Buddy Buddy

"The greatest movie buddies of all time are back!"

1981 1h 36m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🍅

63%

FRESH

⭐

6.5

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 119🍅63%Rotten Tomatoes★6.5IMDB · 5,378

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

During a high-profile Mafia testimony case in Riverside County, a hired killer checks into a hotel room near the courthouse, while his depressed neighbor contemplates suicide over marital problems.

“The greatest movie buddies of all time are back!”

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Cast

Jack Lemmon
Victor Clooney
Walter Matthau
Trabucco
Paula Prentiss
Celia Clooney
Klaus Kinski
Dr. Hugo Zuckerbrot
Dana Elcar
Capt. Hubris
Miles Chapin
Eddie, the Bellhop
Michael Ensign
Assistant Manager
Joan Shawlee
Receptionist

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Billy Wilder
Writers: Billy Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond
Languages: English, French
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 73% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Billy Wilder, shot by Harry Stradling Jr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Argyle Nelson Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and Paula Prentiss carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The greatest movie buddies of all time are back!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Billy Wilder directs. Harry Stradling Jr. behind the camera. Lalo Schifrin scores. Argyle Nelson Jr. cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 73% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
245 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
4Directed by Billy Wilder, shot by Harry Stradling Jr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Argyle Nelson Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and Paula Prentiss carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The greatest movie buddies of all time are back!".
9IMDB entry: tt0082111 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.