Tag: Michael Winslow

Retrospective: 40 Years Since we first Signed Up for ‘Police Academy’ By Jesse Striewski

The world just seemed like a much more simple place “back in the day.” Growing up in the ’80s, we were able to push a few more boundaries, poke a little more fun, and overall, just laugh at little bit more without being so easily “offended” (nor did we have the same kind of manufactured hate being pushed down our throats that Hollywood has tried so effortlessly to do so as of late). And most importantly, we were all capable of being “equals” without ever even knowing it at the time.

I was still just shy of preschool when the original Police Academy made its world premiere on March 23, 1984. Yet just a few short years later, I would be introduced to the series via replays of the numerous films on cable television, and seeing its eventual extensive catalog represented on the shelves of video rental stores seemingly everywhere I went. I saw a part of myself in lead actor Steve Guttenberg, who portrayed the wise-cracking Carey Mahoney, and felt it was possible to just maybe be a “police officer” too someday thanks to our similar lanky frames.

The initial seeds for Police Academy started in the mind of Producer and series creator (and one time Rewind It Magazine interviewee) Paul Masalanky, who, while filming The Right Stuff in 1983, got the idea after seeing a group of goofy cadets on the sidelines of the production. This simple moment proved to be vital, and would spawn a worldwide franchise that would eventually see six sequels and two television shows (one animated, one live-action).

In the first film, we’re introduced to said troublemaker Mahoney (Guttenberg), who after finding himself in some hot water with the law, is given the option to sign up for the desperate Police Academy that has recently lowered its standards in lieu of jail time. It’s here we’re introduced to a group of similar, bizarre misfits in the form of Larval Jones (Michael Winslow), Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith), Eugene Tackelberry (David Graf) and Laverne Hooks (Marion Ramesy), among many others (but “diversity” and” inclusion” definitely did not exist back then at all though guys. Nope, not at all).

A young and slender Kim Cattrall played the posh love interest for Mahoney, Karen Thompson, while George Gaynes played the brilliantly inept Commandant Lassard with ease. There’s also some classic banter exchanged between Mahoney and his nemesis Lt. Harris (G.W. Bailey in one of the best “bad guys you love to hate” roles ever put on screen).

By the following year, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment was already hitting theaters (in my opinion the best entry of them all, featuring my personal favorite character “Zed” played by Bobcat Goldthwait for the first time), which was quickly followed by Back in Training (1986), Citizens on Patrol (1987), Assignment Miami Beach (1988), City Under Siege (1989), and eventually the direct-to-video Mission to Moscow (1994), each having their own varying results.

When I interviewed Maslansky back in 2021, I asked him why he thought the series had such the long and successful run that it had. He told me; “It was almost like a sitcom; you had (original Director) Hugh Wilson who came from WKRP Cincinnati, and then Jerry Paris (Director of parts 2 and 3) who was of course Gary Marshall’s guy. And that’s really why we were prepared for it; we had a cast that was steady, and every year everything was just serendipitously there, and the studio kept asking to make another one because the results were just so damn good, and the cost for these pictures was not that much. It was just really a smooth operation, and I had the right directors, production managers, and just overall people in general all the time.”

All these years later, neither my love for the series, nor my respect for law enforcement, have faltered at all. And somewhere I still even have action figures from the toyline that was made for the animated series back in the late ’80s/early ’90s (maybe I’ll dig them out again someday). Hopefully the legacy of Police Academy will remain untouched and remembered for just the way it was and we’re not forced to endure yet another atrocious remake “with a message” any time soon.

Michael Winslow and His Band of Armed Forces at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait on 1/10/23 Words and Photos By Shawn McKee

Michael Winslow is best known for making a wide range of sound effects with his voice, a talent that led him to star in all seven Police Academy movies (and each of its two television series it spawned) from 1984 to 1994 as Sgt Larvell Jones, often delivering the biggest laughs. For better or worse, the series became a part of American culture during the ’80s heyday of National Lampoon, Mel Brooks, Porky’s, and the subsequent ‘slob’ genre. These comedies were simple, juvenile, and crude. But most importantly, they were fun.

This formula, derided by critics, was a big hit with audiences. The inevitable saturation of the genre made it hard to know where and when lightning would strike. Police Academy struck big and became a low-brow comedy success story. Growing up, I enjoyed the series’ stooge-like, raunchy antics. Winslow had an undeniable comic presence. And his brief part as a nameless radar operator in Spaceballs (1987) is one of the film’s many highlights, where he did all the sound effects himself.

And to be referenced in an episode of The Simpsons some years later is no small feat either. The seventh season Christmas-themed episode “Marge Be Not Proud” (1995) saw Bart struggling to regain Marge’s trust after he stole a video game, which led to one of Homer’s best rants; Homer: “STEALING! How could you? We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took in all those Police Academy movies? FOR FUN? Well, I didn’t hear anybody laughing. DID YOU? Except at that guy who made sound effects [makes noises and starts giggling]. Where was I? Oh yeah, stay outta my booze!”

Winslow has performed live shows for decades. He’s also an accomplished beatboxer. I witnessed this firsthand at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, where Winslow delivered a two-hour set of comedy and music to troops abroad. In doing so, he made us all feel at home. I recently arrived in Kuwait as part of a nine-month Army deployment. Arifjan is a big base with lots of military personnel. Armed Forces Entertainment is a morale-based organization that sponsors and coordinates entertainment for service members.

I saw posters of Winslow’s upcoming performance and knew I had to go. Billed as ‘Michael Winslow and His Band of Armed Forces,’ the show was one of eight appearances at deployed locations throughout January. From what I saw, Winslow did not disappoint.

Josh Firestone, stand-up comic and former Army Ranger, had the thankless job of warming up the stone-cold sober crowd on a Tuesday night. He delivered several funny bits about military/post-military life, parenting, and other humorous topics. The initially subdued audience made me wonder how many were even familiar with Michael Winslow. Seeing someone I had admired from childhood was exciting. Maybe like me, they didn’t know what to expect.

Winslow then took the stage to hearty applause. Microphone in hand, he stood behind a dizzying array of electronics. This included a laptop, mixing board, vocal effects pedal, and cables running everywhere. His natural speaking voice was instantly recognizable. Drummer Bryan Lash provided some extra kick to the one-man show. The rest of the band, Winslow explained, couldn’t afford the airfare. It might have been a joke or an excuse to provide all the sounds of the instruments himself.

He belted out multiple genres of music with comedy bits in between. A few awkward pauses followed some technical difficulties, but Winslow effortlessly pushed on with energy, talent, and passion. Plus, the man can sing. Winslow joked about an ongoing bingo event next door by imitating the jittering ball sounds and the announcers blaring voice over the microphone. He then gave us all the sounds you’d expect from a supermarket check-out line. His Eddie Murphy and Chris Tucker impressions, among others, were spot on. There seemed no sound or voice he couldn’t imitate. Most of the show, however, was dedicated to music.

Utilizing vocal loops and effects, Winslow provided the tempo, bass line, guitar, and synthesizers for several familiar songs. He belted out Bob Marley, James Brown, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, Prince, the Beverly Hills Cop theme, George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone,” country, bluegrass, jazz, and some freestyle jams. His energetic, multilayered performance was a sight to see.

“This is what I do,” Winslow repeatedly said. “I make noises.”

He encouraged us to make our own around the base. “But remember, if you get in trouble, my name is Kevin Hart.” Winslow must have been exhausted by the show’s end, but it didn’t show. He stuck around to get pictures with every service member who wanted one. I thanked him for coming, and he told me, “Remember, you can make noises too.”It was a bit of inspiration from the self-proclaimed “man of ten-thousand sound effects.” Strangely enough, I heard he lives in Winter Springs, Florida like me. If true, that makes us neighbors on the other side of the world.

I’m always grateful when performers/celebrities come out to see us. I’ll never forget meeting Robin Williams during my 2004 Afghanistan deployment. Like Williams, Winslow was gracious and kind. I hope he enjoyed performing for us as much as we enjoyed having him.

The author (left) with legendary comedian Michael Winslow on 1/10/23.