow replied to a question about a possible new Police Academy film: “Anything’s possible. You’ve got to hope for Paul Maslansky and those folks over there to put it together. It’s up to them. It would be great to see everyone again.“ [ [http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/51617/the_den_of_geek_interview_michael_winslow.html The Den Of Geek Interview: Michael Winslow - Den of Geek ] ]

Blue Oyster Bar

The Blue Oyster Bar is a fictional bar, and the setting of a recurring gag-scene of the comedy film series "Police Academy".

The bar is a stereotypical depiction of a leathermen's/bear gay bar, featuring patrons dressed up as bikers in leather clothing, police officers, sailors, and other stereotypical masculine gay fashion archetypes.

Within the "Police Academy" film series, unsuspecting characters periodically enter the bar unaware of its nature (this usually happens as a prank by the lead characters). Once inside, a group of patrons are depicted as leering towards the police officers and ready to force the frightened victims to dance with them, invariably to a tango called "El Bimbo", a 1972 hit from Bimbo Jet.

The Blue Oyster Bar only appeared in the first four "Police Academy" movies. Among those lured into the place were...

*Cadets Blankes and Copeland (twice in the first movie; once intentionally by Mahoney, once accidentally in order to avoid rioters)
*Sweetchuck (as a civilian in the second movie, although he manages to escape after a brief tango)
*Proctor (in the third and fourth movies)
*Captain Harris (in the fourth movie)

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.

Television series

There were two syndicated television series loosely based on the film.

Animated "Police Academy"

The first was "Police Academy", an animated series in 1988 lasting two seasons.

"Police Academy: The Series"

The second spin-off television series was "Police Academy: The Series", a live action show starring Joe Flaherty in 1997, lasting only one season.

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0087928|title=Police Academy
*imdb title|id=0089822|title=Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
*imdb title|id=0091777|title=Police Academy 3: Back in Training
*imdb title|id=0093756|title=Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
*imdb title|id=0095882|title=Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach
*imdb title|id=0098105|title=Police Academy 6: City Under Siege
*imdb title|id=0110857|title=Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow