Hickey & Boggs
| Hickey & Boggs | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Robert Culp |
| Produced by | Fouad Said |
| Written by | Walter Hill |
| Starring | Bill Cosby Robert Culp |
| Music by | Ted Ashford |
| Cinematography | Bill Butler |
| Editing by | David Berlatsky |
| Studio | Film Guarantors |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | September 20, 1972 (New York City) |
| Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Hickey & Boggs is a 1972 neo-noir detective movie written by Walter Hill and directed by Robert Culp. The film marks the first reunion of Culp and Bill Cosby since they starred together in the 1960s television series I Spy.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Here, Culp and Cosby play weary, hard-luck private eyes hired to find a missing girl. Their search brings death to almost everyone around them, leading to a violent and downbeat conclusion.
[edit] Cast
- Bill Cosby as Al Hickey
- Robert Culp as Frank Boggs
- Ta-Ronce Allen as Nyona's Daughter
- Rosalind Cash as Nyona
- Lou Frizzell as Lawyer
- Nancy Howard as Apartment Manager's Wife
- Bernard Nedell as Used Car Salesman
- Isabel Sanford as Nyona's Mother
- Sheila Sullivan as Edith Boggs
- Carmencristina Moreno as Mary Jane
- Jason Culp as Mary Jane's Son
- Ron Henriquez as Quemando: Florist
- Louis Moreno as Quemando: Prisoner
- Caryn Sanchez as Mary Jane's Daughter
- Robert Mandan as Mr. Brill
- Michael Moriarty as Ballard
[edit] Reception
[edit] Critical response
When the film was released, the staff at Variety magazine questioned the film's screenplay, writing, "Culp makes his directorial bow and Fouad Said, who started in the industry as cameraman on I Spy series, debuts as a producer. Latter should have paid more attention to story line of the Walter Hill screenplay, which suffers through audience never being entirely certain as to the identity of some of the characters...Somehow, the femme is connected with missing loot but audience is never let in on secret."[2]
In the same vein, The New York Times also panned the screenplay, writing, "...while Robert Culp, who is also making his directorial debut with this caper, shows a flair for action and eye-catching composition in sordid and serene views of Los Angeles where all the shooting takes place, Hickey and Boggs is not involved in a story or with characters really worthy of a full theatrical treatment. Let's say, that Walter Hill, a newcomer to the screen, has written a script that's long on complexity and short on character definition..."[3]
More recently, critic Glenn Erickson made the case that the film was a bit dark for its time, writing, "There's plenty of violence and a dandy concluding shootout on a beach, but Hickey & Boggs was probably just too much of a downer to appeal to wide audiences. Action pictures of the time tended to be broader fantasies with humor and a lighter touch; heavy-duty cop shows like Badge 373 and The Friends of Eddie Coyle passed quietly. There's a scene in the picture where Hickey suffers a blow to his family and his whole life goes sour. From that point on there's little hope of anything pleasant happening. By the time of the final showdown our heroes seem to be going through the motions propelled only by existential inertia.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Hickey & Boggs at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Variety, film review, September 20, 1972. Last accessed: February 23, 2011.
- ^ Weiler, A. H. The New York Times, film review, "Hickey and Boggs, a Tale of Chasing and Carnage," September 21, 1972. Last accessed: February 23, 2011.
- ^ Erickson, Glenn. DVD Savant, film/DVD review, May 22, 2004. Last accessed: February 23, 2011.
[edit] External links
- Hickey & Boggs at the Internet Movie Database
- Hickey & Boggs short film clip You Tube
