Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Director:

Martin Brest

Writers:

Danilo Bach (story)
Daniel Petrie Jr. (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

In Detroit a cop learns to take the heat. In L.A. he learns to keep his cool. [Theatrical Australia]

Plot:

A freewheeling Detroit cop pursuing a murder investigation finds himself dealing with the very different culture of Beverly Hills.

Plot Keywords:

Gallery | Police | Murder | Art Gallery | Detective

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Eddie Murphy	...	Det. Axel Foley
Judge Reinhold	...	Det. William 'Billy' Rosewood
John Ashton	...	Det. Sgt. John Taggart
Lisa Eilbacher	...	Jeannette 'Jenny' Summers
Ronny Cox	...	Lt. Andrew Bogomil
Steven Berkoff	...	Victor Maitland
James Russo	...	Mikey Tandino
Jonathan Banks	...	Zack, Maitland's Thug
Stephen Elliott	...	Police Chief Hubbard
Gilbert R. Hill	...	Insp. Douglas Todd
Art Kimbro	...	Det. Foster
Joel Bailey	...	Det. McCabe
Bronson Pinchot	...	Serge
Paul Reiser	...	Jeffrey
Michael Champion	...	Casey

Also Known As:

Beverly Drive (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby Digital (Dolby 5.1)

Certification:

Finland:K-14 (re-rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 (1985) | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:18A | Brazil:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Ireland:15 | Norway:16 (1985) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills Civic Center - 19606 450 Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

During his tirade at the Beverly Palms Hotel, Axel pretends to be writing an article called "Michael Jackson: Sitting on Top of the World" for Rolling Stone magazine. In real life, Playboy ran an article called "Eddie Murphy: Sitting on Top of the World."

Goofs:

Continuity: In the shootout when Axel, Taggart and Rosewood are trying to get to Victor there is a sequence when the three of them are shooting over the top of a short wall. During this sequence all three fire at once, as Axel fires the slide of his gun goes back indicating he has run out of ammunition. The next shot shows them all firing again and only after this is Axel shown reloading.

Quotes:

Axel Foley: Billy, you know, you don't have to be embarrassed if your dick gets hard. Your dick is supposed to get hard. See? That's the whole object of this. Taggart's dick is hard, but he won't let you know 'cause he's the boss. Boss' dick got to stay limp, right? See, I ain't on duty so my dick can be hard.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "QI: Film (#6.11)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Don't Get Stopped In Beverly Hills

One of my all-time favorites: witty, warm, and very funny!

Martin Brest has only made five feature films (Going in style, BHC, Midnight run, Scent of a woman, and Meet Joe Black), films strikingly different from one another, but that all share certain traits. They are finely crafted, energetic, and extraordinarily human. The warmth and friendship shine through, even through the gun- and fist-play which are obligatory in a cops-and-robbers movie. This is one of the first and best prototypes of the buddy movie.

Brest's casting is superb, and he elicits performances which are often the best of even young actors' careers. Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, and Ronnie Cox are outstanding, and the ensemble clicks like a well-oiled infield. To me, this movie is still far and away Eddie Murphy's best performance. He is remarkably talented, a comic genius. As an actor, his expressions are sometimes outlandish, but always completely in character, and appropriate to the dramatic situation. Villain Victor Maitland (played by Steven Berkoff, the husband of Alberta Watson, Madeline in La Femme Nikita) is chillingly underplayed; the cold-blooded evil shines through the civilized facade.

BHC is one of the few movies which I can watch with my loved ones again and again and never tire. Even as a comedy, it has a solidness and integrity which make it extremely durable. I look forward eagerly to Martin Brest's next film. Meanwhile, I always have Beverly Hills Cop.