Partners (1982)

Director:

James Burrows

Writer:

Francis Veber (written by)

Release Date:

30 April 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Benson is a cop who wants to clean up the streets...His partner just wants to redecorate.

Plot:

Benson is a police detective. After a series of murders in the Gay community he is ordered to go undercover...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Police Detective | Detective | Murder | Homosexual

Cast

Ryan O'Neal	...	Sgt. Benson
John Hurt	...	Kerwin
Kenneth McMillan	...	Chief Wilkins
Robyn Douglass	...	Jill
Jay Robinson	...	Halderstam
Denise Galik	...	Clara
Joseph R. Sicari	...	Walter
Michael McGuire	...	Monroe
Rick Jason	...	Douglas
James Remar	...	Edward K. Petersen
Jennifer Ashley	...	Secretary
Darrell Larson	...	Al
Tony March	...	Aide #2
Seamon Glass	...	Gillis
Steven Reisch	...	Counter Boy
Carl Kraines	...	Aide #1
Bob Ozman	...	Detective
Carol Williard	...	Officer
Gene Ross	...	Cop
Douglas Bruce	...	Cop
Bill Cross	...	Cop
Craig Shreeve	...	Cop
Gregory Hodal	...	Cop (as Gregory L. Hodal)
Iris Klein	...	Jogger (as Iris Alhanti)
Bob Bigelow	...	Man on Balcony
John Garber	...	Body Builder
Sherrie Lessard	...	Telephone Operator
Ed McCready	...	Doorman
Jackie Millines	...	Photo Assistant
Ray Sanders	...	Muscle Man
Luis Torres	...	Pablo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bridget Fonda	...	(unconfirmed)
Wendy Hughes	...	(unconfirmed)
Sydney Lassick	...	Photo Shoot Assistant (uncredited)
Mark Stern	...	Showboat (uncredited)

Directed by
James Burrows

Writing credits
Francis Veber		(written by)

Produced by
Mitchell L. Gamson	....	associate producer
Aaron Russo	....	producer
Francis Veber	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Victor J. Kemper		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Danford B. Greene
Stephen Lovejoy

Production Design by
Richard Sylbert

Set Decoration by
George Gaines

Costume Design by
Wayne A. Finkelman		(as Wayne Finkleman)

Makeup Department
John Norin	....	makeup artist
Hallie Smith-Simmons	....	makeup artist: Mr. O'Neal

Production Management
Mitchell L. Gamson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thomas Lofaro	....	assistant director
David Valdes	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Cliff Bernay	....	property master
Sharmagne Leland-St. John	....	pre-production assistant

Sound Department
John Agalsoff Jr.	....	boom operator
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cecelia Hall	....	sound effects editor
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Pat Mitchell	....	sound mixer
George Watters II	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Kevin Pike	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Richard Lund	....	translite photographer

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt performer (additional photography)
Ralph Garrett	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Gaylin P. Schultz	....	key grip (as Gaylin Schultz)

Casting Department
Valorie Massalas	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gordon Brockway	....	wardrobe: men
Kathy Litten	....	wardrobe: women

Editorial Department
Alexandra Leviloff	....	assistant editor (as Alexandria Leviloff)

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	special orchestrator
Milton Lustig	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Sam Edelman	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Christine Hadzick	....	assistant: Aaron Russo
Joe O'Har	....	location manager
Margaret Tary	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures
• Aaron Russo Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1982) (USA) (all media)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:R | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

San Diego, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Ryan O'Neal started work on this picture just two days after completing principal photography on So Fine (1981).

Goofs:

Factual errors: Pull-down blinds in the photographer's darkroom aren't anywhere close to being able to shut out the light that would ruin film she was developing.

Quotes:

Kerwin:Have you got anything you can change into?
Benson:Why?
Kerwin:So you look sexy! Well, I mean, you're all we've got!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Classics from the Vault: Changing Attitudes Toward Homosexuality (#2.8)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Call Me

ANTI-Gay??? Ridiculous!!!

PARTNERS (3+ outta 5 stars) Very funny movie... I guess you could basically call it the situation comedy version of "Cruising". In the Al Pacino role of the reluctant undercover cop who has to pretend to be gay is Ryan O'Neal. He is teamed up with Kerwin, an actual gay man (John Hurt) who will help them gain legitimacy as they move into LA's gay community to search for a killer. O'Neal does a nice, light comedy job (and even gets to show off some naked tush) but Hurt really gives this movie some heart as it becomes more and more obvious that he is starting to have tender feelings for his hetero partner. For the life of me I can't understand how people have gotten the idea that this is an ANTI-gay movie? Sure, some the attitudes towards homosexuals and the jokes directed at them are offensive at times... but the movie makes it clear that the people making those remarks are in the wrong! The film's sympathies are definitely with Hurt and not with the gay-bashing cops and their snide comments. As a police story or a mystery the movie is only so-so... but as a smile-inducing buddy movie it hits the bullseye. Scripted and produced by Francis Veber, who created "La Cage Aux Folles" and many other similarly-themed movies in France. The direction might be a little crude and uninspired, but the movie's heart is in the right place.