Ron Howard wanted to move away from acting and settle into directing, but because of his commitments to Happy Days production houses were reticent to let him take the center seat on for a big feature film despite his success directing and starring in Grand Theft Auto for Roger Corman.

An agreement was reached if he would cast his co-star, and friend, Henry Winkler, in a film.

Wanting to get away from the clean-cut image of his entire Hollywood existence to that point he leaned into an adult-themed comedy. In short a pair of morgue workers decide to run a prostitution ring out of their place of business.

Chuck (Winkler) is meek and mild-mannered and unwilling to complain. When he gets put back ion the night shift at the morgue, his weight and food-obsessed fiance, Charlotte (Gina Hecht) is disappointed.

He is also saddled with a new co-worker, a fast-talking ‘idea man,’ Billy (Micheal Keaton), and a dead pimp.

It just so happens that Chuck’s next-door neighbor, Belinda (Shelley Long) worked for the now-dead pimp. There’s also something between the two.

Billy hits on the idea of being love-brokers, and soon the pair are hosting the girls’ business from the city morgue. Chuck and Belinda find themselves falling for one another, and everything seems to be going pretty well.

But there’s a pair of thugs (including Richard Belzer!) trying to track down the new pimps in town, and get their but, and Billy’s fast mouth may get them in trouble…

It’s funny, and I loved Winkler in this. It was so against type for him, he went from the ultra-cool Fonz to the quiet Chuck. He gets to lean into a great character arc that sees Chuck grow as a person, and find happiness.

Keaton is fantastic. I love how Keaton has grown as a dramatic actress over the years, but I absolutely love when he leans into comedy. And he shines here.

Rounding out the cast with Shelley Long, the trio make for a great cast, and Night Shift ends up being delightfully fun.

There’s music by Burt Bacharach and a sense of fun throughout. Howard shows that he’s got a solid directorial hand from the off, and he knows how to tell a story, and play things for comedy, and heart.

Howard has made all manner of film over the years, and just like I said about Keaton’s work, I feel the same way when Howard does comedy.

This one didn’t do so well upon release, it definitely wasn’t marketed right, but once it hit home video, I think it started to find its audience. And damn, this one is still fun, and funny. And Winkler and Keaton were a great pairing.