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:

Gun | Alcoholic | Convict | Tough Guy | Revenge

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

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-Witherspoon	...	Bar Girl (as Angela Robinson)
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
Margie Stone McShirley	....	set designer
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)
Tim Mangini	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)
Clive Taylor	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

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

Stunts
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunt coordinator
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Holt	....	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
Craig Lietzke	....	unit driver

Other crew
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 (presents)
• Lawrence Gordon Productions (as Lawrence Gordon)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1983) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Esselte CIC Video (1991) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1985) (Greece) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1985) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (1999) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS) (retail)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (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:

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

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 | 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) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

During the filming of a scene where Denise Crosby hits Eddie Murphy in the stomach with a rubber baseball bat prop, Murphy was afraid Crosby would actually hit him instead of stopping about a foot away like all staged movie blows. She demonstrated her control on both Walter Hill and Nick Nolte to assure Murphy, but ended up hitting him anyway during a take.

Goofs:

Continuity: Zagnut bar changes directions when Jack hands it to Reggie.

Quotes:

Patrol Officer #1:We got a burglary call. Two women reported a couple of hoods busting into their place posing as cops.
Jack:Yeah, I followed a lead, we rousted 'em. Why don't you guys go sweet-talk 'em, straighten it out?
Patrol Officer #1:I've got a better idea, why don't you go do it yourself? We've got better things to do than straighten out your messes.
Jack:I'll file a report tomorrow.
Patrol Officer #1:Yeah? I'm gonna file a report tonight.
Jack:Yeah? Goes with the territory.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'Dr. Dolittle 2' (#8.7)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

NEW SHOES

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.