Hudson Hawk (1991)

A cat burglar is forced to steal Da Vinci works of art for a world domination plot.

Director:

Michael Lehmann

Writers:

Bruce Willis (story), Robert Kraft (story),

Stars:

Bruce Willis, Danny Aiello, Andie MacDowell

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Willis	...	Hudson Hawk
Danny Aiello	...	Tommy Five-Tone
Andie MacDowell	...	Anna Baragli
James Coburn	...	George Kaplan
Richard E. Grant	...	Darwin Mayflower
Sandra Bernhard	...	Minerva Mayflower
Donald Burton	...	Alfred
Don Harvey	...	Snickers
David Caruso	...	Kit Kat
Andrew Bryniarski	...	Butterfinger
Lorraine Toussaint	...	Almond Joy
Burtt Harris	...	Gates
Frank Stallone	...	Cesar Mario
Carmine Zozzora	...	Antony Mario (as Carmine Zozorra)
Stefano Molinari	...	Leonardo da Vinci (as Stephano Molinari)

Storyline

Eddie Hawkins, called Hudson Hawk has just been released from ten years of prison and is planning to spend the rest of his life honestly. But then the crazy Mayflower couple blackmail him to steal some of the works of Leonardo da Vinci. If he refuses, they threaten to kill his friend Tommy.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | burglar | blackmail | leonardo da vinci | cat burglar | 

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Taglines:

Watch your step. Hold your breath. Hang on for dear life. And catch...the hawk.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy

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Certificate:

AA

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

24 May 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hudson Hawk, gentleman et cambrioleur

Filming Locations:

American Falls, Niagara Falls, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$17,218,080 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Silver Pictures, Ace Bone

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

CDS (digital 35 mm prints) Dolby SR (analog 35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Brooklyn Bridge tollbooth scene was actually filmed at the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, as the Brooklyn Bridge had no toll at that time.

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Goofs

Actor Carmine Zozzora's name is misspelled "Zozorra" in the closing credits.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Long ago, the Duke of Milan commissioned a little known artist to erect a Mammoth statue of a horse. The time was 1481... The artist was Leonardo da Vinci... The guy on the donkey's just a guy on a donkey.

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Connections

Referenced in Hacks (1997)

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Soundtracks

THE NAME GAME
Written by Lincoln Chase & Shirley Ellis

User Reviews

A comedy classic? Maybe. It's still really good.

When I was in High School, I was working at a movie theater. One day at work, the theater was giving away movie promotional extras left over from years past to the employees. One of the items was a promotional T-Shirt for Hudson Hawk. Being a fan of Bruce Willis and a fan of t-shirts, I picked it up. I also decided that if I was going to wear the shirt, I might as well see the movie.

I had heard the rumors: bad bad Bruce Willis vanity project, not worth a damn, much less a rental. Well, that sounded like a challenge to me! So, I rented it, popped it into my VCR and prepared to be in agony. I was very disappointed.

I was stunned at not only how madcap it was, but how well written it was. Sure, it felt like an excuse to rattle off witty one-liners amongst a non-sensical plot, but it did it so WELL. Some of my favorite lines from any movie are in this film.

"How long (were in you prison)?" "Let's just say I never saw E.T."

Some of the references are very early-mid 90s, as to be expected. Still, there's some great, wacky characters, and it's just a good stupid caper movie. Don't listen to the critics - this one is definitely a great film to watch with a group of friends.