What happens when you combine Henry Winkler’s cool charisma with Michael Keaton’s wild, scene-stealing energy? You get pure comedy gold!
Night Shift (1982) wasn’t just Ron Howard’s directorial debut — it marked 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 can even spot a young Kevin Costner amid the chaos…
But the real surprise? Shelley Long’s unforgettable moment of ‘magic in the kitchen.’ Ready to dive into the secrets behind this cult film? Let’s get started!
From the morgue to chaos
Released in 1982, Night Shift is a classic quirky comedy that introduced audiences to the unforgettable charm of Michael Keaton and showcased the budding directing talent of Ron Howard.
Set in a New York morgue, the film tells the story of the unlikely partnership between Chuck Lamley (Henry Winkler), a soft-spoken night shift worker, and Bill Blazejowski (Michael Keaton), his eccentric and wildly ambitious new co-worker.
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When these two stumble upon an unconventional business opportunity — turning a morgue into a base for high-class escort services — they find themselves in hilarious and unexpected situations.
This film is distinguished not only by its witty humour, but also by the amazing chemistry between the three main characters. Each of their characters is incredibly likeable, which makes watching even more enjoyable.
Callback after callback
It is simply impossible to talk about Night Shift without mentioning Michael Keaton.
Few remember the wild and crazy young Michael Keaton, but Night Shift is the perfect snapshot of his 1980s — silly, funny, and undeniably charming. The comedy was Keaton’s breakthrough role and his first leading role, and at the time he was virtually unknown, having only appeared in a B-movie comedy and a CBS comedy series called Murphy’s Law.
‘I don’t know how many times I had to go back for auditions,’ he recalls. ‘It was just callback after callback after callback.’
In the end, Keaton managed to convince the writers and producers. With his quick manner of speaking, broad Irish face, thinning brown hair and piercing green eyes, Keaton was perfect for the role of Bill ‘Blaze’ Blazowski. His timing and energy were spot on, but another detail also helped:
‘I came along just at the time when the transition from television actors to film actors became possible,’ Keaton recalled of his rise to stardom.
To really get into character, Michael Keaton turned up the volume and played Bruce Springsteen, especially ‘10th Avenue Freeze-Out’ from the album Born to Run.
On opening day, he recalls, “I deliberately went to see the film alone. I wanted to sit right in the middle of the cinema in the afternoon, and it was wonderful. I don’t know any other word to tell you the truth.”
The man who helped Keaton steal the film
Ron Howard really hit the jackpot when he chose Keaton for Night Shift.
Scene after scene, Keaton outshone the more experienced Henry Winkler, who was already a television star known for his role as Fonzie. Critics raved about Keaton’s performance, and the door to Hollywood swung open for him. But Keaton’s success — and his entire film career — might never have happened if it weren’t for the subtle but invaluable support of Henry Winkler.
‘Henry was offered any role he wanted, and he chose a quieter one,’ Ron Howard said in an interview with the Boston Globe.
‘Then he helped Michael steal the scene. He gave Michael a lot of options. In some episodes, he would say to Michael, “I know (you’ll get the laughs) if you take this routine one step further.”’
Henry Winkler chose the role of the timid morgue director in Night Shift as a deliberate contrast to his iconic, cool character Fonzie. As he wrote on Twitter, ‘I decided to play Richie Cunningham for once.’
Henry Winkler didn’t like Keaton
It’s surprising that Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton never reunited for another film after Night Shift, considering the undeniable chemistry between them. Their on-screen dynamic was hilarious, memorable, and perfectly balanced.
The reason for the lack of future collaborations may lie in how their relationship developed during the filming of The Night Shift. When Henry first read Michael, he wasn’t sure he wanted to work with him. As he later recalled, in Howard’s words: ‘The guy’s talented, but I don’t know if I’m comfortable working with him.’
Ron Howard assured him that this discomfort was a good thing, as it reflected the dynamic between their characters in the film — Chuck was definitely uncomfortable with Bill. Over time, their initial awkwardness faded, but that early tension gave their on-screen relationship an authentic, uneasy texture.
Celebrities who almost got the iconic role
It is said that both Kurt Russell and Mickey Rourke auditioned for the role of Bill Blazewski. And, according to Ron Howard, Michael Keaton was not the first choice. John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray were also approached for the role, and even John Candy was considered. However, none of them were interested, either because the role seemed too small to them or because they decided to turn it down.
‘Lowell Ganz, one of the screenwriters, saw Michael’s work and said to me, “Keaton is going to be a star for someone, and he could be a star for us,”’ Ron Howard shared.
Improvised scene
Throughout Night Shift, there is a feeling that Michael Keaton is simply making everything up as he goes along — he has a natural comic genius that brings hilarious, spontaneous moments to life. One of the best improvised moments is when a blind man asks Winkler and Keaton for change, and Keaton responds by writing the guy a cheque. Classic Keaton!
Did you notice Ron Howard in the film?
Ron Howard certainly did well with his directorial debut, which grossed $21,095,638 at the box office. But the former child actor couldn’t resist a cameo of his own. If you look closely, you can see Ron and his wife Cheryl kissing in front of Chuck’s (Henry Winkler) house.
As for the subway scene, it’s Ron Howard himself playing the annoying saxophonist. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Ron Howard film without a cameo from his brother, Clint Howard, who plays the quirky character Jeffrey in the film.
Kevin Costner makes an appearance
There are many familiar faces in fairly early roles in Night Shift!
Kevin Costner appears in the film as a fraternity boy at a party in a morgue. It’s a non-speaking role, but you can spot him in a plaid shirt, a student cardigan tied around his waist, and a cup in his hand — he’s just hanging out while Michael Keaton does his thing, balancing a bottle on his head.
And here’s Shannen Doherty, making her first feature film appearance as the Bluebell (a sort of Girl Scout) in the lift scene, uttering just one line. You wouldn’t guess it, but these small moments of future stars add extra fun to this quirky classic.
Birthplace of a cult song
Did you know that Night Shift was the first place we heard the classic tune ‘That’s What Friends Are For’? Recorded by Rod Stewart for the 1982 film soundtrack, it became a global hit when Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder joined in 1986. Their version not only reached number one on the Billboard charts, but also raised over $3 million for AIDS research.
Meanwhile, the film opens with Quarterflash’s memorable theme song ‘Night Shift’ and features classic jams such as Van Halen’s ‘You Really Got Me’ and a live version of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash.’
Shelley Long didn’t want to play a prostitute
For those who don’t remember or haven’t seen Night Shift, Shelley Long plays Belinda, a sweet but tough prostitute who lives next door to Chuck (Henry Winkler). When her pimp is killed, Belinda teams up with Chuck and Bill (Michael Keaton), who decide to help her by running her business in a completely wild way.
Ron Howard took a liking to Shelley Long after her role in the film Caveman (1981). However, when he needed her for Night Shift (1982), she was busy filming another movie in California. Despite this, Howard convinced her to take a short two-day break and come to Hollywood.
At the time, the pretty actress was auditioning for the role of Belinda, the female lead, and was asked to return the next day to meet Henry Winkler. Although she initially had doubts about playing a prostitute, Long found time to do some research and ultimately agreed to take the role.
‘She came to us dressed as a prostitute, read with Henry, and was immediately amazing. Their scenes were already being prepared, even on videotape,’ says Ron.
‘The happiest, most respectable prostitute…’
In the early 1980s, comedies about prostitution were unexpectedly popular. Around the same time Night Shift was released, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, a film based on the Broadway musical, starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton, hit the screens. The following summer, Tom Cruise starred in Risky Business, in which he turned his parents’ house into a brothel.
Shelley Long, who played Belinda, a prostitute who wins Chuck’s heart, was called by critics ‘the happiest and most respectable prostitute you’ve ever seen on screen,’ and some even joked that she could lead a troop of Girl Scouts.
The classic egg scene
Night Shift is full of silly moments, and one hilarious scene involves Shelley Long’s character, Belinda, making breakfast for Chuck. The scene in which Chuck first sees Belinda cooking in her underwear is priceless, and Henry Winkler’s reaction is nothing like Fonzie’s!
After that, Belinda asks what kind of eggs he wants, and Chuck replies that he wants an omelette. When she starts cooking, she clearly makes fried eggs.
ut somehow, when the eggs are ready, she magically pours them onto their plates! Obviously, she swaps them when Chuck is talking to her, but who looks at the eggs when Shelley Long brings all that charm to the table?
Shannen Doherty’s character
Here’s another mistake in the film that only those who love details could notice: Shannen Doherty’s character is called ‘Blue Bird,’ but Chuck mistakenly calls her ‘Bluebell.’
Apparently, he confused birds and flowers.
‘The part of my anatomy that he likes.’
While her character Belinda didn’t mind, Shelley Long was not thrilled about walking around in her underwear. ‘For me, when the cameras weren’t rolling, it was hard,’ she admitted.
She also jokingly asked what her husband thought about her walking around in her underwear on Night Shift. ‘He didn’t mind me running around in my underwear — he likes that part of my anatomy,’ she said with a laugh.
A mistake in the subway
Many scenes in Night Shift were, of course, filmed in New York, but the morgue was built on a specially constructed set in Hollywood, California.
Many details were filmed in the Times Square area of Manhattan, New York, such as when Bill finds potential clients at movie theatres and when Chuck, Bill and Belinda run away at the end.
However, a small mistake crept in during filming in the Big Apple.
In one scene, Bill says, ‘This is my stop,’ and gets off the subway, while Chuck stays on. But if you look closely, the sign next to Bill says that the train is running on the Times Square–Grand Central route, which doesn’t make any stops between them.
This is a film that could not have existed with any other cast. The chemistry between Henry Winkler, Shelley Long and Michael Keaton is pure magic, bringing humour, heart and unforgettable moments to life. Night Shift is not just a comedy, it’s a story about unlikely friendships, personal growth and finding connections in the most unexpected places.
Which moment from this 80s classic do you like the most? Share this article with your friends and take a nostalgic trip through one of the funniest films of its time!
