This is the last truly great comedic film that was released during the Golden Age of Disney Films. After this film, the structure and style of Disney films began to change. The Family Friendly movie company that produced nothing but G rated feature film had shifted to mostly PG rated fare. Also, besides ‘Herbie Goes Banana’s, this is the last slapstick happy comedy film to be released by Disney for quite some time. It’s an amusing way out of the 70’s and into the 80’s Disney era. ‘The Black Hole’ was the last official Disney film of 1979 and the first movie with Disney’s name displayed on it to receive a PG rating. A few years earlier Disney released without their name attached to it, a PG rated High School sports movie called ‘Take Down’, which is unavailable on DVD as of yet. There is your interesting trivia tidbits. And now on to this ‘Irregular’ review.
Seeing that this is a very character drivin film, let’s meet the Irregular Cast of Characters.
Reverend Michael Hill (Edward Herrmann): Newly appointed pastor of the North Avenue Presbyterian Church.
RMH is a MOG (Man of God) who wants to spread the WOG (Word of God) and is a avid crusader against mob sponsored Gambling. This flame of fire against bookies is inflamed when the good reverend goes to retrieve the Church’s Sinking Fund from an illegal gambling joint located in a Men’s paints press shop. Men take off their paints to be pressed while placing bets. No Paints Pressed, no Bets. This bet on a horse race was placed by the husband of Mrs. Rose Rafferty (Patsy Kelly) who was left in charge of the CSF. Delaney Rafferty (Douglas Fowley) thought increasing the church’s funding could best be accomplished by this act of grace from on high, as God smiled upon the blessed horse.
It’s interesting that people assume that anyone in a collar is a Catholic Priest. Reverend Hill is called Padre several times by the chief Bookie of the Joint , Harry the Hat, (the Skipper) before he is thrown out of the Gambling Joint, without his paints.
In response to this act of injustice RMH forms a team to bring down the crime syndicate. These are ‘The North Avenue Irregulars’.
Anne (Susan Clark): The NAPC secretary who is weary of change, doesn't want to get involved with the good pastors anti-crimmanal endevors and is of course the potential love interest of the new single pastor. It may not surprise you by the end she eventually gets caught up in the adventure and his crusade against crime and other natural things that result from the last line in the last sentence.
The Rafferty’s: / The Blarney Stones: A loving older couple who are always bickering. When we first meet Delany he is hanging off the roof of the church with several of the women trying to save his life. Much wackiness ensues. When he is chasing crooks he is disguised a an old woman.
Claire Porter (Cloris Leachman)/ Phantom Fox: A single woman who thinks Reverend Hill might be her new husband. She is rich and spoiled, buys radios for everyone, and rides around in her car with her little dog.
Mrs. Vickie Sims (Barbara Harris) / Kiddie Car: A mom who always seems to have a car load of kids and animals when ever she needs to chase the criminals.
Cleo Jackson (Virginia Capers) / Clunker: A heavy set black woman who chases crooks in her husband’s used unrelayable clunkers he is trying to sell off his used car lot. She usually has a baby in tow when chasing crooks.
Jane (Karen Valentine) June Bride: A woman engaged to wed a Momma’s boy who seems to care more about his precious car then about justice. She ends up marrying this guy anyway and goes from the wedding reception to a car chase.
God: The Great I AM. The essence of being himself. The one who left the materials for cars to be made by his children. The Lord who blesses the people that are his own and who works in Mysterious Ways. It’s nice to see a time when God the creator of Trees was mentioned in Disney films as opposed to the god being a tree.
There are several other interesting and wacky characters including a gung-ho church secretary out to kick serious butt and a older church pastor who joins in on the crime search. Plus, there are these few other Notable Mentions in the Cast of Characters.
FBI AGENTS, Marvin Fogleman (Michael Constantine) and Tom Voohries (Steven Franken). The men who want to help Reverend Hill rid the city of Crime. Marvin suffers much stress from the Irregulars as their constant bimboness effects his health.
"Strawberry Shortcake”: A local garage band that is recruited to sing at the weekly worship services.
This is based on a real life story believe it or not.
During the course of the film the ‘Irregulars’ follow the crooks around trying to find the secret location of their rebel base. Various well-choreographed and well-timed chase scenes are strung throughout the course of the picture resulting in a climatic, hectic, energetic, and super wacky demolition derby at the end of the film.
For uplifting family comedy, let the ‘Irregulars ride into your DVD player.
Triva: In the scene where the church is blown up, the movie's crew didn't realize until after the destruction (in one take, of course) that there was no film in the camera. The church had to be rebuilt and blown up again. As of a few years ago, it still sits on a lot at Buena Vista studios. (IMDB)
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