Car 54, Where Are You? (film)

Car 54, Where Are You?
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Bill Fishman
Produced by	Robert H. Solo
Screenplay by	Erik Tarloff Ebbe Roe Smith Peter McCarthy Peter Crabbe
Based on	Car 54, Where Are You? by Nat Hiken
Starring	David Johansen John McGinley Fran Drescher Nipsey Russell Rosie O'Donnell Al Lewis
Music by	Pray for Rain Bernie Worrell
Cinematography	Rodney Charters
Edited by	Alan Balsam Earl Watson
Distributed by	Orion Pictures
Release dates	January 28, 1994 (1994-01-28)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$10.7 million
Box office	$1,238,080

Car 54, Where Are You? is a 1994 comedy film directed by Bill Fishman and stars David Johansen and John C. McGinley. It is based on the television series of the same name starring Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne that ran from 1961 to 1963.

Reprising their roles from the original series are Nipsey Russell, whose character Anderson is now a captain, and Al Lewis, whose officer Schnauser now spends his time watching TV reruns of The Munsters (in which Lewis and Gwynne also starred).

The film was originally produced as a musical comedy but released without the filmed musical interludes.

Plot

Partnered in Car 54 are the amiable, unreliable Gunther Toody and the prim, proper Francis Muldoon, who wants to know, among other things, if Toody has been helping himself to free kebab from the neighborhood food vendors.

As everyone gets on their case, including Dave Anderson, their captain, an assignment comes their way. Toody and Muldoon are told to protect citizen Herbert Hortz, who apparently has incurred the wrath of the local crime godfather, the claustrophobic Don Motti. And while the cops from Car 54 ineptly do their jobs, Toody gets an earful from his wife, Lucille, and is hot and bothered by a woman all their colleagues seem to have already frisked or handcuffed, the vixen Velma Velour.

Cast

• David Johansen as Officer Gunther Toody
• John C. McGinley as Officer Francis Muldoon
• Fran Drescher as Velma Velour
• Nipsey Russell as Police Captain Dave Anderson
• Rosie O'Donnell as Lucille Toody
• Al Lewis as Officer Leo Schnauser
• Daniel Baldwin as Don Motti
• Jeremy Piven as Herbert Hortz
• Tone Loc as Handsome cab driver
• The Ramones as themselves
• Penn and Teller as the Luthers

Production

Though the film was shot in 1990, it was edited several times and as a result wasn't released until 1994. It was originally shot as a musical, but most of the musical numbers were cut from the released film. Though the film is considered a reboot of the television series, Nipsey Russell and Al Lewis appear as older versions of their roles from the original series.

Reception

The film received universally negative reviews and currently has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 14 reviews.

The film won an Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress (Rosie O'Donnell), along with Exit to Eden and The Flintstones; and won a Stinkers Bad Movie Awards for Worst Resurrection of a TV Show and was nominated for Worst Picture and Worst Actress (O'Donnell), along with Exit to Eden and The Flintstones.

Rosie O'Donnell has said in interviews to never rent the film.

External links

• Car 54, Where Are You? at IMDb
• Car 54, Where Are You? at AllMovie
• Car 54, Where Are You? at Box Office Mojo
• Car 54, Where Are You? at Rotten Tomatoes