Car Wash (film)

Car Wash
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichael Schultz
Written byJoel Schumacher
Produced byArt Linson
Gary Stromberg
Starring
CinematographyFrank Stanley
Edited byChristopher Holmes
Music byNorman Whitfield
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • September 3, 1976 (1976-09-03)[1]
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2 million
Box office$14 million

Car Wash is a 1976 American comedy film directed by Michael Schultz from a screenplay by Joel Schumacher, and starring an ensemble cast. Originally conceived as a musical, the film is an episodic comedy about a day in the lives of a close-knit group of employees at a Los Angeles car wash. It features Franklyn Ajaye, George Carlin, Irwin Corey, Ivan Dixon, Bill Duke, Antonio Fargas, Jack Kehoe, Clarence Muse, Lorraine Gary, The Pointer Sisters, Richard Pryor, and Garrett Morris.[2]

The film was one of several Black-focused films produced by major Hollywood studios during the 1970's. It was released by Universal Pictures on September 3, 1976. It won the Technical Grand Prize at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for the Palme d'Or.

Despite lukewarm commercial performance on initial release, the film received widespread positive reviews from critics, and has developed a strong cult following. The film is also noted for its Grammy Award-winning soundtrack by the funk group Rose Royce.

  1. ^ "Car Wash - Details". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  2. ^ Vincent Canby (16 October 1976). "'Car Wash' Froths on Screen With Pop Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 June 2024.