Even if you weren't alive at the time, the film is at least mildly amusing. I'd say watch it for its place in film history for all the reasons I gave. A great performance as a man who is a walking doormat through most of the film does not mean that it enlarged his fan base. People stepped out of his way when he walked down the street, and he would snap his fingers and several beautiful girls would come running just to be on his arm. Since 1973 Winkler had built the reputation as the ultimate Eisenhower era alpha male - Fonzie - on the long running TV show 'Happy Days'. And what of Henry Winkler who was top billed here? Well, even though he was nominated for awards for this performance, it was pretty much downhill from here professionally. And then there is the film's theme song 'That's What Friends are For' that was rerecorded in 1985, became a hit, and whose proceeds went to benefit the American Foundation for AIDS. It boosted the careers of both Michael Keaton and Shelley Long, who was less than a month away from beginning her star making role on Cheers. It is the first feature film directed by Ron Howard at only age 28, and he did a very able job his first time out. This would probably just be a six if it weren't for the important place it holds in film history. I'll let you watch and see how this all works out. And then there is the little matter of undercover cops. The whole situation comes to a head when other pimps don't care for Bill and Chuck cutting in on their territory. She asks it tearfully, because of course she doesn't like this life, we really never get any background as to how she got here, but future employers would want to know what she was doing with this big blank space on her resume and she knows she has no acceptable answer. Belinda asks the pertinent question - 'And do what?'. Eventually Chuck and Belinda fall in love, with Chuck assuming Belinda will quit prostitution. When Belinda is injured by a client because she doesn't have a pimp, Bill talks Chuck into letting Belinda and her friends work for them, and Chuck agrees to invest the girls' money so they'll have a nest egg.

But then his night shift brings a little sunshine his way in the person of prostitute Belinda (Shelley Long), who is getting home about the time that Chuck does, and they begin to have breakfast together and get to know each other. Since then he's decided the best way to get through life is keep his head down and keep a low profile. Winker's character, Chuck, got to this sad state of affairs when he had a nervous breakdown working on Wall Street, even though he is a talented investor. You've got Henry Winkler as a guy who just lets people walk on him to the point that he's engaged to a woman he really doesn't love because she is there, and just takes it when he's moved from his day post at the morgue to the night shift with Keaton's Bill 'Blaze' Blazejowski. You have Michael Keaton in his breakout role acting Keaton, at least pre 'Clean and Sober' Michael Keaton, with his smart remarks and cheery yet loser persona. The film is based on a true story of a couple of morgue employees caught running a brothel out of the morgue at night. Shelley Long is both funny and sympathetic as Belinda. He's one of the warmest, most natural people one could ever meet. I had the pleasure of interviewing him once. Winkler is the anti-Fonz, and he's wonderful. This is a really fun movie, with a terrific performance by Keaton as a wild man whose sense of adventure is infectious to the down and out Winkler. They take much less of a cut than the average pimp, and Chuck invests their money for them, and gets health insurance for them. When Chuck's attractive neighbor, Belinda, a hooker, is in need of a pimp, Bill gathers her and her friends, and he and Chuck run a prostitution service out of the morgue. Worse than that, Chuck's quiet is shattered by a new employee, Bill Blazejowski (Keaton), who talks into a tape recorder and runs a limo service using the hearses. When he's transferred to the night shift, it ruins his time with his eternally dieting fiancée (Gina Hecht). Winkler plays Chuck Lumley, a securities broker who may have had a nervous breakdown - anyway, he has taken a job at the morgue so he can be in a quiet place. 'Night Shift,' directed by Ron Howard, stars Michael Keaton, Henry Winkler, and Shelley Long. They don't seem to make comedies like this anymore, but thankfully, they did once.

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