Buddy Buddy (1981)

During a high profile Mafia testimony case in California's Riverside County, a hired killer checks-in a hotel room near the courthouse while his next door depressed neighbor wants to commit suicide due to marital problems.

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Francis Veber (play), Francis Veber (story)

Stars:

Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Paula Prentiss

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Lemmon	...	Victor Clooney
Walter Matthau	...	Trabucco
Paula Prentiss	...	Celia Clooney
Klaus Kinski	...	Dr. Hugo Zuckerbrot
Dana Elcar	...	Capt. Hubris
Miles Chapin	...	Eddie, the Bellhop
Michael Ensign	...	Assistant Manager
Joan Shawlee	...	Receptionist
Fil Formicola	...	Rudy 'Disco' Gambola
C.J. Hunt	...	Kowalski
Bette Raya	...	Mexican Maid
Ronnie Sperling	...	Hippy Husband
Suzie Galler	...	Pregnant Wife
John Schubeck	...	Newscaster
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Lieutenant #1

Storyline

Walter Matthau plays a professional killer going by the name of Trabucco, who is on his way to rub out gangster Rudy "Disco" Gambola, set to testify against the mob. As Trabucco heads off to a hotel across the street from the courthouse where he plans to set his hit, he runs into the depressed Victor Clooney, who laments the fact that his wife has left him for the head of a weird Californian sex clinic. Trabucco keeps walking and sets up his rifle in a hotel room. He is disturbed by Victor trying to hang himself in the adjoining hotel room and tries to prevent him from killing himself by restraining him, but Victor breaks loose and climbs onto the ledge of the hotel window. To get Victor to come back in, he agrees to drive him to the clinic to see his wife. The two go to the clinic where Victor's wife Celia informs Victor that she is in love in the head of the clinic, quack Dr. Zuckerbrot. When Victor finds out that Celia is filing for divorce, he heads back to the hotel to kill ...

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Plot Keywords:

champagne | cigar | poker game | hotel | suicide attempt | 

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Taglines:

The greatest movie buddies of all time are back!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The bizarre name of Klaus Kinski's character was Dr. Hugo Zuckerbrot.

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Goofs

When Clooney is looking into the auditorium at the clinic, the door opens outward as seen from the outside. When the shot switches to the inside, the door opens inward.

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Quotes

Receptionist: This is a sex clinic, we don't deal with the finished product here.

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Alternate Versions

ABC edited 5 minutes from this film for its 1985 network television premiere.

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Connections

Remake of A Pain in the Ass (1973)

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Soundtracks

Cecilia
Written by Herman Ruby (uncredited) & Dave Dreyer (uncredited)
Sung by Michael Dees
Arranged by Pete Rugolo

User Reviews

Wilder-wise, a non-Wilder: amusement-wise, barely adequate

"Buddy Buddy", the final film of the genius that was Billy Wilder, is a decent comedy but not a worthy ending to his career. It's a remake of the French film "L'Emmerdeur", but I haven't seen it and am therefore incapable of comparison.

Someone pointed out that the movie looks a lot older than it is. I very much agree.

It is sad to see geniuses like Wilder and Diamond putting something as awkward as genital jokes into their script. Surprisingly, there is one clumsy slapstick moment. There are genuinely funny scenes and lines, too ("Father, you said the F word"), but they are a minority. Some attempts at creating humour fail terribly, as if made by amateurs (Lemmon chair-bound); most merely produce nods of acceptance.

Matthau is good and Lemmon is amusing as expected. However, Paula Prentiss's performance is really disturbing, intentionally or not, and Kinski's character is just annoying - and I mean written that way.

Overall the film, entitled here "Varsinaiset kumppanukset" ("Some Buddies"), isn't nearly as embarrassing as I'd expected; a mere shadow, nevertheless, it is of its director's previous masterpieces - if even that. But be not fooled: Wilder can't go bad (granted, I still have a lot to see). A few, pardon my French, comedy nuggets make this decent as an entertainment, and its two stars are okay. "Buddy Buddy", then, as a title... Meh.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amic amic

Filming Locations:

Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,258,543

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,258,543

Company Credits

Production Co:

Heron Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1