Blu-ray Review: Car Wash

Recently there was an insane story about Donald Trump trying to ban the Center For Disease Control from using seven words, and I thought, We desperately need George Carlin back. He could help us deal with the completely screwed up reality that has assaulted us all in the past year. What would he say about that mendacious prick Donald Trump and all the eager Nazis who support him? Well, while we no longer have George Carlin, we do have his albums and films, and earlier this year Shout! Factory released a special Blu-ray edition of Car Wash, an ensemble film with Carlin playing a cab driver. This film also features Richard Pryor, Professor Irwin Corey, Ivan Dixon, Lorraine Gary, Melanie Mayron, Bill Duke, Garrett Morris, Franklyn Ajaye and The Pointer Sisters, and a bloody great soundtrack. It was written by Joel Schumacher and directed by Michael Schultz.

The entire film takes place over the course of one day at a car wash (and the area immediately surrounding it) in Los Angeles. It takes us from the morning just before the car wash opens to the evening just after it closes. At the beginning, we are quickly introduced to several characters, one after another. George Carlin says to his passenger, “That’s what I think we need, is more love in the world.” But the woman – a prostitute – sneaks out of his car without paying when she realizes she doesn’t have the money. So he goes on a search for her. Richard Pryor is great as a rich religious huckster who travels in style with the Wilson Sisters (played by The Pointer Sisters). “And there’s a good place in this world for money,” he says. “Yessiree, and I know where it is. It’s right here in my pocket.” One of the few television shows I watched regularly during high school was Thirtysomething, a show which featured an impressive and talented cast, including Melanie Mayron. In Car Wash (which came out a decade earlier), she is adorable as Marsha, the receptionist and possible love interest of the owner. But perhaps the most meaningful performance is by Ivan Dixon as Lonnie, an ex-con who is trying to help Duane/Abdullah and keep him from possibly making similar mistakes.

In addition to the wonderful ensemble cast, there are radio DJs who play an important part, acting as constant companions to these characters and an integral part of the background. Those radio voices remind me of the announcements in the film M.A.S.H. And actually there are shots of the speakers, as in M.A.S.H. And like M.A.S.H., it’s the location that brings these characters together. There are some funny bits of set dressing, like the sign that reads, “We give the best hand job in town” (they wash the cars by hand).

The film has a light, loose, bouncy, bright, playful feel, yet also touches on some serious themes, such as the relationship between management and employees, and the thought that we’re all simply making the best of the situations we find ourselves stuck in. And this film contains the line, “Honey, I am more man than you’ll ever be, and more woman than you’ll ever get.” That line was later ripped off by that abysmal film Rent. By the way, at the end the cast is listed by a radio DJ, much like in M.A.S.H., where the cast is given by the camp’s announcer over the speaker.

Special Features

There are several special features, including an audio commentary by director Michael Schultz, in which he talks about the music, and how he wanted three songs written beforehand so that he could play them on set. He also mentions how there was a tremendous amount of noise on the set, making it necessary to record the dialogue later in the studio. Surprisingly, he says that the NAACP was offended by the film, considering the characters to be stereotypes.

Working At The Car Wash With Otis Day is an interview, in which Day talks about getting the role, and about the director and his style. He says he got sick of the “Car Wash” song. This interview is approximately twelve minutes. Car Wash From Star To Finish With Gary Stromberg is an interview with producer Gary Stromberg, in which he talks about getting his start in PR. Geez, his first three clients were Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf and The Doors. Crazy! He talks a bit about his history with drugs. But of course the bulk of the interview is about Car Wash, and he has plenty of interesting stories. He says the idea behind the film was that it would be driven by the music, and the idea was inspired in part by Robert Altman’s Nashville. (Clearly, Altman had a big influence on this movie.) Interestingly, the soundtrack was completed before they even started to shoot, so they could use the music as playback on the set. Stromberg also talks about the real person who was used as inspiration for Richard Pryor’s character, a person who was actually originally cast in the part as well. And I had no idea that Car Wash was the official US entry at Cannes. This interview is approximately thirty-four minutes.

The special features also include four radio spots and the film’s trailer.

Car Wash was released on June 20, 2017 by Shout! Factory, as part of its Shout Select series.