Eddie is a con artist. When he's framed and comes before a judge, he hopes to get off the hook by claiming insanity—but instead ends up in a hospital for a mental assessment. That night, a storm causes a power failure and, in the ensuing chaos, Eddie is mistaken for a doctor and suddenly finds himself in charge of the hospital.
Acting
Pryor's physical comedy carries the whole mess
Practical Effects
Hurricane chaos done with actual wind machines
Director
Michael Apted
Richard Pryor
Eddie Lenahan/Dr. Kevin Slattery
Rachel Ticotin
Rachel Atwood
Rubén Blades
Louis
Joe Mantegna
Arthur Chambers
Bob Dishy
Dr. Foster
Sylvia Miles
Nurse Maggie Lesser
Joe Dallesandro
Stucky
Randall 'Tex' Cobb
Box
Bob Saget
Dr. Joffe
Jon Polito
Kline
Garrett Morris
Helicopter Junkie
Brian Tarantina
Tommy Pinto
Jude Ciccolella
Jack Kinney
Elizabeth Arlen
E.R. Nurse
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Michael Apted directed this between Oscar-nominated dramas—apparently he needed a break from seriousness.
This was Pryor's last major studio lead before his health declined, making his frantic energy here feel almost elegiac in retrospect.
US
