48 Hrs. (1982)

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

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

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

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) | 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:

Sonny Landham, who played Billy Bear, went on to direct and appear in the movie "Billy Lone Bear (1996)."

Goofs:

Continuity: Thirty minutes in, Jack and Reggie are driving to get Luther. Luther is visible a few car lengths ahead of them, driving Reggie's car. The car wasn't even picked up from storage until much later in the movie. It's the same scene used when they're tailing Luther about an hour into the film.

Quotes:

Jack: Hammond! You tell me what this is all about or you and me are going at it again. I wanna know what this is about between you and Ganz.
Reggie: Look I've been waiting for a lot of money for a long time, man.
Jack: How much money?
Reggie: Half a million dollars. Starting to get the picture now? You're on the wrong side of the law and order track here, Jack.
Jack: Just tell me about the god damn money.
Reggie: Me and Ganz hit a dealer during a sale. It's the kind of money nobody reports stolen.
Jack: So he's after your money.
Reggie: You know you're a real smart cop, Jack. So how much you want, huh? Half?
Jack: Not likely, convict.
Reggie: Oh, I can't have none of it now, huh?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Olivia Newton-John (#7.20)" (1982)

Soundtrack:

ROXANNE

Alternately hilarious (of course) and thrilling

Nick Nolte is well-cast as the average tough, somewhat maverick cop who gets involved in a case involving an escaped convict and his partner and their psychopathic rampage through San Francisco. He's forced to enlist the help of fast-talking incarcerated con man Eddie Murphy, who has dealt with one of the killers in past. Murphy insists he be let out for 48 hours in order to secure a stash of money he has that the killer wants. Nolte and Murphy are a mismatched pair, Murphy being the sly young criminal, Nolte being a tough, somewhat ignorant cop who tires easily of his partner's fast mouth and wayward way of giving information, and constant attempts at getting a gun.

There's one good scene where Murphy walks into a redneck cowboy joint with a bet about what it takes to be taken seriously as a cop, and trades places with Nolte as a detective trying to get information on where one of the guys is. Later on, Nolte and Murphy get into a fight because Murphy won't say what he knows the escaped killer is after.

Walter Hill creates one of the best cop movies ever, and a perfect movie to act as Murphy's first real vehicle for his comedy style. However, this is not comedy like, say, "Trading Places." This movie is more the comedy style of the first "Lethal Weapon" movie. Alternately serious and funny.