48 Hrs. (1982)

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

Roger Spottiswoode (written by) and
Walter Hill (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 December 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

When a tough cop has a cool convict as a partner and 48 hrs to catch a killer, a lot of funny things can happen in . . . 48 HRS. [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Tough Guy | Alcoholic | Gay Slur | Gunfight

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Nov. 18

8:45 AM

AMC

Cast

Nick Nolte	...	Jack Cates
Eddie Murphy	...	Reggie Hammond
Annette O'Toole	...	Elaine
Frank McRae	...	Haden
James Remar	...	Albert Ganz
David Patrick Kelly	...	Luther
Sonny Landham	...	Billy Bear
Brion James	...	Ben Kehoe
Kerry Sherman	...	Rosalie, Hostage Girl
Jonathan Banks	...	Algren
James Keane	...	Vanzant
Tara King	...	Frizzy, Hotel Desk Clerk
Greta Blackburn	...	Lisa, Blonde Hooker
Margot Rose	...	Casey
Denise Crosby	...	Sally
Olivia Brown	...	Candy (as Olivia M. Brown)
Todd Allen	...	Young Cop
Bill Dearth	...	Thin Cop
Ned Dowd	...	Big Cop
Jim Haynie	...	Old Cop
Jack Thibeau	...	Detective
Jon St. Elwood	...	Plainclothesman
Clare Nono	...	Ruth
Sandy Martin	...	Policewoman
Matt Landers	...	Bob
Peter Jason	...	Cowboy Bartender
Bill Cross	...	Patrol Officer #1
Chris Mulkey	...	Patrol Officer #2
Marcelino Sánchez	...	Parking Lot Attendant (as James Marcelino)
Bennie E. Dobbins	...	Road Gang Guard (as Bennie Dobbins)
Walter Scott	...	Road Gang Guard
W.T. Zacha	...	Road Gang Guard
Begonya Plaza	...	Indian Hooker (as Begoña Plaza)
Loyd Catlett	...	Prison Guard
B.G. Fisher	...	Prison Guard
Reid Cruickshanks	...	Prison Guard
R.D. Call	...	Duty Sergeant
Brenda Venus	...	Hooker
Gloria Gifford	...	Hooker (as Gloria E. Gifford)
Nick Dimitri	...	Torchy's Patron
John Dennis Johnston	...	Torchy's Patron
Rock A. Walker	...	Torchy's Patron
Dave Moordigian	...	Gas Station Attendant
J. Wesley Huston	...	Security Guard
Gary Pettinger	...	Cop with Gun
Marquerita Wallace	...	Bar Girl
Angela Robinson	...	Bar Girl
Jack Lightsy	...	Bartender
John Hauk	...	Henry Wong
Bob Yanez	...	Interrogator
Clint Smith	...	Leroy
Luis Contreras	...	Gang Member
Suzanne M. Regard	...	Cowgirl Dancer
Ola Ray	...	Vroman's Dancer
Bjaye Turner	...	Vroman's Dancer
Brian O'Neal	...	Band at Vroman's (as The Busboys)
Kevin O'Neal	...	Band at Vroman's (as The Busboys)
Gus Loundermon	...	Band at Vroman's (as The Busboys)

Directed by
Walter Hill

Writing credits
Roger Spottiswoode		(written by) and
Walter Hill		(written by) &
Larry Gross		(written by) and
Steven E. de Souza		(written by)

Produced by
D. Constantine Conte	....	executive producer
Lawrence Gordon	....	producer
Joel Silver	....	producer

Original Music by
James Horner

Cinematography by
Ric Waite

Film Editing by
Freeman A. Davies		(as Freeman Davies)
Mark Warner
Billy Weber

Casting by
Judith Holstra

Production Design by
John Vallone

Set Decoration by
Richard C. Goddard

Costume Design by
Marilyn Vance		(as Marilyn Kay Vance)

Makeup Department
Michael Germain	....	makeup artist
Edouard F. Henriques	....	makeup artist (as Edouard F. Henriques III)
Dagmar Loesch	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Gene Levy	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Deborah Love	....	second assistant director (as Deborah A. Love)
David Sosna	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Johnny Lattanzio	....	construction coordinator
Craig Raiche	....	property master
Jaymes Hinkle	....	production painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Glenn E. Anderson	....	sound mixer
Richard L. Anderson	....	supervising sound effects editor (as Richard Anderson)
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound effects editor (as Stephen Flick)
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gregg Landaker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Teri E. Dorman	....	sound editor (uncredited)
John Dunn	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Mark A. Mangini	....	adr editor (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)
Clive Taylor	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Joseph P. Mercurio	....	special effects

Stunts
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunt coordinator
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Leonard	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Walter Scott	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Sherrod	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Rock A. Walker	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Carl Boles	....	gaffer
John London	....	key grip
Bruce McBroom	....	still photographer
Bruce Balton	....	jib operator (uncredited)
Baird Steptoe	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Richard Walden	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tom Bronson	....	costume supervisor (as Thomas M. Bronson)
Dan Moore	....	costumer: men
Jennifer L. Parsons	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Carmel Davies	....	assistant film editor
Robert Hernandez	....	assistant film editor
Edward A. Warschilka	....	assistant film editor (as Edward A. Warschilka Jr.)

Music Department
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator
Winston Sharples	....	composer: cartoon music (as W. Sharples)
Michael Tronick	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer
James Horner	....	conductor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ronnie Baker	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Giorgio Armani	....	suit: Eddie Murphy
Rafe Blasi	....	publicity coordinator
Mary F. Galloway	....	location manager
Barbara Hamm	....	assistant: Nick Nolte
Luca Kouimelis	....	script supervisor
Patricia Phillipes	....	assistant: Lawrence Gordon
David Proval	....	acting coach: Eddie Murphy
Patty Raya	....	assistant: Lawrence Gordon
Douy Swofford	....	title designer: main titles
Elaine K. Thompson	....	assistant: Joel Silver
Mae Woods	....	assistant: Walter Hill
Lisbeth Wynn-Owen	....	secretary: Gene Levy
Jette Sorensen	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Nancy Zearfoss	....	night location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1985) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1983) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (1999) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Giorgio Armani  Eddie Murphy's suit
• Unique Movie Cars  picture cars

Also Known As:

48 Hours (USA) (alternative spelling)
Forty Eight Hours (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Australia:R | Singapore:PG (cut) | Netherlands:12 | USA:R (Certificate #26865) | UK:15 (2009) (uncut) | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | Argentina:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) (cut version) | UK:18 (original rating) | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Eddie Murphy states in his 2008 Biography special that his character's name was originally scripted to be "Willie Biggs." He had concerns with that name as it sounded too much like a "Hollywood, made-up, black guy's name." He suggested the last name Hammond based on a raspy-voiced, cool kid from his hometown named Terrance Hammond. Reggie was a compromise by having just the first name be a typical "Hollywood, made-up, black guy name."

Goofs:

Factual errors: There is most likely no way a battery would stay good for three years only being charged once per month. Once a battery goes through 7 cycles of running all the way down it is shot. About the only way a battery would stay good this long is if it were a modern day battery on a trickle (constant) charger. Very doubtful the car would have started after 3 years without a full charge anyway.

Quotes:

Elaine: You know, if you let me come over to your place once in a while you could put on a clean shirt in the morning.
Jack: What makes you think I got any clean shirts in my place?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Eddie Murphy/Lionel Richie (#8.9)" (1982)

Soundtrack:

CARTOON MUSIC

The real thing. Accept no imitations.

This is the one of the movies that kicked off the buddy cop formula. Technically, Nick Nolte's the only cop, but other films have tried to imitate the style by having a tough, cranky, by-the-book cop (Nolte's character) paired off with a loose, easygoing, unorthodox cop (like Murphy's character). Some of these "imitators" have failed miserably and even those that succeeded don't match up to "48 Hours."

I haven't seen the unedited version of this movie in over ten years (it plays on TV like 4 times every month), and even when I did catch it on TV, I caught it in bits and pieces. Now that I've seen it straight-through, in its uncut form, I can regard this as an overlooked classic. Watching Nolte as the gruff, chain-smoking Jack, I thought to myself, "He owns that part." Many actors have tried to take on that same role, but nobody plays it better than Nolte. And the same goes for Eddie Murphy. His talent has been taken for granted over the recent years, since his career has hit a major slump. And rightfully so. He should choose his roles much more wisely. How do you from doing such fun, memorable films as "48 Hours," "Coming to America" and "Trading Places" to doing "Showtime" and "I-Spy." This movie proves that Murphy can go leaps and bounds with his comic talent, if the script is well-written. The scene in the all-white, country-western bar, where Murphy shows off his skills as an interrogator, is a classic.

The film is directed by Walter Hill, who's great at directing action sequences. So the movie packs a punch in both the action and comedy department. Nolte and Murphy's chemistry is priceless, and the banter between them is sharp and hilarious. One of my favorite examples is when Murphy asks Nolte, "Can you tell me a bedtime story?" Nolte responds, "F**k you." "That's my favorite one." Of course, Murphy gets most of the credit for being the comic relief, and he is terrific in one of his best comic performances, but Nolte belts out just as many funny lines as him, though he's the official straight man. He never seems to say anything intentionally funny, but that's what's funny. He says things that are hilarious, but sounds dead serious about them. And of course, it's also hilarious to watch him react furiously to Murphy's taunts.

Those who haven't seen "48 Hours" should really check it out, because it's an action classic! Sure, the "Rush Hour" films are good, but Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan don't have close to the same magic as Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy! THIS is how an action/comedy is made!!

My score: 9 (out of 10)