By Lee Pfeiffer
Bill Cosby has been in the news a lot lately, though undoubtedly not in a way he would prefer. Lost in the on-going debate about his career as a legendary comedian and sitcom star and how this affects allegations of sexual assaults, is the fact that Cos at one time showed considerable skill in rare dramatic roles. One such case was a now relatively obscure 1972 detective flick he starred in for United Artists. Largely forgotten by the general public due to very limited exposure since its release, Hickey & Boggs has been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber. (It was initially released a few years ago on DVD by MGM's burn-to-order division.) The film's primary merit is that it reunited I Spy co-stars Bill Cosby and Robert Culp (though by this time, Cosby's fame had eclipsed Culp's, thus resulting in his receiving top billing). In their classic TV show, Culp and Cosby played a tennis pro and his trainer who were actually secret agents. The glitz of the tennis world allowed them to live Bondian lifestyles while they thwarted bad guys. Intriguingly, Hickey & Boggs goes in a very different direction. Resisting the temptation to revive their wise-cracking I Spy personalities, Culp and Cos are seen as down-and-out private investigators in Los Angeles. Both are divorced but pine away for their ex's; they can't pay the office phone bill and they ride around in cars that look like they barely survived a demolition derby. As the TV spots for the film said at the time, "They have to reach up to touch bottom." On the brink of financial disaster, the men finally get a case: they are hired by a mysterious man to find an equally mysterious woman he wants to locate. The money is good, but the seemingly mundane case soon turns deadly with Hickey and Boggs dodging mob hit men, black radicals and unfriendly police brass.
Although the film boasts a screenplay by the noted Walter Hill, this is the weakest aspect of the production. The story becomes completely incomprehensible within minutes and, in terms of confusing aspects of the plot, makes The Big Sleep play like a Pink Panther movie. So many characters and relationships are introduced that the viewer is never sure who is doing what to whom and why. What the film does have is atmosphere, and Culp, who also directed, takes pains to distance the two lead characters from their I Spy counterparts. They still have terrific screen chemistry, however, even as they play against type as two rusty private eyes who can't hit the broad side of a barn even with their .357 Magnums blazing. The film features a number of exciting action sequences and an excellent supporting cast including Rosalind Cash, Vincent Gardenia, Ed LauterBill Hickman (the legendary stunt driver) and, in early career roles, James Woods and Michael Moriarty. It would have helped immensely if the downbeat script was at least decipherable, but as it stands there is still plenty to recommend about Hickey & Boggs.
The Kino Lorber Blu-ray boasts an excellent transfer, but- as with the DVD version- is sadly devoid of any extras.
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