Night Shift: Surprising secrets about the 80s cult comedy
What happens when you pair the cool charisma of Henry Winkler with the wild, scene-stealing energy of Michael Keaton? You get pure comedic gold!
Night Shift (1982) wasn’t just Ron Howard’s directorial debut — it was the beginning of a cult classic. Winkler and Keaton’s electric chemistry lights up the screen, Shelley Long brings her irresistible charm, and if you look closely, you might even spot a young Kevin Costner among the chaos….
But the real surprise? Shelley Long’s unforgettable ”magic in the kitchen” moment. Ready to dive into the secrets behind this iconic film? Let’s get started!
From morgue to mayhem
Released in 1982, Night Shift is a quirky comedy classic that introduced audiences to Michael Keaton’s unforgettable charm and showcased Ron Howard’s budding talent as a director.
Set in a New York City morgue, the film follows the unlikely partnership of Chuck Lumley (Henry Winkler), a mild-mannered night shift worker, and Bill Blazejowski (Michael Keaton), his eccentric and wildly ambitious new coworker.
When the two stumble upon an unconventional business opportunity — turning the morgue into a base for a high-end escort service — they find themselves in hilarious and unexpected situations.
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Talking about Night Shift without mentioning Michael Keaton is impossible.
Not many people remember the wild and crazy young Michael Keaton, but Night Shift is a perfect snapshot of him in the 1980s — goofy, funny, and undeniably full of charm. The comedy movie was Keaton’s breakthrough role and first major starring part, and he was practically unknown at the time, having only appeared in a B-comedy and a CBS comedy series called Report to Murphy.
