Buddy Buddy (1981)

Walter Matthau plays a professional killer going by the name of Trabucco, who is on his way to rub out gangster Rudy "Disco" Gambola, set to testify against the mob. As Trabucco heads off ... See full summary »

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Francis Veber (play), Francis Veber (story),

Stars:

Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Paula Prentiss

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Lemmon	...	Victor Clooney
Walter Matthau	...	Trabucco
Paula Prentiss	...	Celia Clooney
Klaus Kinski	...	Dr. Hugo Zuckerbrot
Dana Elcar	...	Capt. Hubris
Miles Chapin	...	Eddie, the Bellhop
Michael Ensign	...	Assistant Manager
Joan Shawlee	...	Receptionist
Fil Formicola	...	Rudy 'Disco' Gambola
C.J. Hunt	...	Kowalski
Bette Raya	...	Mexican Maid
Ronnie Sperling	...	Hippy Husband
Suzie Galler	...	Pregnant Wife
John Schubeck	...	Newscaster
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Lieutenant #1

Storyline

Walter Matthau plays a professional killer going by the name of Trabucco, who is on his way to rub out gangster Rudy "Disco" Gambola, set to testify against the mob. As Trabucco heads off to a hotel across the street from the courthouse where he plans to set his hit, he runs into the depressed Victor Clooney, who laments the fact that his wife has left him for the head of a weird Californian sex clinic. Trabucco keeps walking and sets up his rifle in a hotel room. He is disturbed by Victor trying to hang himself in the adjoining hotel room and tries to prevent him from killing himself by restraining him, but Victor breaks loose and climbs onto the ledge of the hotel window. To get Victor to come back in, he agrees to drive him to the clinic to see his wife. The two go to the clinic where Victor's wife Celia informs Victor that she is in love in the head of the clinic, quack Dr. Zuckerbrot. When Victor finds out that Celia is filing for divorce, he heads back to the hotel to kill ...

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Plot Keywords:

hotel | female nudity | remake of french film | suicide attempt | remake | 

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Taglines:

The greatest movie buddies of all time are back!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amigos, Amigos, Negócios à Parte

Filming Locations:

Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$5,000,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The profession of Victor Clooney, Jack Lemmon's character, was changed from being a shirt salesman in the original French film L'emmerdeur to that of a network censor at CBS. Lemmon's character in the French film was François Pignon (played by Jacques Brel).

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Goofs

Trabucco does not use the same code to open his suitcase throughout the movie (sometimes the code has more numbers than others)

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Quotes

Clooney: Are you from L.A.?
Trabucco: Not necessarily.

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Connections

Referenced in Billy Wilder Speaks (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Cecilia"
Written by Herman Ruby (uncredited) & Dave Dreyer (uncredited)
Sung by Michael Dees
Arranged by Pete Rugolo

User Reviews

In memory of two classic comedians

Although "Buddy Buddy" is yet to be regarded as a modern movie classic, no other films have made me realize the art of comedy such as this one. Walther Matthau is hillarious in his portrayal of Trabucco the assassin who is constantly being interrupted from doing his dirty deeds, by an even more astonishing and suicidal! Jack Lemmon. Director Billy Wilder has captured moments on tape that we all seem to relate to one way or another. Together with german actor Klaus Kinski, who more often played deeper roles than this, Lemmon and Matthau gives a performance one would normally find on a broadway theatre.