Overview
Police Academy is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson in his directorial debut, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Its storyline follows a new recruitment policy for an unnamed city's police academy to take in any recruit who wishes to apply and study to become a police officer. The film stars Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall, and G.W. Bailey.
The film was produced by The Ladd Company. It premiered on March 23, 1984. It grossed $8.5 million in its opening weekend and more than $149 million worldwide, against a budget of $4.5 million, and remains the most successful film of the series as of 2022. The film spawned six sequels in the Police Academy franchise.
Plot
Due to a shortage of police officers, Mary Sue Beal, the mayor of an unnamed, English-speaking, North American metropolis, requires the police department to accept all recruit applications. Easy-going Carey Mahoney, a repeat offender, is given a choice by Police Captain Reed enroll in the police academy to reform himself, or go directly to prison. Since captain Reed is friends with Mahoney's father who is also a cop. There is a loophole that the academy can throw him out but he cannot quit or he would end up in jail. Mahoney agrees to the demand, but plans to perform badly enough to be expelled for cause. The chief of police, Henry Hurst, outraged by the Mayor's plan, decides to make the experience so bad for all new recruits that they will simply give up and resign.
Lieutenant Thaddeus Harris makes their lives miserable, though Commandant Eric Lassard wants to give the new cadets a chance. Harris appoints Copeland and Blankes as cadet squad leaders to help him secretly execute his plan.
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