To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers:

Gerald Petievich (novel)
William Friedkin (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 November 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The director of "The French Connection" is on the streets again!

Plot:

A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.

Plot Keywords:

Shot In The Stomach | City Name In Title | Shot In The Face | Pantyhose | Reckless Driving

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

William Petersen	...	Richard Chance (as William L. Petersen)
Willem Dafoe	...	Eric 'Rick' Masters
John Pankow	...	John Vukovich
Debra Feuer	...	Bianca Torres
John Turturro	...	Carl Cody
Darlanne Fluegel	...	Ruth Lanier
Dean Stockwell	...	Bob Grimes
Steve James	...	Jeff Rice
Robert Downey Sr.	...	Thomas Bateman (as Robert Downey)
Michael Greene	...	Jim Hart
Christopher Allport	...	Max Waxman
Jack Hoar	...	Jack
Valentin de Vargas	...	Judge Filo Cedillo (as Val DeVargas)
Dwier Brown	...	Doctor
Michael Chong	...	Thomas Ling
Jackie Giroux	...	Claudia Leith (as Jackely Giroux)
Michael Zand	...	Terrorist
Bobby Bass	...	FBI Agent
Dar Robinson	...	FBI Agent (as Dar Allen Robinson)
Anne Betancourt	...	Nurse
Katherine M. Louie	...	Ticket Agent
Edward Harrell	...	Airport Guard
Gilbert Espinoza	...	Bartender
John Petievich	...	Agent
Zarko Petievich	...	Agent
Rick Dalton	...	Agent
Richard L. Lane	...	Agent
Jack Cota	...	Agent
Shirley J. White	...	Airline Passenger
Gerald H. Brownlee	...	Visiting Room Guard
David M. DuFriend	...	Tower Guard
Rubén García	...	Inmate Ruben
Joe Duran	...	Prison Guard
Bufort McClerkins	...	Prison Inmate (as Buford McClerkins)
Gregg Dandridge	...	Prison Inmate
Donnie Williams	...	Rick's Friend
Earnest Hart Jr.	...	Rick's Friend
Thomas F. Duffy	...	Credit Card Counterfeiter
Gerald Petievich	...	Special Agent (as Gerry Petievich)
Mark Gash	...	Mark Gash
Pat McGroarty	...	Criminal
Brian Bradley	...	Tourist
Jane Leeves	...	Serena (as Jane Leaves)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alan Baltes	...	Driver (uncredited)
Gary Cole	...	Man chased by Richard Chance (uncredited)
Stevie Mack	...	Basketball Player (uncredited)

Directed by
William Friedkin

Writing credits
Gerald Petievich		(novel)
William Friedkin		(screenplay) &
Gerald Petievich		(screenplay)

Produced by
Irving H. Levin	....	producer
Samuel Schulman	....	executive producer
Bud S. Smith	....	co-producer (as Bud Smith)

Original Music by
Darren Costin		(as Wang Chung)
Nick Feldman		(as Wang Chung)
Jack Hues		(as Wang Chung)

Cinematography by
Robby Müller		(director of photography) (as Robby Muller)

Film Editing by
M. Scott Smith		(as Scott Smith)

Casting by
Robert Weiner		(as Bob Weiner)

Production Design by
Lilly Kilvert

Art Direction by
Buddy Cone

Set Decoration by
Cricket Rowland

Costume Design by
Linda M. Bass		(as Linda Bass)

Makeup Department
Jeff Dawn	....	head makeup artist (as Jefferson Dawn)
Peter Tothpal	....	hair stylist

Production Management
John J. Smith	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Myers	....	first assistant director
Bob Roe	....	second assistant director
Bud S. Smith	....	second unit director (as Bud Smith)

Art Department
Raymond Camaioni	....	carpenter
Dins W.W. Danielsen	....	assistant art director (as Dins Danielson)
Rainer Fetting	....	painter: Masters' paintings
Amanda J. Flick	....	painter (as Amanda Flick)
Dennis Hoerter	....	carpenter
Richard K. Hummel	....	assistant set decorator (as Richard Hummel)
Jon Hutman	....	set dresser
Portia Iversen	....	assistant set decorator (as Portia Iverson)
William C. Jones	....	carpenter (as William Jones)
Gavin McCune	....	carpenter
John Stadelman	....	set dresser
Frank Viviano	....	construction coordinator
David E. Harshbarger	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jeff Bushelman	....	sound effects editor
Mike Dobie	....	sound effects editor (as Michael Dobie)
Jean-Louis Ducarme	....	sound recordist (as Jean-Louis DuCarme)
Louis L. Edemann	....	sound effects editor
Jim Fitzpatrick	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
J. Paul Huntsman	....	dialogue editor
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Christopher Jenkins)
Rodger Pardee	....	sound recordist
Craig Clark	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Larry Kemp	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Jay Wilkinson	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Phil Cory	....	special effects (as Phil Corey)

Stunts
Jeb Stuart Adams	....	stunts (as Jeb Adams)
Carl L. Anderson	....	stunts
Bobby Bass	....	stunts
Billy Bates	....	stunts
Kenny Bates	....	stunts (as Ken Bates)
Jophery C. Brown	....	stunts (as Jophery Brown)
Bobby Burns	....	stunts (as Bobby Andrew Burns)
William H. Burton	....	stunts (as Bill Burton)
David Carlton	....	stunts
John Casino	....	stunts
Phil Chong	....	stunts
Carl Ciarfalio	....	stunts
Ray Colbert	....	stunts
Clarke Coleman	....	stunts
Jim Connors	....	stunts
Wally Crowder	....	stunts
Tim Culbertson	....	stunts
Jay C. Currin	....	stunts
Jeffrey J. Dashnaw	....	stunts
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts
Tim A. Davison	....	stunts
Justin De Rosa	....	stunts (as Justin DeRosa)
Eddy Donno	....	stunts
Doc Duhame	....	stunts
David R. Ellis	....	stunts
Richard M. Ellis	....	stunts
Kenny Endoso	....	stunts
Tony Epper	....	stunts
Erik Felix	....	stunts
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunts (as Gloria Fioramanti)
Pat Green	....	stunts
James M. Halty	....	stunts
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts
Steve Holladay	....	stunts
Larry Holt	....	stunts (as Larry E. Holt)
Billy Hank Hooker	....	stunts (as Bill [Hank] Hooker)
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunt coordinator: driving and chase sequences
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunts
Hugh Hooker	....	stunts (as Hugh M. Hooker)
Richard Hooker	....	stunts
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts (as Thomas J. Huff)
Gary Hymes	....	stunts
Kevin L. Jackson	....	stunts (as Lamont Jackson)
Loren Janes	....	stunts
Pat E. Johnson	....	stunt coordinator: fight sequences
Matt Johnston	....	stunts (as Matt Johnson)
Donna Keegan	....	stunts (as Donna M. Keegan)
Henry Kingi	....	stunts
Billy D. Lucas	....	stunts
Pat McGroarty	....	stunts
Gary McLarty	....	stunts
Pat J. McNamara	....	stunts
John Meier	....	stunts (as John C. Meier)
Charly Morgan	....	stunts (as Charly Marie Morgan)
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunts
Manny Perry	....	stunts (as Manuel Perry)
Jon Conrad Pochron	....	stunts (as Jon Pochran)
Chad Randall	....	stunts
Cyndi Lee Rice	....	stunts (as Cynthia Lee Rice)
Jean Riddel	....	stunts
Vernon Rieta	....	stunts
Dar Robinson	....	stunts (as Dar Allen Robinson)
Danny Rogers	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunts (as Patrick Romano)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (as Ronald Rondell)
R.A. Rondell	....	stunts
Debby Lynn Ross	....	stunts
Michael Runyard	....	stunts (as Mike Runyard)
Ray Saniger	....	stunts
Dennis Scott	....	stunts (as Dennis R. Scott)
Keith Tellez	....	stunts
David Welch	....	stunts (as David H. Welch)
Scott Wilder	....	stunts
Dick Ziker	....	stunts
Alan Baltes	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Dan Koko	....	stunt safety (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert K. Feldmann	....	key grip (as Robert Feldman)
Bob Field	....	electrician (as Robert Field)
Kevin Galbraith	....	electrician
Greg Gardiner	....	chief lighting technician
Bill Guerre	....	grip
Scott Guthrie	....	best boy electric
Tim Moore	....	grip (as Timothy Moore)
Jane O'Neal	....	still photographer
Les Percy	....	best boy grip (as Lesley Percy)
Robert D. Yeoman	....	director of photography: second unit (as Robert Yeoman)
Henry Minski	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Vance Piper	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Jonathan Sharpe	....	first assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)
Newton TerMeer	....	gaffer: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Gary M. Zuckerbrod	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Susie DeSanto	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Sonny Baskin	....	assistant film editor
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Aubrey Head	....	color timer
Jere Huggins	....	additional editor
Joe Mosca	....	assistant film editor (as Joseph Mosca)
Richard Ritchie	....	color timer (as Dick Ritchie)
Bud S. Smith	....	supervising editor
Jill Smith	....	assistant film editor

Transportation Department
Richard M. Brasic	....	transportation captain (as Richard Brasic)
Jeff F. Renfro	....	transportation coordinator (as Jeffrey Renfro)
Olivia Varnado	....	transportation captain
Jack Carpenter	....	driver: camera car (uncredited)
Ralph D. Carpenter	....	driver: camera car (uncredited)
Hugh Kelly	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Cherise Bates	....	dancer (as Cherise Bate)
Barry Bedig	....	consultant
Cynthia Chvatal	....	assistant: William Friedkin (as Cindy Chvatal)
Shaun Earl	....	dancer
Pablo Ferro	....	consultant
Lesli Linka Glatter	....	choreographer
Diana Gold	....	post-production auditor
Michael Healy	....	location manager
Michael Helfand	....	assistant location manager
Michael Higgins	....	dancer (as Michael W. Higgins)
Robert Jellen	....	insurance provider: Albert G. Ruben & Company, Inc. (as Bob Jellen)
Adele Joseph	....	assistant: William Friedkin
Chris Latanzi	....	dancer (as Chris Lattanzi)
Jane Leeves	....	dancer (as Jane Leaves)
Betsy Oliver Luhrsen	....	production secretary
Dianne Mapp-Cheek	....	production coordinator (as Dianne Lisa Cheek)
Gil Miller	....	institutional coordinator: prison
Larry Rovetti	....	lab consultant
Jackie Saunders	....	script supervisor
Michelle Troxell	....	assistant to producer (as Michele Troxell)
Woody Wilcoxan	....	technical advisor: prison
Bill Bennett	....	terra-flite operator (uncredited)
Terry Edinger	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)
Gerald Petievich	....	police technical advisor (uncredited)
Theresa Shepherd	....	caterer (uncredited)
Mike Sudrow	....	weapons specialist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• New Century Productions

Distributors

• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Distribution Company
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1986) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Vestron Video International (1986) (Belgium) (video)
• Vestron Video International (1986) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Vestron Video

Other Companies

• Geffen Records  soundtrack

Runtime:

116 min | Germany:101 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Arabic | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #27848) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | Finland:K-16 (cut) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | West Germany:16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1987) | Norway:(Banned) (1986-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

6th Street Bridge, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Century Productions

Trivia:

Friedkin filmed but did not include a scene in which Vukovich, nearing the breaking point prior to the final showdown with Masters, desperately tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. This deleted scene is found on the Special Edition DVD along with an interview with Friedkin, who says he doesn't remember why he cut it, and now regrets doing so.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the truck jackknifes during the chase, you can see a tow truck in the left of the frame pulling the back of the trailer.

Quotes:

Terrorist: I'm ready to die!
Richard Chance: Nobody's gonna die. Look, you and I are gonna go downstairs and talk.
Terrorist: Death to Israel and America, and all the enemies of Islam!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Uphill Climb to the Bottom

A Gritty, Anti-Buddy Police Thriller With A Welcome Mean Streak

Another critic discussing this film accurately mentioned "being shamefully ignored" as an injustice this 1985 William-Friedkin masterpiece suffered upon its release. And it was not only the critics who failed to notice its worth. For some reason, the public stayed away in droves as well, this as myself and my friend were practically organizing tours to the theater, introducing people to the film who, weened on "48 Hours", "Miami Vice" and yet to experience the Abbott & Costello hijinks of the "Lethal Weapon" series, had little concept of what a below-the-belt, impeccably crafted cop movie could be. Or would turn into.

Those who've seen Friedkin's earlier genre entry "The French Connection" shouldn't be caught off guard by his often ruthless tactics here, as he's back in the familiar territory of cops and criminals. Nor should those who survived his muscular "Sorcerer"--another unsung hero of an action piece--be unprepared for the director's inability to hide the more challenging (and dreadful) sides of male conflict. Even the disturbing "Cruising", where no attempts were made by the film to explain its ugly corkscrew of a story, all the while summoning an atmosphere thick with dread, still suspenseful, but full of plot holes conveniently filled with leather jackets and the scariest Village-People-on-PCP-soundtrack to date, is just another Friedkin descent into Hell. The details always more than part of a whole.

It may show the surface of a genre flick, but beneath the pulsing Wang Chung soundtrack and 80s-reflective duds (no Members Only jackets appear, luckily) there is as lean and mean and taut a suspense thriller as even Don Siegel could deliver in his prime. And with an outstanding, hyper-realistic cast of then unknowns--including Chicago theater alumni William Pederson, pre-"CSI" and with even more cock to his walk, swaggering through his pursuit of a damaged counterfeiter, Willem Dafoe--the screws tighten with each and every action sequence, climaxing the building mayhem with a cathartic, freeway massacre of automotive chaos on the same scale as a "Mad Max" movie.

The characters ar caustic, the betrayals extremely violent, the music pounding, the ending, in particular, is a departure from the Gerald Petievich novel, the author, himself, a retired U.S. Treasury agent writing an even bleaker resolution to the problem of two unstable detectives at odds with each other, losing their sanity, and finding no comfort in their escalating criminal misbehavior. "To Live And Die In LA" marks a significant and welcome departure within such an oversaturated genre, the buddy cop movie. It refuses to soften its blows or coddle its audience, showing instead dangerous, volatile situations being taken serious. Brutally serious.

Nonetheless, for all its nihilistic tone, captured in parched images of a city populated by thugs, thieves, and sociopathic criminals, "To Live And Die In LA" is like a breath of fresh smog.