Police Academy was a series of comedy films made in the 1980s and early 1990s.
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.
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 films have not been well received by critics over the years; indeed, in 2004 the magazine Total Film said that making more than one Police Academy was the 8th "dumbest decision in movie history".
The series has been mocked at least twice on The Simpsons. In one scene Homer describes the first film as "painful and disturbing", whilst when Bart is accused of shoplifting, he criticises his son by explaining mockingly "we live in a society of rules. Why do you think I took you to see all those Police Academy films? For fun? I didn't see anyone laughing, did you?"
The first film grossed $81.2 million in North America, with the following films earning $150 million in total.
An eighth installment is reportedly being filmed in 2006, that will feature most of the regular cast except for David Graf, who passed away in 2001.
Main characters
Carey Mahoney
Played by: Steve Guttenberg
Mahoney is the lead character of the first four movies of the series. He is best known for protecting Cmndt. Lassard and playing practical jokes on Harris, Mauser and Proctor. He is often portrayed as a quasi-womanizer and always hits on ladies. He is also seen as friendly and "the good guy".
Moses Hightower
Played by: Bubba Smith
Featured in six of the seven films, Hightower was a florist before joining the academy. He is best known for his immense stature and inhuman strength. (Hightower practices for his driving test by ripping the front seat out of a compact car, and steering comfortably from the back.) His character often breaks things or uses force to threaten the bad guys. He can also drop easily into bad-cop mode, to gain the trust of crooks he's about to arrest.
Eugene Tackleberry
Played by: David Graf
Tackleberry is in all seven films and is best known for his love of firearms. He is portrayed as a Rambo-type figure in the movies. In the second film, it is revealed that alhough he is 28 years old, he is still a virgin. However, upon meeting his police partner, a beautiful and equally gun-nut woman, Kathleen Kirkland, he falls in love and they eventually get married. This leads to a series of gags involving the Kirkland family, in which the son and father love to fight each other, often involving brutal punches. The mother is fairly oblivious to all this. The chance for a reprise of this character is unlikely, as the actor who portrayed him, David Graf, died of cardiac arrest in 2001.
Larvell Jones
Played by: Michael Winslow
Jones is one of the key characters in the series and is famous for making sound effects with his mouth. He is one of the characters often remembered from the films as he uses his ability to make noises to play pranks on the criminals and the antagonists, namely Captain Mauser and Captain Harris. Jones also excelled in martial arts. Larvell is the only character to appear in all of the movies, the television series and the animated series.
Laverne Hooks
Played by: Marion Ramsey
Laverne is a quiet woman who often has trouble putting people in line, until she yells. She is often portrayed as unassertive.
Debbie Callahan
Played by: Leslie Easterbrook
This character is best known for her pure sex appeal. She is shown to be an avid weightlifter. In the first film, she has a relationship with Cadet Martin. In the third and fourth film, she has a relationship with Japanese foreign-exchange cadet, Nagata.
Eric Lassard
Played by: George Gaynes
- Main article: Eric Lassard
Eric Lassard is Commandant, or head, of the Metropolitan Police Academy (sometimes also called the Midcity Police Academy). He is initially not into the politics of the police department. When Chief Hurst and Lieutenant Harris are denouncing the new female mayor's policy change to remove race and sex as barriers from academy admissions, he plays along with them and quickly dismisses their comments once they've left the room. A few years later, however, he will initiate a program known as Citizens on Patrol (COP), which is a community outreach course. Lassard featured in all seven films. He is often portrayed as confused or absentminded. he is generally amicable, even to criminals.
Thaddeus Harris
Played by: G.W. Bailey
"Mister Nasty" of the Police Academy - he always attempts to discredit Lassard and his men, but ends up being the butt of most of the jokes. He is followed everywhere by his lackey Proctor. He generally seems to be success-driven, at the cost of Lassard and his men.
Proctor
Played by: Lance Kinsey
Gullible sidekick to Harris (or Mauser). He is portrayed as a fool or dimwit. He is generally nicer than Harris or Mauser and is often just following orders, often which he manages to screw up.
Mauser
Played by: Art Metrano
Mauser (Yowzie - Yowzer) is the same character, essentially, as Harris. Playing a ruthless and demeaning, success-driven officer, Mauser is often the butt of many of the jokes played by Lassard's men. His lackey is also Proctor.
Sweetchuck
Played by: Tim Kazurinsky
Accident-prone Sweetchuck joined as a cadet in the third movie after an appearance in the second. In the second film, he is a shop owner whose size and weakness is taken advantage of by Zed (see below). In the third and fourth films, he is a police officer. His foil is Zed, who often brings him pain.
Zed
Played by: Bobcat Goldthwait
Featured as an anti-social criminal gang leader in the second movie. He then joins the police force in the third film. He is also in the fourth film. He often brings trouble to Sweetchuck, who is his roomate while they are both training at the Police Academy. He suffers from a proper ability to speak and often squeaks or swalls his words. He falls in love in the fourth film with one of the Citizens On Patrol.
Nick Lassard
Played by: Matt McCoy
Nephew of Eric Lassard, Nick is an officer in the Miami police department in the fifth film. In the sixth film, Nick replaces Mahoney's character as the lead prankster. In the fifth film, he falls in love with another cop. Mahoney and Nick's characters are very similar, as much as Harris and Mauser.
Douglas Fackler
Played by: Bruce Mahler
Bespectacled and inept police officer who unknowingly causes injury and havoc to just about everyone and everything in his path. He appears in the first, second, third, and sixth movies. In a parody of the scene with his wife's reluctance to let him be a policeman, he shows similar opposition to his wife joining the new recruits in the third film, by jumping on the car's hood and riding it from their home to the police academy.
Chad Copeland
Played by: Scott Thomson
He is one of the cadets who spies for Mauser and Harris. He is often fooled into walking in the gay bar, The Blue Oyster.
Henry J. Hurst
Played by: George R. Robertson
Initially a chief, later promoted to commissioner. He is often bothered by the several attempts to curry favors that Harris and Mauser do.
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.
Released: 1984
Director: Hugh Wilson
Characters:
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Reed (Ted Ross)
- Lt. Thaddeus Harris
- Sgt. Debbie Callahan
- Cadet Carey Mahoney
- Cadet Moses Hightower
- Cadet Eugene Tackleberry
- Cadet Larvell Jones
- Cadet Douglas Fackler
- Cadet Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall)
- Cadet Leslie Barbara (Donovan Scott)
- Cadet George Martin (Andrew Rubin)
- Mrs. Fackler (Debralee Scott)
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
- Main article: 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.
Released: 1985
Director: Jerry Paris
Characters:
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Peter Lassard
- Lt. Mauser
- Sgt. Kathleen Kirkland
- Officer Carey Mahoney
- Officer Moses Hightower
- Officer Eugene Tackleberry
- Officer Larvell Jones
- Officer Douglas Fackler
- Officer Laverne Hooks
- Zed
- Sweetchuck
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
- Main article: Police Academy 3: Back in Training
When the governor of the state announces that budget cuts are in order to get rid of the worse 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.
Released: 1986
Director: Jerry Paris
Characters:
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Cmndt. Mauser
- Lt. Debbie Callahan
- Sgt. Carey Mahoney
- Sgt. Moses Hightower
- Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Sgt. Larvell Jones
- Sgt. Douglas Fackler
- Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Sgt. Chad Copeland
- Cadet Nogata (Brian Tochi)
- Cadet Zed
- Cadet Sweetchuck
- Cadet Karen Adams (Shawn Weatherly)
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
- Main article: 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
Released: 1987
Director: Jim Drake
Characters:
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Thaddeus Harris
- Lt. Proctor
- Lt. Debbie Callahan
- Sgt. Carey Mahoney
- Sgt. Moses Hightower
- Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Sgt. Larvell Jones
- Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Sgt. Chad Copeland
- Officer Zed
- Officer Sweetchuck
- Claire Mattson (Sharon Stone)
- Butterworth (David McGrath)
- Mrs. Lois Feldman (Billie Bird)
Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach
- Main article: 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.
Released: 1988
Director: Alan Myerson
Characters:
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Thaddeus Harris
- Lt. Proctor
- Lt. Debbie Callahan
- Sgt. Nick Lassard
- Sgt. Moses Hightower
- Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Sgt. Larvell Jones
- Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Officer Thomas Conklin (House)
- Commissioner Hurst
- Kate (Janet Jones)
- Tony (Rene Auberjonois)
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.
Released: 1989
Director: Peter Bonerz
Characters:
- Cmndt. Eric Lassard
- Capt. Debbie Callahan
- Capt. Thaddeus Harris
- Lt. Proctor
- Lt. Moses Hightower
- Sgt. Nick Lassard
- Sgt. Douglas Fackler
- Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Sgt. Larvell Jones
- Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Commissioner Hurst
- The Mayor/Mastermind (Kenneth Mars)
- Ace (Gerrit Graham)
- Flash (Brian Seeman)
- Ox (Darwyn Swalve)
Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow
The officers go to Russia to help catch an international crime figure. It's time to kick some Buttski
Released: 1994
Director: Alan Metter
Characters:
Television details
Police Academy: The Animated series
There were also two syndicated television series loosely based on the movies; an animated series in 1988 lasting two seasons, and a live action series in 1997, lasting only one season.
Quotes
- Harris: "You make me sick."
- Mahoney: Thank you sir, I make everybody sick.
- Captain Harris approaches a bar where Cmdt. Lassard, Chief Hurst, Chief Murdock, and the Mayor of Miami is seated. He does not realize what had been burned on to his chest.
- Harris: "Oh, Mr. Mayor. Excuse me sir. I don't mean to insult your city, but the people on this beach are very rude and hostile."
- Mayor: "Well, I'm sorry to hear that...Captain Dork!"
- Everyone breaks down laughing. Captain Harris finally realizes that the word "Dork" had been burned on to his chest.
Later, Jones is seen talking to a parrot at a pet store. Harris and Proctor walk by the pet store as Jones leaves.
- Parrot: *squawks* Hey Dork! Hey Dork!
- Harris: (screams) "DON'T TOUCH THOSE! DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY BALLS WITHOUT ASKING!"
Theme Song
Come on, Come on
Stick, Stick, Stick, Stick Them
Here they come! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
They fight for justice
They stand up for the truth
They save us from the perils
Of a cowardly crew
To protect the rights
Of all citizens
But when it's time to fight
They fight and win
Hooray! They wear the blue
They're tested, tried and true
They keep the peace
For you and me
Hooray! (The Police Academy)
Hooray! They wear the blue
They're tested, tried and true
They keep the peace
For you and me
Hooray! (The Police Academy)
M: Hey, somebody forgot to dot the I!
T: I'll fix it!
CH: Police Academy: The Series
All Right!
Voices
Additional Voices
