Car Wash is a 1976 comedy film produced by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Michael Schultz from a screenplay by Joel Schumacher. The film starred Franklyn Ajaye, Ivan Dixon, Darrow Igus, James Spinks, Bill Duke, Melanie Mayron, and Antonio Fargas, and is a comedy about a "day-in-the-life" of a Los Angeles, California car wash, its employees, and its owner, Mr. B (Sully Boyar). Car Wash is a collective and populist film about the spirit of community.
Overview
Car Wash deals with the exploits of a close-knit group of employees at a Los Angeles car wash. In an episodic fashion, the film covers a full day, during which all manner of strange visitors make appearances, including Richard Pryor as a preaching 'wonder-man' who is loved by most but loathed by one, and a man ("Professor" Irwin Corey) who fits the profile of an active bomber by the way he is holding his bottle, but it is really his urine sample as he is off to the hospital. Additionally, George Carlin appears as a taxi driver searching for a customer who failed to pay the fare.
Actors
Other supporting actors included: Richard Brestoff, Michael Fennell (the boy on the skateboard), Arthur French, Lorraine Gary, Leonard Jackson, DeWayne Jessie, Lauren Jones, Jack Kehoe, Henry Kingi, Clarence Muse, Garrett Morris, Leon Pinkney, Pepe Serna, James Spinks, Ray Vitte, Ren Woods, Antonie Becker, Erin Blunt, Otis Sistrunk, Tim Thomerson and Jason Bernard. (The film also featured the vocals of local L.A. disc jockeys Jay Butler, J. J. Jackson, Rod McGrew, Sarina C. Grant, and Cleveland's Billy Bass, all heard in the background of the film on the fictional "KGYS" radio station.)
Reception
When the film was originally released, it received mediocre reviews and was not considered a major success. Since its initial release it has had a small but constant following which continues today as a cult film, some notable disciples including Michael Bay and Sandford Bay. The film won the Best Music Award and the Technical Grand Prize at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival plus a nomination for Golden Palm.[1] In the same year it was nominated for Golden Globe, plus it won a Grammy for Best Album of Original Score written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.
Soundtrack
Car Wash: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, recorded by Rose Royce, was a major success, yielding three Billboard R&B Top Ten singles, "Car Wash", "I Wanna Get Next to You", and "I'm Going Down". The "Car Wash" title track, written and produced by Norman Whitfield, was a #1 hit and was one of the biggest hit singles of the Disco era.
Alternate ending
Some early DVD and VHS versions of this movie have an alternate ending from the original theatrical release. The original version has Marsha the cashier being picked up by her "hot date," but when she walks out, her "date" is sitting with his girlfriend in the front seat while Marsha's actual date is seated in the back of the white 1975 Buick LeSabre convertible. She realizes she was chosen as a blind date.
References
External links
.jpg)
