Car Wash - 1976

[Edie Antoinette]

CAR WASH FACTS

Director Michael Schultz follows up his critically acclaimed and commercially successful COOLEY HIGH with this hilarious day-in-the-life tale set in modern day Los Angeles. At Sully Boyar's car wash, a juvenile, motley crew of city dwellers "work their fingers to the bone" waiting on the eccentric and sometimes haughty clientele. Throughout the day, the young men find time to indulge in personal pursuits: one fellow fantasizes about the pretty waitress working at a local restaurant, a militant preaches politics, while more disgruntled workers find a way to justify their laziness. As the day wears on, the many levels of oppression that control each individual's lives gradually become apparent. Luckily, Schultz and screenwriter Joel Schumacher don't dwell on the potentially depressing aspects of their subject matter; proving that sometimes laughter is the best medicine, they stuff their film with enough verbal, visual, and situational humor to keep the audience laughing throughout. This can also be attributed to the performances by the all-star ensemble of performers, including Franklin Ajaye, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bill Duke, and Garrett Morris. Cementing the deal is the film's soundtrack, which features the soulful music of diva Rose Royce.
Michael Schultz
(born November 10, 1938
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
is an African American director
and film producer.

After undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Marquette University, Michael Schultz attended Princeton University, where in 1966 he directed his first play, a production of Waiting for Godot. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company in 1968, which brought him to Broadway in 1969. His breakthrough was directing Lorraine Hansberry's To Be Young, Gifted and Black, which he restaged for television in 1972.
Schultz' earliest film projects combined low comedy with profound social comment (Honeybaby, Honeybaby and Cooley High). Eventually, he concentrated on pure-entertainment projects like Car Wash (1976) and Which Way is Up? (1977). He managed to survive the potential career-killer Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978), continuing to churn out profitable efforts like Scavenger Hunt (1979) and Disorderlies (1987).

As of late, Michael Schultz has worked in television, piloting episodes of such style-conscious series as The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and Picket Fences, as well as an abundance of made-for-TV movies.

[D.T.]

You know what they failed to comment on the Car Wash facts is that a young Danny DeVito was also in that movie uncredited. He was the owner of the food joint across the way and he played the part of a jealous boyfriend. You wont see him in the DVD edition or the VHS version. Only on the T.V. edition which sucks because he was hilarious. Everything about that was on point and I watch it at least twice a month!!

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

ROFLMBO...I always wondered what he looked like now...Same Teef although that one big Toof is stained...LOL

[Edie Antoinette]

Who, Franklyn Ajaye?? LOL--Yeah that was all his! It was bigger than his whole body!

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

Very informative blog, one question though, was that mans afro real in the movie....LOL