Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Director:

Martin Brest

Writers:

Danilo Bach (story)
Daniel Petrie Jr. (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

5 December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

In Detroit a cop learns to take the heat. In L.A. he learns to keep his cool. [Theatrical Australia]

Plot:

A freewheeling Detroit cop pursuing a murder investigation finds himself dealing with the very different culture of Beverly Hills.

Plot Keywords:

Gallery | Police | Murder | Art Gallery | Detective

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Eddie Murphy	...	Det. Axel Foley
Judge Reinhold	...	Det. William 'Billy' Rosewood
John Ashton	...	Det. Sgt. John Taggart
Lisa Eilbacher	...	Jeannette 'Jenny' Summers
Ronny Cox	...	Lt. Andrew Bogomil
Steven Berkoff	...	Victor Maitland
James Russo	...	Mikey Tandino
Jonathan Banks	...	Zack, Maitland's Thug
Stephen Elliott	...	Police Chief Hubbard
Gilbert R. Hill	...	Insp. Douglas Todd
Art Kimbro	...	Det. Foster
Joel Bailey	...	Det. McCabe
Bronson Pinchot	...	Serge
Paul Reiser	...	Jeffrey
Michael Champion	...	Casey
Frank Pesce	...	Cigarette Buyer
Gene Borkan	...	Cigarette Truck Driver
Michael Gregory	...	Beverly Palms Hotel Manager
Alice Cadogan	...	Beverly Palms Hotel Clerk
Philip Levien	...	Donny
Karen Mayo-Chandler	...	Maitland Receptionist
Gerald Berns	...	Beverly Hills Cop #1
William Wallace	...	Beverly Hills Cop #2
Israel Juarbe	...	Room Service Waiter
Randy Vasquez	...	Beverly Palms Hotel Bellhop (as Randy Gallion)
Damon Wayans	...	Banana Man
Chuck Adamson	...	Warehouse Crate Opener #1
Chip Heller	...	Warehouse Crate Opener #2
Rick Overton	...	Bonded Warehouse Night Supervisor
Rex Ryon	...	Bonded Warehouse Security Guard
Mike Pniewski	...	Bonded Warehouse Clerk #1 (as Michael Pniewski)
Douglas Warhit	...	Bonded Warehouse Clerk #2
Paul Drake	...	Strip Club Holdup Man #1
Tom Everett	...	Strip Club Holdup Man #2
Sally Kishbaugh	...	Strip Club Waitress
Barry Shade	...	Harrow Club Valet
Jack Heller	...	Harrow Club Maitre D'
Michael Harrington	...	Harrow Club Arresting Officer
David Wells	...	Police Dispatcher
Scott Murphy	...	Det. Owensby
Dennis Madden	...	Detroit Cop #1
John Achorn	...	Detroit Cop #2
John Pettis	...	Detroit Cop #3
Nicholas Shields	...	Detroit Station Cop #1 (as Nick Shields)
Carl Weintraub	...	Detroit Station Cop #2
Anthony De Fonte	...	Detroit Station Cop #3
Darwyn Carson	...	Barmaid
Mark E. Corry	...	Pool Player
Thomas J. Hageboeck	...	Maitland Bodyguard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Martin Brest	...	Beverly Palms Hotel Checkout Clerk (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Brest

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Danilo Bach		story
Daniel Petrie Jr.		screenplay
Daniel Petrie Jr.		story

Produced by
Jerry Bruckheimer	....	producer
Linda Horner	....	associate producer
Mike Moder	....	executive producer
Don Simpson	....	producer

Original Music by
Harold Faltermeyer

Cinematography by
Bruce Surtees		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Arthur Coburn
Billy Weber

Casting by
Margery Simkin
Rhonda Young

Production Design by
Angelo P. Graham		(as Angelo Graham)

Art Direction by
James J. Murakami

Set Decoration by
John M. Dwyer
Jeff Haley

Costume Design by
Tom Bronson

Makeup Department
Leonard Engelman	....	makeup artist
Barbara Lorenz	....	hair stylist
Ben Nye Jr.	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Mike Moder	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Bogart	....	first assistant director
Richard Graves	....	second assistant director
Steve McRoberts	....	first assistant director: second unit
Dannielle J. Weiss	....	dga trainee
Thomas J. Wright	....	second unit director (as Tom Wright)

Art Department
Mike Blaze	....	assistant props
John Hutchinson	....	stand-by painter
Robert Müller	....	construction coordinator (as Robert Mueller)
Tommy 'Tom' Tomlinson	....	property master (as Tom Tomlinson)
Charles Breen	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Pamela Bentkowski	....	foley editor
Alan Bromberg	....	foley editor
Carolyn Colwell	....	assistant sound editor
Teri E. Dorman	....	sound editor (as Teri Dorman)
Daniel F. Finnerty	....	assistant sound editor (as Daniel Finnerty Jr.)
William Gocke	....	boom operator
Cecelia Hall	....	supervising sound editor
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bruce Lacey	....	sound editor
Gregg Landaker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alan L. Nineberg	....	adr editor
Bruce Richardson	....	sound editor (as Paul Bruce Richardson)
Gary Ritchie	....	sound recordist
George Watters II	....	supervising sound editor
Charles M. Wilborn	....	sound mixer
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ken Pepiot	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Steve Grumette	....	computer effects supervisor

Stunts
Christopher R. Adams	....	stunts
Janet Brady	....	stunts (as Janet S. Brady)
David Burton	....	stunts
Danny Costa	....	stunts
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts (as Steve Davidson)
Vince Deadrick Sr.	....	stunts (as Vincent P. Deadrick Sr.)
Eddy Donno	....	stunts
Ron Ellis	....	stunts
Kenny Endoso	....	stunts
Stephanie Epper	....	stunts
Tony Epper	....	stunts
Jay Fuller	....	stunts (as Jay R. Fuller)
Billy Hank Hooker	....	stunts (as Bill Hooker)
Loren Janes	....	stunts
Matt Johnston	....	stunts
Harold Jones	....	stunts
Gary McLarty	....	stunt coordinator
Gary McLarty	....	stunts
Karen McLarty	....	stunts (as Karen Werner)
Bobby McLaughlin	....	stunts
John Meier	....	stunts (as John C. Meier)
Mike Moore	....	stunts (as Michael W. Moore)
Alan Oliney	....	stunts
Rex Pierson	....	stunts
Mic Rodgers	....	stunts
Danny Rogers	....	stunts
John Sistrunk	....	stunts (as J.E. Sistrunk)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter J. Breen	....	dolly grip
Al Contreras	....	second grip
John Davis	....	best boy
Jack N. Green	....	camera operator (as Jack Green)
Michael Liakos	....	second grip
Danny Marzolo	....	electrician
Frank McKane	....	best boy
Jeff Miller	....	assistant camera (as Jeffrey Lee Miller)
Don Nygren	....	gaffer (as Donald O. Nygren)
Richard R. Robinson	....	still photographer
Jim Rose	....	dolly grip
Francis X. Valdez III	....	electrician
Peter Wagner	....	key grip
Michael D. Weldon	....	assistant camera
Rick Bota	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Maggie Mills	....	casting assistant
Margery Simkin	....	casting
Rhonda Young	....	casting
Franklyn Warren	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kathie Gale	....	costumer
Michael J. Long	....	costumer
Chuck Velasco	....	costumer
Haleen K. Holt	....	costume illustrator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Claudia Finkle	....	assistant editor
John Haggar	....	assistant editor (as John A. Haggar)
Richard Ritchie	....	color timer (as Dick Ritchie)
Markus Schaub	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Bob Badami	....	music editor
Kathy Nelson	....	music consultant: MCA Records
Greg Fulginiti	....	music engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Sam Edelman	....	transportation captain
Jay Fuller	....	transportation coordinator (as Jay R. Fuller)

Other crew
Chuck Adamson	....	technical advisor
Laurie Allison	....	assistant: Mr. Brest
William Bowling	....	location manager
Stanley Brossette	....	unit publicist
Janis Benjamin Collister	....	assistant: Mr. Moder
Robert C. Decker	....	location manager
Simon Doonan	....	art gallery consultant
Faith Ginsberg	....	assistant: Mr. Brest
Betty Goldberg	....	script supervisor
James Herbert	....	location manager
Barbara Lichtenberg	....	office assistant
Scott Metcalfe	....	assistant: Mr. Simpson
Carol Richmond	....	assistant: Mr. Simpson
David Robertson	....	assistant: Mr. Brest
Robert Thorson	....	production auditor
Barbara Weintraub	....	assistant: Mr. Bruckheimer

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Eddie Murphy Productions (in association with)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Australia) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1988) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• MCA Records  soundtrack
• On Tour Productions  transportation services
• R/Greenberg Associates  titles
• White Gloves  negative cutting

Also Known As:

Beverly Drive (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby Digital (Dolby 5.1)

Certification:

Finland:K-14 (re-rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 (1985) | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:18A | Brazil:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Ireland:15 | Norway:16 (1985) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills Civic Center - 19606 450 Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

In addition to getting the inspiration of Serge from a crew member on Beverly Hills Cop, Bronson Pinchot would later go on to play Balki on "Perfect Strangers" (1986) and use a variation of the "Don't be stupid" line. Every time he was asked something he would reply "Of course I do, don't be ridiculous."

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The bar scene, shown as if in Detroit, could not have been filmed in Detroit as lighted signs advertising alcoholic beverages are illegal in Michigan.

Quotes:

[Rosewood and Taggart are staking out Axel Foley in an upscale hotel. Axel has just had dinner delivered to their car outside]
Detective Rosewood: How did he know we were here?
Sergeant Taggart: I let you drive.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Clerks: A Dissertation on the American Justice System by People Who Have Never Been Inside a Courtroom, Let Alone Know Anything About the Law, But Have Seen Way Too Many Legal Thrillers (#1.4)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Emergency

Murphy's best role - a unique fish-out-of-water comedy!

Detroit cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is in Beverly Hills for a few days to investigate the murder of an old acquaintance. Axel assumes the suspect is a local tycoon, but no one seems to believe him – including the police force, being semi-run by Ronny Cox (in one of his rare good-guy roles).

Axel comes into trouble with the law his first day on the job after getting thrown through a glass window by some thugs. He is arrested, and when released finds himself hounded by a pair of inept police officers around the town for a few days. After outsmarting them (in one of cinema's most delightful moments – ever) Axel gets hooked up with an old friend and manages to roam the streets looking for clues – which, of course, he finds very easily.

Before this film Eddie Murphy had starred in one film that had launched his name into Hollywood: "48 HRS." But by all reasonable comparisons this is a much, much better film, and it's also much, much funnier, too. What's most refreshing is that it doesn't fall back upon the stereotypes of African-Americans inherent in so many mainstream motion pictures – the role of Axel Foley was originally written for Sylvester Stallone (who was actually attached to star early on in pre-production before dropping out of the project) and it's quite clear that Foley was intended as a white character. Although massive rewrites were employed only two weeks before shooting, script flaws can still be spotted – the heroine of the story is a white businesswoman, for example, and we expect some sort of sexual tension between them but there is none. We begin to question the very presence of the female lead because in essence it leads nowhere. We can imagine how it might have developed into a love story, but Murphy works against the flow, awkwardly treating her as nothing more than a friend.

These sorts of things sometimes bring out the occasional odd touches in the film – ironically they unintentionally set the film apart from other such movies of the genre because it's not typical in any sense. Sure, it has the routine shoot-outs but there is no romance subplot, no pointless racial comparisons (more of which would be seen in the two sequels), etc. The movie greatly benefits from this because it seems so fresh, and far more believable – after all, rarely are romances developed in two days. The action genre always seems to end with the hero sending off the crooks to jail, and finally getting a long-awaited kiss from the leading lady. "Beverly Hills Cop," to its credit, manages to avoid this and the result is a far more enjoyable film, even if most of its sequences are far from being 100% realistic.

The film's director, Martin Brest, has a clear handle on the buddy genre and would go on to direct the immensely successful Robert De Niro / Charles Grodin road-buddies-comedy "Midnight Run," one of the most popular (and best) of the genre. Beverly Hills Cop works just as well – it's funny when it needs to be, thrilling when it wants to be, and features a stellar lead performance by Murphy in his most unusual role.

Murphy is the driving force behind the film, presenting us with a truly likable character – the most likable character he's ever played, as a matter of fact. Axel is unorthodox but a generally good guy – Murphy is sometimes typecast into playing roles similar to that of which he played in "48 HRS." (being the loud, obnoxious racist who's got it all together), but here he plays someone we actually want to root for. At one point in the film he manages to get a couple of police officers in trouble with their superior – but he takes all the blame, and actually fabricates a lie wherein they were heroes doing their job, despite the fact that they were all actually hanging out at a strip club. Axel is tough, cool, quick-witted, nice, sarcastic, and likable – one of cinema's most enduring characters, and proof that African-American cinema heroes don't always have to be loudmouths in order to succeed as characters (pay attention, Chris Rock and Chris Tucker).

The now-famous soundtrack (including 'Axel F' by Harold Faltermeyer) is a great blend of techno-pop and electronic rock – the movie's theme is bouncy, rambunctious and fun: a good parallel to Axel himself.

Overall "Beverly Hills Cop" exceeds exceptionally well, even if a great deal of the film's success itself derives from pure accident and chance. I don't think anyone can say that those involved in the production knew exactly what they were doing at the time (DVD supplements include anecdotes about hectic filming and the project almost falling through at one point) -- but as luck would have it everything turned out fine. "Beverly Hills Cop" is an immensely enjoyable film, and one of the best examples of the cop-comedy genre executed properly.