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:

best friend | black comedy | 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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

25 December 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Superschnüffler

Filming Locations:

Embarcadero Center, San Francisco,California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original 1972 draft by Floyd Mutrux was very different from the actual film. The screenplay was set in Cleveland, Ohio, instead of San Francisco, California.

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Goofs

During the first car chase (with the white van), Bean straps on a police helmet for his safety. In the very next shot of the car, Bean isn't wearing the helmet.

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Quotes

Freebie: Ta-Dah !

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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

ABC edited 16 minutes from this film for its 1978 network television premiere.

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Connections

Referenced in The Sinister Saga of Making 'The Stunt Man' (2000)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

This movie is both odd and quite funny.

This movie is both odd and quite funny. I saw Freebie And The Bean at the theater and laughed so hard I was actually asked to leave.

It's always a pleasure to watch Alan Arkin work, and he works so well playing off James Caan, who's fantastic in this film, too. Be forewarned, though, if you're bothered by things politically incorrect, you may be offended by Freebie And The Bean.

The story is unimportant because it's the comic skits that make this movie work. Freebie (James Caan) is part of a detective team who thinks the major part of his benefit package is whatever he can walk away with, while Bean (Alan Arkin) plods along worrying that his wife is having an affair with the landscaper. Freebie and the Bean crashing their car off an overpass and into the upper floor of an apartment building, Freebie giving Bean a fashion lesson about why buttons don't fall off of expensive shirts, or Bean grilling his wife, played by Valerie Harper, attempting to catch her in a lie about the suspected affair....these are worth watching the film for and are some of the funniest scenes I've ever seen. Keep in mind, though, this movie is quite violent and there's this fantastic trans-gendered character who seems to offend alot of folks as well.

I'll own this movie as soon as it comes out on DVD and I totally recommend it.