A bumbling cop moonlights as a masked comedian in Jackie Kong's anything-goes 1984 farce.
NIGHT PATROL
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".
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
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.
- 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
Melvin White balances police work with his alter ego as The Unknown Comic, performing stand-up with a paper bag over his head.
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.
Expect wild scenarios: marijuana-smoking cops, a captain with pathological flatulence, and risqué police car escapades.
Director Jackie Kong steers the madness with unapologetic, anything-for-a-laugh energy.
Themes & Keywords
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.