Car Wash (1976)

Director: Michael Schultz

Starring: Darrow Igus, Otis Day, James Spinks, Antonio Fargas, The Pointer Sisters, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Clarence Muse, Franklyn Ajaye, Tracy Reed, Bill Duke, Ivan Dixon, Henry Kingi, Garrett Morris, Lorraine Gary, Tim Thomerson

More info: IMDb

Tagline: CAR WASH...where between the hours of 9 and 5 anything can happen...and usually does!

Plot: It's a day in the life of a Los Angeles car wash and the antics that ensue from the employees and customers. Through all of the practical jokes and misadventures, some of them might learn valuable life lessons.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? Nope.

Shittiest...movie poster...EVER. And speaking of marketing materials, throughout my entire life I have yet to see any video cover or poster that didn't make this seem like a movie starring Richard Pryor and George Carlin when the reality is they only make cameos. This is not their movie. Pryor I could do without since he's so often not funny but more Carlin would have been welcome. And though this picture is uneven and kind of pointless (except for the Ivan Dixon/Bill duke plot line which I really, really liked) there's nothing wrong with that kind of movie as long as it's entertaining and this one sort of fulfills that obligation.




Ivan Dixon takes the prize for best acting here. He was fantastic and seemed like he deserved better. Most of the characters are instantly likable and everyone is having fun and make working at a car wash seem like the best job ever. Maybe that's kind of the point that even menial jobs like that can be rewarding with the right coworkers. It's not the 'classic' I was expecting but it was a decent time waster with a few good laughs and nostalgia for a time when things were different and seemingly less serious. The good ole days may not have been all that great but they were that one day in the Summer of '76.