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Freebie and the Bean

  • 1974
  • R
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
3.8K
YOUR RATING
Alan Arkin and James Caan in 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.
Play trailer3:11
1 Video
57 Photos
Buddy ComedyBuddy CopDark ComedySatireActionComedyCrimeDrama

Two reckless San Francisco police detectives finally obtain evidence against a local crime boss, and while waiting for a witness to arrive before making an arrest, they have to discreetly gu... Read allTwo reckless San Francisco police detectives finally obtain evidence against a local crime boss, and while waiting for a witness to arrive before making an arrest, they have to discreetly guard his life against an assassination attempt.Two reckless San Francisco police detectives finally obtain evidence against a local crime boss, and while waiting for a witness to arrive before making an arrest, they have to discreetly guard his life against an assassination attempt.

  • Director
    • Richard Rush
  • Writers
    • Robert Kaufman
    • Floyd Mutrux
  • Stars
    • Alan Arkin
    • James Caan
    • Loretta Swit
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    3.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Rush
    • Writers
      • Robert Kaufman
      • Floyd Mutrux
    • Stars
      • Alan Arkin
      • James Caan
      • Loretta Swit
    • 68User reviews
    • 38Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 3:11
    Trailer

    Photos57

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    + 51
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    Top cast59

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    Alan Arkin
    Alan Arkin
    • Bean
    James Caan
    James Caan
    • Freebie
    Loretta Swit
    Loretta Swit
    • Meyers' Wife
    Jack Kruschen
    Jack Kruschen
    • Red Meyers
    Mike Kellin
    Mike Kellin
    • Lt. Rosen
    Paul Koslo
    Paul Koslo
    • Whitey
    Linda Marsh
    Linda Marsh
    • Freebie's Girl
    John Garwood
    John Garwood
    • Chauffeur
    Alex Rocco
    Alex Rocco
    • D.A.
    Valerie Harper
    Valerie Harper
    • Bean's Wife
    Christopher Morley
    • Transvestite
    Bruce Mackey
    • Floorwalker
    Monty Stickles
    • Texas Brawler
    Charles Bail
    Charles Bail
    • Cadillac Salesman
    • (as Chuck Bail)
    Eddy Donno
    Eddy Donno
    • Bag Man
    • (as Eddie Donno)
    Robert Harris
    • Michigan Phil
    Whitey Hughes
    Whitey Hughes
    • Broder
    John Vick
    • Policeman
    • Director
      • Richard Rush
    • Writers
      • Robert Kaufman
      • Floyd Mutrux
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews68

    6.63.8K
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    Featured reviews

    6SnoopyStyle

    odd police pairing

    San Francisco police detectives Freebie (James Caan) and Bean (Alan Arkin) are doing everything and anything to take down crime boss Red Meyers (Jack Kruschen).

    It's a lot of car crashes. James Caan and Alan Arkin have a lot of banter. It's all mildly humorous without being all that funny. I'm not sure that Caan and Arkin make a good comedic team or a good action team. Caan is not nearly funny enough to be comedic. Arkin is not hard enough to be dangerous. It's an odd couple of police partners. On the other hand, it is fascinating to see them paired up like this. It's the platypus of police movies.
    8merklekranz

    A freeeloader and a "Beaner" = best buddy cop film ever ..........

    Most buddy cop films are just that, a pair of mismatched boys in blue in pursuit of an evil bad guy. "Freebie and the Bean" has a bad guy, however he is neither important or particularly bad. What is important about this movie is not the story itself, it is all about James Caan and Alan Arkin's deadpan humor while crashing police cars . There certainly have been longer police chases. There certainly have been more crashed vehicles. There never has and never will be a more hilarious chase than in "Freebie and the Bean". The chemistry between Caan and Arkin seems so natural, that it can't all have ben scripted. So forget plot inconsistencies and take a ride with the best buddy cop film ever. Highly recommended. - MERK
    10welchar

    A very clever buddy-buddy cop movie that focuses on the interaction between two individuals more than it does the actual story line.

    A fairly atypical off the wall love-hate relationship between two cops as they try to bring down a tongue-in-cheek bad guy. The story centres around the wacky verbal and non-verbal relationship between Alan Arkin and James Caan more than it does the fairly week plot. This is the whole point of the movie - the story line is in fact incidental! The scene where Freebie steals Bean's gun is a classic example of this, as is the button ripping scene earlier in the film. To add to the drama Bean thinks his wife is having an affair and Freebie offers advice...terrific stuff. Perhaps those of you who gave it a poor review should find the time to watch it again - a little more closely - and savour the unique banter between these two excellent actors.
    ConnCarl

    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.
    8PeterMitchell-506-564364

    74 buddy movie is still legendary

    Although it's story is a letdown, Caan and Arkin' make a great teaming of "throw the book out the window cops", I'm prepared to forgive this. They're two of the most unruly cops I've ever seen. They're methods of questioning are mostly exorcised by physical violence and threats of intimidation. They total three squad cars in three days, would you believe, one of the cars going off a speed ramp and crashing through a wall of a elderly couples home is a classic. The couple, sitting up in bed, sharing milk and cookies, just have stunned looks. These cops are tailing this old codger, who's involved in racketeering, where there's a good chance he's gonna be hijacked. This leads us to wonder why our dynamic duo are so wasting their time on this clown. They even trawl threw a boot of garbage, fishing out a list, they present to their superior, who tells them "They're not fit to guard the fish at the aquarium". This movie works, thanks to Caan, and especially Arkin, who I loved in this. One interrogation scene, involving a gay guy in a bath, was funny too, wanting the two to rough him up, where Caan says "Let's get out of here before this freak starts drinking the bathwater". Valerie (Rhoda) Harper lends great support as Arkin's wife, while Loretta "Hot lips Hoolahan" Swit pops up as the old codger's mistress. I love this movie every time I watch it. It one of those rare buddy cop movie's where, the cops are so out of line, it's not funny. Sometimes they are like kids, causing an ambulance to topple over at it's end, or chasing each other through a playground while on surveillance of that joker. Don't miss this opportunity view.

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    Related interests

    Steve Martin and John Candy in Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
    Buddy Comedy
    Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour (1998)
    Buddy Cop
    Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Sian Clifford in Fleabag (2016)
    Dark Comedy
    Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
    Satire
    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
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    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film became an action-comedy after Alan Arkin and James Caan met for improvisational sessions in which they explored a more comedic approach to the characters' relationship.
    • 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.
    • 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.

    • Crazy credits
      During opening credits, as people walk in front of the camera their names appear.
    • 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.
    • Connections
      Featured in Don Adams' Screen Test: Tarzan/Public Enemy/Hurricane/Casablanca (Pilot) (1975)
    • Soundtracks
      Title Theme: You and Me
      Vocals by Bobby Hart

      Music and lyrics by Dominic Frontiere, Bobby Hart, Danny Janssen

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    FAQ19

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 25, 1974 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Dos contra todos
    • Filming locations
      • Candlestick Park - 602 Jamestown Avenue, San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 53m(113 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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