Freebie and the Bean (1974)

San Francisco police detectives Freebie and Bean are determined to bust local crime boss Red Meyers at any cost, even if this means destroying the whole city in the process.

Director:

Richard Rush

Writers:

Robert Kaufman (screenplay), Floyd Mutrux (story)

Stars:

Alan Arkin, James Caan, Loretta Swit

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Arkin	...	Bean
James Caan	...	Freebie
Loretta Swit	...	Mildred - Red Meyers' Wife
Jack Kruschen	...	Red Meyers
Mike Kellin	...	Lt. Rosen
Paul Koslo	...	Whitey
Linda Marsh	...	Barbara - Freebie's Girl
John Garwood	...	Chauffeur
Alex Rocco	...	D.A.
Valerie Harper	...	Consuelo - Bean's Wife
Christopher Morley	...	Transvestite
Bruce Mackey	...	Floorwalker
Monty Stickles	...	Texas Brawler
Charles Bail	...	Cadillac Salesman (as Chuck Bail)
Eddy Donno	...	Bag Man (as Eddie Donno)

Storyline

Freebie and Bean, two San Francisco police detectives, have one goal in life: to bring down Red Meyers, a local hijacking boss. After many fruitless months they finally collect an important piece of evidence. However, before they can get an arrest warrant, they hear the news of the hitman being hired to kill Meyers.

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Plot Keywords:

black comedy | best friend | machismo | gangster | police | 

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Taglines:

Above all... It's a love story.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Reportedly, Alan Arkin and James Caan's representatives were to meet with Warner Brothers executives to plan a sequel in which the actors reprised their roles, with Arkin directing.

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Goofs

When Freebie and the Bean lose the head-on collision battle with the van, their crumbling Ford then makes a right turn down a wrong way street, and collapses on the right-hand side of the street. In the next shot, the car is way on the left and even next to another car which wasn't there previously.

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Quotes

Freebie: Hi, Fred. We got a little accident. Could you send a tow truck, please, to 618 Elm Street? Hold it. It's the, uh, third floor, apartment 304.

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Crazy Credits

During opening credits, as people walk in front of the camera, the older names are erased and the newer names appear.

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Alternate Versions

UK cinema and video versions were cut by 29 seconds by the BBFC to remove a face kick and to reduce the number of shots fired into the transvestite from 5 to 2. The version shown on Film Four is uncut and intact.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: It Conquered the World (1991)

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Soundtracks

Hard Core Man
Vocals by Bobby Hart
Music and lyrics by Dominic Frontiere, Bobby Hart, Danny Janssen

User Reviews

Laugh Riot!

One of the best of the cop-buddy-movie genre. Although there is just enough realism to keep the story's premise afloat, Director Richard Rush makes sure that this film doesn't take itself too seriously. Alan Arkin turns in a first-rate performance as the "Bean", the straight guy (with a couple of kinks of his own) against James Cann's maverick "Freebie" character.

There are a few surprising twists, even though a flick this funny doesn't really need much of a plot.

With a strong supporting cast including Valerie Harper and Loretta Swit, I found this feature outrageously funny when I saw it in the theater in 1975, and it's still just as good today. There is a scene with Alex Rocco as the "D.A.", at which my dad, a real-life D.A. at the time, nearly fell out of his seat laughing.

If you can find this classic, by all means watch it. As long as you remember that it's just a spoof, no more a serious look at policing than "Police Academy" was, you'll enjoy yourself. If we're lucky, maybe a DVD release is in the cards.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

25 December 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dos contra todos

Filming Locations:

Embarcadero Center, San Francisco,California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$3,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1