MovieChat Forums > Freebie and the Bean (1974) Discussion > One of the Biggest Laughs In the Theater

One of the Biggest Laughs In the Theater

posted 20 years ago by ecarle
26 replies | jump to latest

They don't much show "Freebie and the Bean" anymore because it is "politically incorrect." I remember at the time it came out, it seemed like a really nasty spoof of the revered bigot characters in "The French Connection" and other 70's cop movies, but evidently nobody will take the joke anymore.

Still, in a full house theater in December 1974, I saw this movie and can still remember the gigantic laugh in the audience -- that went on for about four full minutes -- when Freebie and the Bean crashed their car off a freeway and through an upstairs window where a haggard old couple were sleeping in their apartment.

The laugh just got bigger and bigger as the characters got out of the car, with Arkin simply clawing the wall and fainting to the floor and Caan gently asking the couple in bed if he could use their phone.

Too bad the rest of the movie is considered in bad taste. That scene got HUGE laughs, and I was happy for the rest of the movie after I saw it.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] ecarle 19 years ago

I've been gone a long time, sorry.

Even in 1974, there was some anger towards the film's treatment of its gay characters, and Alan Arkin's hispanic cop being called "the Bean," and some of the things Caan says to him accordingly.

Also, there was offense that a movie could treat its many violent beatings and shootings as comedy.

[–] shadow2351jl 19 years ago

Although it may be considered non-PC the film does get fairly regular showings on SKY in the UK. This must at least indicate to Warner that there is a demand however slight for it. They certainly couldn't do any worse than they did with such releases like Battlefield Earth and who could forget the franchise killing Batman Forever and Batman and Robin (Thank you Joel!!).

[–] womackphotokcmo 19 years ago

My parents took me to see this movie when it first came out, I was 12. I do remember laughing my azz off at several points. Yup, its too bad Liberalism raised its hybrid head....movies like this are STILL funnier than anything put out today.

[–] FlaJeepGuy2003 19 years ago

I love this movie. Alan Arkin is in my opinion, one of the funniest guys in movies. Watching it right now as a matter of fact on Speedvision's The Lost Drive-In. If I remember correctly, the old guy in the bed after the crash scene is eating chocolate chip cookies and the way they dead-panned throughout this scene was priceless. While PC society may have killed off this genre of movie, this one is some fun. When Freebie jumps the ramp then Bean leans over and strangles him...jeebus!

:EDIT: Nope, the old man is eating a sandwich with a glass of milk and the woman is eating a meatloaf TV dinner...hate to make incorrect statements. :-D

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] jporter-6 17 years ago

Where did you hear these things? In a meeting of the
ACLU, or the USC faculty senate meeting.

[–] jporter-6 15 years ago

Yeah, the violence is really bad. Probably just as bad as
Kevin McCallister beating up on Marv and Harry, or James
Tiberius Kirk being beaten in in that bar.

So I wouldn't worry about it being politically incorrect.
I'm not certain that's any worse than Noah Wylie or
Noah Coyote or whatever the heck that guy from ER's name
is, lying to us about the polar bears drowning.

Just enjoy it.

By the way, I can't know how long the laugh at the crash
scene was when I first saw it in the theater. Because I
don't think anybody stopped laughing for the entire movie.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] ecarle 9 years ago

August 2015: "Freebie and the Bean" got a screening on Turner Classic Movies in the US last night, as part of an all-day salute to Alan Arkin.

Its as violent as ever, as politically incorrect as ever -- though Caan is PLAYING a homophobic bigot, this was the case in 1974 when it came out -- and as funny as ever.

The memories!

Even little bits like when Caan and Arkin were arguing in the men's wear store about expensive shirts...and Caan tears up Arkin's shirt to demonstrate how cheap it is, and the two men start fighting and the salesmen apologize to the mob boss(Jack Krushen) about the fracas and he says:

"Its OK....they're with me."

Still, the car through the wall...funny as ever.

[–] ccr1633 (1523) 5 years ago

My favorite scene is right before they crash through the window and plow through the marching band.

[–] DmitriKnipper (202) 5 years ago

This. In any other movie, the car driver would swerve out of the way or the marchers would run out of the way just in time. But not here! Those majorettes go flyin'!

[–] kenichiku 18 years ago

Well, all the talk about the political incorrectness prolly applies less so for Caan's character's jabs (that're actually meant more as endearment) at Arkin character's Mexican background than there is for the not-so-subtle hostility (that I see as a backlash) towards the homosexual community that was starting to gain prominence in San Francisco at that time.

Loved this movie growing up. I was surprised as my parents took me to see it but it was prolly more due to local interest. Saw it on the big screen a half dozen times all in the City the film takes place in.

[–] womackphotokcmo 19 years ago

I'd love to see a remake!

"The only person to celebrate Valentines Day the right way was Al Capone!". John Becker, M.D.

[–] kenichiku 18 years ago

I don't, what's wrong with the original? Remakes turn many people off, IMO. There's plenty of good original material just waiting to be mined from someone's imagination or life's experiences. Hollywood's crop of young screen-writers should all spend less time on their computers, video games & get a life first, then they can have something inspiring to write about rather than rehash old material. Homages & variations on a theme are one thing, straight out xeroxing of old hits (& not so hits), sequels, TV series are another.

Hollywood better get their acts together. They don't want to go down the same road as our once mighty auto industry.

[–] simonkevnorris 18 years ago

I saw it in Perth at University back in the late 70s. I thought it was really funny and well worth watching. It was played on TV a few times but the channels couldn't decide to cut out the police violence or the swearing.

I bought the movie on VHS a few years back and it wasn't as good as I remembered it. Maybe, a couple of beers may help.

[–] AnnieKay 18 years ago

The old guy in the bed was eating a sandwich, and I thought the funniest part of the scene was when he casually points towards the phone with his sandwich when Freebie asks if he can make a call.

I agree that the treatment of gays in this movie seems quaint now. It was commonplace at the time to treat a gay character as somehow sleazy and predatory (like when we first meet the character in the bath). Like much else in this movie, it was just what was accepted thinking at the time.

I have to say he played a woman really well, though - even though we had already seen him, I had no idea it was him again until the scene in the bathroom.

[–] westley747 18 years ago

The gay character was an interesting plot-twist - but they cheat badly in the movie by dubbing an appallingly unconvincing woman's voice over his final scenes in the back of the limo.

[–] AnnieKay 18 years ago

That threw me - I didn't realise that.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] westley747 18 years ago

Christopher Morley,the actor playing the kung fu-kicking transvestite, was a truly unforgetteable character - strange then that he never appeared in many other major movies again. His odd asexual looks reminded me a bit of the Harold And Maude actor, Bud Cort.

[–] IForgotMyMantra 17 years ago

It is a spoof movie. I think a previous poster is right in saying that they are parodying the Popeye Doyle/Dirty Harry, etc. mentality of nasty, bigoted cops. How can you take the movie seriously when circus, Keystone Cops music breaks out during fight scenes? Still, though, the movie does demonize the transvestite character.

[–] jporter-6 17 years ago

I don't know which theater you saw the movie in, but I
was one of those laughing. I laughed so hard I couldn't
finish my popcorn for awhile. (Though I did struggle to
get the rest of down. "Must . . . eat . . . popcorn.")

I was weak from laughing by the end of the movie.

[–] GunsGirlsCars 17 years ago

Buddy, I'm with you!
Had to be the funnist movie ever!
The only movie that matches the fun factor....A shot in the dark!

[–] ksf-2 8 years ago

[man and wife in the apartment eating bread and milk]

... the milk looked green.

anyone? anyone?