Freebie and The Bean
Encyclopedia
Freebie and The Bean is a 1974 action-comedy film about two San Francisco
police
detective
s who have one goal in life, bringing down a local hijacking boss. The picture, a precursor to the buddy cop film
genre popularized a decade later, stars James Caan, Alan Arkin
, Loretta Swit
and Valerie Harper
. Harper was nominated for the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year. The film was directed
by Richard Rush
. Stanley Kubrick called Freebie and the Bean the best film of 1974. Arkin and Caan would not appear in another movie together again until the 2008 film adaptation of Get Smart
.
, then home of the Major League Baseball
San Francisco Giants
, and now the home of the National Football League
's San Francisco 49ers
. One memorable chase sequence was filmed on the (now-demolished) Embarcadero Freeway, which ends with Caan and Arkin's car crashing into an apartment building next to the freeway. After the car lands in an elderly couple's bedroom as they are watching television, Caan and Arkin exit the car and nonchalantly walk out of the apartment. The husband remarks, "Television is getting too violent."
Plans to distribute the film in early 1974 were shelved due to concerns about competition with Peter Hyams' similar Busting
. Freebie and the Bean was finally issued as a Christmas release, and became a substantial box office success.
The film was finally released on DVD in 2009 through Warner Home Video
's Warner Archive label.
and Hector Elizondo
in the title roles, was broadcast on CBS
on Saturday nights at 9:00 PM in December 1980 and January 1981.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
s who have one goal in life, bringing down a local hijacking boss. The picture, a precursor to the buddy cop film
Buddy cop film
The "buddy cop" is a subgenre of buddy films and crime films with plots involving two men of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime and/or defeat criminals, sometimes learning from each other in the process...
genre popularized a decade later, stars James Caan, Alan Arkin
Alan Arkin
Alan Wolf Arkin is an American actor, director, musician and singer. He is known for starring in such films as Wait Until Dark, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22, The In-Laws, Edward Scissorhands, Glengarry Glen Ross, Marley & Me, and...
, Loretta Swit
Loretta Swit
Loretta Swit is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best-known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
and Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
. Harper was nominated for the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year. The film was directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Richard Rush
Richard Rush (director)
Richard Rush is an American movie director, scriptwriter, and producer. He is best known for the Oscar-nominated The Stunt Man. His other works, however, have been less celebrated. The next best-known of his movies is Color of Night — also nominated, but in this case for the Golden Raspberry Award...
. Stanley Kubrick called Freebie and the Bean the best film of 1974. Arkin and Caan would not appear in another movie together again until the 2008 film adaptation of Get Smart
Get Smart (film)
Get Smart is a 2008 American spy-fi comedy film based on Mel Brooks and Buck Henry's 1960s spy parody television series of the same name. The film stars Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart and Anne Hathaway as Agent 99...
.
Plot
Freebie and Bean are detectives with the San Francisco police. While distracted by his suspicions that his wife is having affair, Bean and his partner investigate racketeer Red Meyers, only to learn that a hit man is after Meyers as well.Production notes
Key scenes were shot on location in early 1973 in San Francisco at Candlestick ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
, then home of the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, and now the home of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. One memorable chase sequence was filmed on the (now-demolished) Embarcadero Freeway, which ends with Caan and Arkin's car crashing into an apartment building next to the freeway. After the car lands in an elderly couple's bedroom as they are watching television, Caan and Arkin exit the car and nonchalantly walk out of the apartment. The husband remarks, "Television is getting too violent."
Plans to distribute the film in early 1974 were shelved due to concerns about competition with Peter Hyams' similar Busting
Busting
Busting is a 1974 film directed by Peter Hyams, starring Elliott Gould and Robert Blake as Los Angeles police detectives.-Plot:The film is episodic, depicting the two detectives teaming on several different cases, with varying degrees of success...
. Freebie and the Bean was finally issued as a Christmas release, and became a substantial box office success.
The film was finally released on DVD in 2009 through Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
's Warner Archive label.
Cast
- James CaanJames CaanJames Caan is an American actor. He is best known for his starring roles in The Godfather, Thief, Misery, A Bridge Too Far, Brian's Song, Rollerball, Kiss Me Goodbye, Elf, and El Dorado...
as Freebie - Alan ArkinAlan ArkinAlan Wolf Arkin is an American actor, director, musician and singer. He is known for starring in such films as Wait Until Dark, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22, The In-Laws, Edward Scissorhands, Glengarry Glen Ross, Marley & Me, and...
as Bean - Valerie HarperValerie HarperValerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
as Bean's wife - Jack KruschenJack KruschenJack Kruschen was a Canadian-born character actor who worked primarily in American film, television and radio.-Radio:...
as Red Meyers - Loretta SwitLoretta SwitLoretta Swit is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best-known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
as Mrs. Meyers - Maurice ArgentMaurice ArgentMaurice Argent was a character actor from Pennsylvania who acted between 1957 and 1980.Argent died in San Francisco, California on 7 December 1981 at age 65.- Filmography :*Pal Joey - Second sailor...
as Tailor
Television
A short-lived television series based on the film and sharing its title, starring Tom MasonTom Mason (actor)
Tom Mason is an American actor born in Brooklyn, New York. He began his television career in 1977, portraying Rex Stout's fictional detective Archie Goodwin in the ABC-TV movie Nero Wolfe...
and Hector Elizondo
Hector Elizondo
Héctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
in the title roles, was broadcast on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
on Saturday nights at 9:00 PM in December 1980 and January 1981.
Regular Cast Members
- Tom MasonTom Mason (actor)Tom Mason is an American actor born in Brooklyn, New York. He began his television career in 1977, portraying Rex Stout's fictional detective Archie Goodwin in the ABC-TV movie Nero Wolfe...
as Freebie - Hector ElizondoHector ElizondoHéctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
as Bean - William DanielsWilliam DanielsWilliam David Daniels is an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild . He is known for his performance as Dustin Hoffman's father in The Graduate , as John Adams in 1776, as Carter Nash in Captain Nice, as Mr. George Feeny in ABC's Boy Meets World, as the voice of KITT in...
as the District Attorney - Mel StewartMel StewartMilton "Mel" Stewart was an American character actor, television director, and musician who appeared in numerous films and television shows from the 1960s to the 1990s. He is best known for playing Henry Jefferson on the popular television series All in the Family...
as Rodney Axel - Carmen FilpiCarmen FilpiCarmen Filpi was an American actor who starred in films and on television. He is well known for playing a homeless man in a lot of films....
as Wally the Wino