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Comedy Cult Classic

A bumbling cop moonlights as a masked comedian in Jackie Kong's anything-goes 1984 farce.

NIGHT PATROL

1984 · 1h 27m · R · Comedy

Melvin is a pathetic loser of a motorcycle cop who gets demoted to working the night shift as a punishment for his constant screw-ups. During his off-duty time, however, Melvin turns to his secret obsession: comedy. He puts a paper bag over his head and performs in front of audiences as "The Unknown Comic".

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Vault Note

Where else does the Unknown Comic bust perps and punchlines on the same shift?

Programmer's Pick

Night Patrol throws professionalism out the window: you get Linda Blair as a lovelorn cop, Pat Morita as a male rape victim, and Murray Langston juggling police work with late-night comedy gigs behind a paper bag. Jackie Kong’s wild ensemble and lowbrow antics make for a gleefully anything-goes ride.

— SassyFlix Programmer
Quick Answer
What is Night Patrol about?

Night Patrol is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Jackie Kong about Melvin White, an incompetent policeman demoted to the night shift who secretly performs stand-up comedy as The Unknown Comic.

Synopsis

Melvin White is an inept policeman who is demoted to night patrol by his pathologically lying captain, who has excessive flatulence. White's partner is Kent Lane, who has been a police officer for ten years and loves nothing more than having sex with women in the back of his police car. Fellow police officer Sue Perman is attracted to White, but White does not understand her hints and thinks of her as only a buddy. White and Lane get involved in various situations that include a couple parked in front of a fire hydrant, people smoking marijuana which they join in, and a male rape victim with a high-pitched voice. In between his duties as a police officer, White is the stand-up comedian The Unknown Comic at night. While in his persona, White wears a paper bag over his head that has holes for his eyes and mouth. White is popular as The Unknown Comic, and he has a chance to become even more famous and rich when a talent agent seeks him out. Edith Hutton, a fan of White, is attracted to The Unknown Comic and wants to discover who is under the paper bag. Hutton is even willing to leave her current boyfriend for him. White also has sessions with a psychiatrist.

Things become more complicated for White when a thief begins to rob bars at gunpoint while disguised as The Unknown Comic. No one is aware of The Unknown Comic's identity, but his captain has a suspicion that it is White. To prove that he is innocent, while also trying to hide his stand-up comedian identity, White works with Lane to track down who is impersonating him. White is supposed to perform at a venue as The Unknown Comic, but he is unable to do so because he is on the trail of the thief as a police officer within that venue. An impersonator of the comedian shows up on stage to perform, while another impersonator enters the place to steal money. White and his partner chase the thief and lose sight of the person on stage. The two of them catch up to the thief, resulting in White and the thief having a Western-film-style gun draw duel. The victor of the duel is White, and an unmasking reveals the impersonator is his psychiatrist, who says he wanted to become rich in White's place. White then finds and confronts the second impersonator, who turns out to be Perman. Perman used a recording of White's voice to protect him from being arrested. The film then ends with Perman and White having sex at White's apartment.
Details & Specs
Director
Jackie Kong
Writers
Jackie Kong, William A. Levey, Bill Osco, Murray Langston
Release
1984
Runtime
1h 27m
Genres
Comedy
Also Known As
Patrulha Noturna, Yöpartio, Pattuglia di notte, Purk på nattevakt, Nocny patrol

Why Cult

Double Life Comic

Melvin White balances police work with his alter ego as The Unknown Comic, performing stand-up with a paper bag over his head.

Offbeat Ensemble Cast

Linda Blair, Pat Morita, and Andrew Dice Clay all pop up in bizarre roles, from love-struck officers to a high-pitched victim and a peeping Tom.

Raunchy Comedy Setpieces

Expect wild scenarios: marijuana-smoking cops, a captain with pathological flatulence, and risqué police car escapades.

Jackie Kong Chaos

Director Jackie Kong steers the madness with unapologetic, anything-for-a-laugh energy.

Trailer

Questions from the Vault

What is Night Patrol about? +

Night Patrol follows Melvin White, a hapless cop demoted to night duty, who moonlights as The Unknown Comic while navigating a series of absurd misadventures with his eccentric colleagues.

When was Night Patrol released? +

Night Patrol was released in 1984.

Who directed Night Patrol? +

Night Patrol was directed by Jackie Kong.

How long is Night Patrol? +

Night Patrol has a runtime of 87 minutes.

What genre is Night Patrol? +

Night Patrol is a comedy.