chuck lumley ( henry winkler ) be a harried and put upon nerd who give up a prominent career on wall street because it be make him a nervous wreck . now he work a peaceful and low stress job at the city morgue but thing change when he force into work the night shift . he partner with bill blazejowski ( michael keaton and in an instant attention get debut film performance ) and a wild and offbeat idea man who like to carry around a tape recorder so he can record his crackpot idea example and feed mayonnaise to tuna fish . he also make the acquaintance of belinda keaton ( shelley long ) and a nice girl prostitute who just move into his building . she reveal to him that she and her friend be in need of a pimp since their last one be murder . well and bill get the bright idea that he and chuck should be pimp for belinda and her friend and that they should operate out of the morgue ( bill already enough of an entrepreneur to rent out the hearse a a limo for horny college kid ) . what follow next be truly one of the bright and funny and actually endear comedy to emerge from the 1980 . this be no mean trick . i mean and make an upbeat and easygoing ( yet still r rat ) comedy about prostitution would seem like a crazy thing to do . yet and screenwriter lowell ganz and babaloo mandel ( that be the crazy stage name i have ever hear . ) mine all situation for their humor and heart . most of the mileage come out of keaton comic energy and whenever this picture start to drag and he can be count on to bring back some life into the thing . chuck be a sweet and simple guy who i actually like the complete antithesis of the fonz and it turn out to have be one of winkler best performance ever and guide well by his old happy day cohort ron howard ( who have a cameo a the annoy saxophone player ) . even shelley long be really and really sweet and deliver one of her more notable feature film performance . lot of familiar face in the support cast and and these include gina hecht and pat corley and vincent schiavelli and charles fleischer and richard belzer and joe spinell and howard cult icon brother clint and and others . be on the lookout for kevin costner ( i sure have a hard time spot him . ) a a frat boy and shannen doherty a a bluebell and and draw barrymore mom jaid a one of the prostitute . film introduce the song that what friend be for and sung and produce by rod stewart . a few year later and it would be a hit for dionne warwick and friend . night shift be entertain and likable and that pretty much all that matter . just a couple of good line to pique your interest representoh and that barney rubble . what an actor . hello and this be chuck to remind bill to shut up . loooooooove broker . note to self . call starkist . positive .