Freebie and the Bean [Blu-ray]

Director: Richard Rush Richard Rush

Overview

Freebie (James Caan) and the Bean (Alan Arkin) are a pair of San Francisco cops. Red Meyers (Jack Kruschen) is the mobster whom Freebie and the Bean would like to see behind bars -- or, failing that, six feet under. Nothing stands in the way of the cops' pursuit of Meyers, meaning that private property is given quite a going-over in this picture. The film's most memorable scene finds Freebie and the Bean crashing their car into a poor schnook's living room. TV favorites Loretta Swit and Valerie Harper play the only female roles worth mentioning. The racist and sexist humor in Freebie and the Bean may not go over as well today as it did in the politically incorrect early '70s.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/08/2017
UPC:	0888574513801
Original Release:	1974
Rating:	R
Source:	Warner Archives
Language:	English
Time:	1:53:00
Sales rank:	17,345

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Alan Arkin	Bean
James Caan	Freebie
Loretta Swit	Meyers' Wife
Jack Kruschen	Red Meyers
Mike Kellin	Lt. Rosen
Linda Marsh	Freebie's Girl
Paul Koslo	Whitey
John Garwood	Chauffeur
Alex Rocco	District Attorney
Valerie Harper	Bean's Wife
Christopher Morley	Transvestite
Robert H. Harris	Michigan Phil
Whitey Hughes	Broder
Marvin Walters	Policeman
Frank Orsatti	Laundry Truck Driver
Ted Duncan	Chicken Truck Driver
Gary Johnson	Liquor Truck Driver
Kathryn Witt	Whitey's Girl
Jerry Walter	Salesman
Thomas Huff	Bellboy
John Powers	Dentist
Gary Kent	Ambulance Attendant
Eddy Donno	Bag Man
Maurice Argent	Tailor
Dominic Frontiere	Composer

Technical Credits

Robert Kaufman

Floyd Mutrux	Executive Producer
Richard Rush	Producer,Director
Robert Kaufman	Screenwriter
Barry Thomas	Sound/Sound Designer
Tony Ray	Producer

Editorial Reviews

This unusual but kinetic fusion of comedy and action has been consistently scorned by critics over the years, but has won a cult following thanks to its blend of raucous humor and stylish filmmaking. Robert Kaufman's story line is self-consciously complicated to keep audiences guessing, but eventually delivers an impressive set of twists at its finale. However, its best attribute is its snappy dialogue; the verbal sparring matches between James Caan and Alan Arkin are full of hilariously profane interplay, and an interrogation-style showdown between Arkin and Valerie Harper near the end give the film its funniest (and most unexpectedly touching) moment. Freebie and the Bean also benefits from inspired work by leads Caan and Arkin. They give their characters the maniacal energy necessary to make their over-the-top excesses work, yet add some human shadings that give them unexpected depth. Both also deliver the comedy angle of the script with style. Arkin shines in a rare role that allows him to be aggressive and Caan shows an uncanny sense of comic timing. Behind the camera, Richard Rush keeps the zany events rolling at a carefully modulated pace that gives the actors room to breathe, but also fills the screen with kind of hardcore slapstick antics rarely seen outside a Tex Avery cartoon. The highlight is a crazed car chase that climaxes with the heroes' car crashing into the upper floor of an apartment building. On the downside, Freebie and the Bean's taboo-trashing sense of humor has something to offend virtually every brand of politically correct viewer, and the virulent racist and sexist attitudes of its antihero protagonists are likely to offend many. Despite this tone, Freebie and the Bean remains a well-made blend of comedy and action for viewers with skins thick enough to endure its savage sense of humor.

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