The Choirboys (1977)

Synopsis: Based on Joseph Wambaugh's best-selling novel, Robert Aldrich's hard-edged, comedic portrait of police life focuses on a group of Los Angeles cops who decide to relieve work pressures by taking... Based on Joseph Wambaugh's best-selling novel, Robert Aldrich's hard-edged, comedic portrait of police life focuses on a group of Los Angeles cops who decide to relieve work pressures by taking part in some dubious after-hours pursuits (known to the officers as choir practice). The drinking, whoring, and rowdiness come to an end when a young man is accidentally shot and killed and the lawmen are forced to cover up the guilty--one of their very own. A precursor to hugely popular television programs such as HILL STREET BLUES and NYPD BLUE, THE CHOIRBOYS is notable for its warts-and-all depiction of the cops' excesses, appetites, and raunchy wit. Aldrich (THE DIRTY DOZEN) lets the action unfold in a loose and episodic way, and the film unleashes its doses of stinging satire in periodic, naturalistic bursts in a manner similar to Robert Altman's classic comedy M*A*S*H. The all-star cast, including Charles Durning, Burt Young, Louis Gossett Jr., and James Woods, energizes Aldrich's attempt to paint the off-duty lives of his protagonists in darkly humorous blacks and morally vague grays, making THE CHOIRBOYS an entertaining and intriguing viewing experience. [More]

Starring: Charles Durning, Louis Gossett, Perry King, Randy Quaid

Starring: Charles Durning, Louis Gossett, Perry King, Randy Quaid, James Woods, Blair Brown, Clyde Kusatsu, Burt Young, Vic Tayback, Barbara Rhoades, Stephen Macht, Tim McIntire, Chuck Sacci, Don Stroud, Robert Webber

Director: Robert Aldrich

Director: Robert Aldrich
Screenwriter: Christopher Knopf

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