Car Wash (1976)
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86% of critics liked it
(21 reviews) -
58% of users liked it
(7,968 ratings)
Michael Schultz directed this kinetic, hyperventilating comedy (scripted by Joel Schumacher) concerning the crazed events that go on within a single 10-hour period at a Los Angeles car wash. The cast of colorful car-wash employees includes Lonnie (Ivan Dixon), an ex-con; Duane (Bill Duke), a… More Michael Schultz directed this kinetic, hyperventilating comedy (scripted by Joel Schumacher) concerning the crazed events that go on within a single 10-hour period at a Los Angeles car wash. The cast of colorful car-wash employees includes Lonnie (Ivan Dixon), an ex-con; Duane (Bill Duke), a militant black activist; and Lindy (Antonio Fargas), an obnoxious homosexual. Sully Boyar plays Mr. B, the frazzled car-wash owner who has to deal with his screwball employees along with his over-educated slip of a son, Irwin (Richard Brestoff), who quotes Mao and wants to radicalize the workers. Also along for the wash and wax are Miss Beverly Hills (Lauren Jones), with a wild assortment of wigs; Marsha (Melanie Mayron), the distracted car wash secretary; a mad bomber (Prof. Irwin Corey), who is terrorizing the neighborhood; and Daddy Rich (Richard Pryor), the founder of the Church of Divine Economic Spirituality, who sports a gold limousine. Danny de Vito, Brooke Adams and others were originally in the cast but their scenes were ultimately deleted. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Directed By
- Michael Schultz
- Written By
- Joel Schumacher
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Comedy
PG,
- In Theaters
- Oct 22, 1976 Wide
- Studio
- Universal Studios
Critic Reviews
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Variety Staff, Variety
Uses gritty humor to polish clean the souls of a lot of likeable street people.
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Tom Milne, Time Out
Highly enjoyable.
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
A cheerful, somewhat vulgar, very cleverly executed comedy...
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The screenplay and the direction juggle the characters so adroitly, this is almost a wash-and-wax M*A*S*H.
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Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Critics seemed to like this less than audiences; personally, I had a ball.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Franklyn Ajaye
as T.C.
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Sully Boyar
as Mr. b.
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Richard Brestoff
as Irwin
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George Carlin
as Taxi Driver
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Irwin Corey
as Mad bomber
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Ivan Dixon
as Lonnie
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Bill Duke
as Duane
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Antonio Fargas
as Lindy
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Michael Fennell
as Calvin
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Arthur French
as Charlie
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Lorraine Gary
as Hysterical Lady/ Miss Beverly Hills
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Darrow Igus
as Floyd
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Leonard Jackson
as Earl
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DeWayne Jessie
as Lloyd
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Lauren Jones
as Marleen
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Jack Kehoe
as Scruggs
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Henry Kingi
as Goody
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Melanie Mayron
as Marsha
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Garrett Morris
as Slide
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Clarence Muse
as Snapper
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Leon Pinkney
as Justin
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The Pointer Sisters
as The Wilson Sisters
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Richard Pryor
as Daddy Rich
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Tracy Reed
as Mona
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Pepe Serna
as Chuco
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James Spinks
as Hippo
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Ray Vitte
as Geronimo
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Ren Woods
as Loretta
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Jason Bernard
as Parole Officer
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Erin Blunt
as Lonnie's Son
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Carmine Caridi
as Foolish Father
- Danny DeVito
- Ben Frommer
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Sarina C. Grant
as Newscaster
- Bonnie Pointer
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Otis Sistrunk
as Otis
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Tim Thomerson
as Ken
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J.J. Jackson
as 2nd PM Disc Jockey
- Anita Pointer
- June Pointer
- Ruth Pointer
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Jay Butler
as AM Disc Jockey
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Derek Schultz
as Foolish Father's Son
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Antonie Becker
as Charlene
- Reginald H. Farmer
- John Linson
- Otis Day
- Joel Schumacher
