Doctor Detroit

Doctor Detroit
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Pressman
Produced by Robert K. Weiss
Written by
Starring
Music by
Cinematography King Baggot
Edited by Christopher Greenbury
Production
company
Distributed by Universal Studios
Release date
 May 6, 1983 (1983-05-06)
Running time
 89 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $8 million
Box office $10,375,893[1]

Doctor Detroit is a 1983 American comedy film directed by Michael Pressman with writing by Bruce Jay Friedman, Carl Gottlieb, and Robert Boris. The film stars Dan Aykroyd, Howard Hesseman, Lynn Whitfield, Fran Drescher, and Donna Dixon, with a special appearance by James Brown.

James Brown performed the theme song "Get Up Offa That Thing/Dr. Detroit". Devo performed "Theme from Doctor Detroit" and "Luv-Luv" and released an EP, including "Theme from Doctor Detroit", "Luv-Luv", and a remix of the theme song. Devo also produced a music video from the theme song incorporating footage from the film.

Plot

Introverted geek Clifford Skridlow (Dan Aykroyd) is a professor of comparative literature at the financially strapped (fictional) Monroe College in Chicago.

Smooth Walker (Howard Hesseman), a pimp, owes $80,000 to "Mom" (Kate Murtagh), a gruff Chicago mob boss. Attempting to weasel out of his debt, Smooth invents a fictitious mobster, the flamboyant "Doctor Detroit", a ruthless chiropractor who allegedly is overrunning Smooth's turf. Clifford meets Smooth and his girls Monica (Donna Dixon), Jasmine (Lydia Lei), Karen (Fran Drescher), and Thelma (Lynn Whitfield), and has the best night of his life partying with them. The next morning, during a faculty meeting, Clifford learns about their troubles with Mom, that Smooth has skipped town, and that according to Smooth, they are now Clifford's girls. Clifford agrees to assume the persona of Doctor Detroit in an effort to help them out of the jam they are in.

Meanwhile, the Monroe College awaits the anticipated corporate endowment from Rousehorn Consolidated Industries, that will be presented by its CEO, Harmon Rousehorn (Andrew Duggan), and will allow the college to remain open.

While Clifford is teaching classes, grading papers, catering a faculty party and assisting in hosting the visiting CEO, his Doctor Detroit alter ego has to find a way to get Thelma out of a solicitation charge; hold Mom at bay; and appear at the Players Ball to be proclaimed the new King of the Pimps while simultaneously appearing at Monroe College's annual Alumni Dinner. When Mom shows up at the Players Ball, she figures out that Doctor Detroit and Professor Skridlow are one and the same, and duels him with sword-length kebab skewers in front of the assembled academics. Following the defeat of Mom, the two functions combine into one joyous, spectacular party, as the ultimate fates of the characters are learned.

Cast

Filming

The film was shot on location in Chicago during the summer of 1982.

Soundtrack

Doctor Detroit

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Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released 1983
Genre
Length 35:53
Label
Producer
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic link

A soundtrack album for the film was released on the labels Backstreet, MCA, and WEA.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Performer(s)Length
1."Theme from Doctor Detroit"
Devo3:10
2."Hold Him"
3:22
3."King of Soul"NewbornJames Brown2:40
4."Yo Skridlow"
4:40
5."Working Girls"
  • Newborn
  • Brooks
  • Pattie Brooks
  • Dan Aykroyd
4:48
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Performer(s)Length
6."Get Up Offa That Thing/Doctor Detroit"James BrownJames Brown3:23
7."Luv-Luv"
  • Mothersbaugh
  • Casale
Devo3:36
8."You Are the One"
Pattie Brooks4:05
9."Get It on and Have a Party"
  • Newborn
  • Brooks
Pattie Brooks6:09
Total length:35:53

Reaction and sequel

The film received negative reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 33% of six critics have given the film a positive review.[2] Writing in the Chicago Tribune, critic Gene Siskel gave the film two and a half stars and called it "a mess, but a genial mess."[3]

In her autobiography, Enter Whining, Fran Drescher commented that this film was expected to be a major hit for the summer of 1983, but that it fell short of that expectation; by the time the film ended its run in theaters, it had only managed to make US$10.8 million, on a budget of US$8 million.

The end titles promised the release of Doctor Detroit II: The Wrath of Mom, meant as a gag based on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, released eleven months previously. Aykroyd was said to have been writing the script; however, the project never went into production due to the poor box office results of the original.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Doctor Detroit at Box Office Mojo
  2. ↑ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/doctor_detroit
  3. ↑ Siskel, Gene (May 6, 1983). "Aykroyd's 'Detroit': Funny flawed and filmed in Chicago". Chicago Tribune. p. c1.
  4. ↑ "What is Doctor Detroit II The Wrath of Mom?". ChaCha. December 8, 2012. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
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