Main Cast: Burt Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, James Remar, Richard Masur, Dionne Warwick
Release Year: 1988
Country: US
Run Time: 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Tony Church (Burt Reynolds) is a Chicago detective who loses his job when he is blamed for the deaths of his fellow officers gunned down in a botched drug bust. He becomes a bodyguard to hooker Della Roberts (Liza Minnelli), the lone witness who can identify the killer (James Remar). Bernie Casey is Church's ill-fated partner Lamar, and Dionne Warwick appears briefly as the head of a call-girl ring in this unremarkable feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Bernie Casey - Lemar; Robby Benson - Pitts; John Stanton - Alexander; Roslyn Alexander - Miss Barley; Dennis Cockrum - Man at El; Larry Dolgin - Capt. James; Cyrus Elias - Victor; Mickey Knox - Frank; Bruce McGuire - Cop No. 2; Paul Raci - Waiter; Michael Rooker - Joe; Del Russell - Seller; John Ryan - Wieser; Ned Schmidtke - Lindy; Mary Ann Thebus - Woman in Mercedes; Rick LeFevour - Young Cop; Percy Hogan - Buyer; Judith Holstra
Credit
Aurelio Crugnola - Art Director, John D. Schofield - Associate Producer, Judith Holstra - Casting, Marcia Ross - Casting, Moss Mabry - Costume Designer, Tony Brandt - First Assistant Director, Jerry London - Director, Robert Lawrence - Editor, Jerry Goldsmith - Composer (Music Score), Tony Masters - Production Designer, Giuseppe Rotunno - Cinematographer, Raymond Wagner - Producer, Franco Fumagalli - Set Designer, Michael Blodgett - Screenwriter, Dennis Shryack - Screenwriter, David Taylor - Screenwriter, Rob Thompson - Screenwriter
The film helped both lead actors to be nominated for the 1988 Golden Raspberry Awards for "Worst Actor" and "Worst Actress." (These nominations were not solely on the merits of Rent-a-Cop, however; Reynolds and Minnelli were also cited for Switching Channels and Arthur 2: On the Rocks, respectively).
The film earned under US$300,000 in American ticket sales. IMDb lists the film as having debuted in 1987 because the movie came out in West Germany in November 1987, two months before its American premiere. Although set in Chicago, the movie was mostly filmed in Italy.
