Stripes
“The story of a man who wanted to keep the world safe for democracy...and meet girls.”
Hard-luck cabbie John Winger, directionless after being fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend, enlists in the U.S. Army with his close pal, Russell Ziskey. After his barely satisfactory performance in basic training, the irreverent Winger emerges as the figurehead for a ragtag band of misfits. However, his hijinks threaten to cause an international scandal when he inadvertently commandeers a military assault vehicle behind enemy lines.
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Cast
40 people
Bill Murray
John Winger
Known for
Ghostbusters
Groundhog Day
Harold Ramis
Russell Ziskey
Known for
Ghostbusters
As Good as It Gets
Warren Oates
Sgt. Hulka
Known for
Badlands
In the Heat of the Night
P. J. Soles
Stella Hansen
Known for
Halloween
Carrie
Sean Young
Louise Cooper
Known for
Blade Runner
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
John Candy
Dewey "Ox" Oxberger
Known for
Uncle Buck
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
P.J. Soles
Stella Hansen
John Larroquette
Capt. Stillman
Known for
Ri¢hie Ri¢h
The Librarians
John Voldstad
Stillman's Aid
Known for
Newhart
Leprechaun
John Diehl
Cruiser
Known for
Miami Vice
Jurassic Park III
Lance LeGault
Col. Glass
Known for
The A-Team
Home on the Range
Roberta Leighton
Anita
Known for
Days of Our Lives
Ivan Reitman Director · Harold Ramis Screenplay Len Blum Screenplay
Worldwide gross $85M · Budget $10M · United States release June 26, 1981
Box office
Budget
$10,000,000
Worldwide gross
$85,297,000
Gross vs. budget
8.5×
Production
Columbia Pictures
Production · Studio
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · Polish · Russian
Release dates
Denmark · June 26, 1981
Theatrical
United States · June 26, 1981
Theatrical
United States
June 1, 1982 · TV · HBO
Australia
December 10, 1981 · Theatrical
France
March 31, 1982 · Theatrical
Germany
December 17, 1981 · Theatrical
Ireland
January 15, 1982 · Theatrical
Japan
January 23, 1982 · Theatrical
South Korea
August 1, 2025 · Digital · Netflix
Spain
November 2, 1981 · Limited theatrical · Madrid
United Kingdom
July 9, 1981 · Theatrical
XC
November 1, 1992 · Physical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.