Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
8 suggestions available
Watchlist
Sign in
Sign in
New customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Hickey & Boggs

  • 1972
  • PG
  • 1h 51m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
Hickey & Boggs (1972)
Bill Cosby and Robert Culp ("I Spy") are united again as private eyes in this Walter Hill-scripted "film noir." Searching for a missing girl, they find themselves involved with vicious criminals and precipitating a string of deaths.
Play trailer2:35
1 Video
40 Photos
CrimeDramaThriller

Two Los Angeles private eyes follow a missing woman to her bank loot.Two Los Angeles private eyes follow a missing woman to her bank loot.Two Los Angeles private eyes follow a missing woman to her bank loot.

  • Director
    • Robert Culp
  • Writer
    • Walter Hill
  • Stars
    • Bill Cosby
    • Robert Culp
    • Ta-Ronce Allen
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    1.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert Culp
    • Writer
      • Walter Hill
    • Stars
      • Bill Cosby
      • Robert Culp
      • Ta-Ronce Allen
    • 38User reviews
    • 43Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:35
    Trailer

    Photos40

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 35
    View Poster

    Top cast37

    Edit
    Bill Cosby
    Bill Cosby
    • Al Hickey
    Robert Culp
    Robert Culp
    • Frank Boggs
    Ta-Ronce Allen
    • Nyona's Daughter
    Rosalind Cash
    Rosalind Cash
    • Nyona
    Lou Frizzell
    Lou Frizzell
    • Lawyer
    Nancy Howard
    • Apartment Manager's Wife
    Bernard Nedell
    Bernard Nedell
    • Used Car Salesman
    Isabel Sanford
    Isabel Sanford
    • Nyona's Mother
    Sheila Sullivan
    • Edith Boggs
    Carmencristina Moreno
    • Mary Jane
    • (as Carmen)
    Jason Culp
    Jason Culp
    • Mary Jane's Son
    Ron Henriquez
    • Quemando: Florist
    Louis Moreno
    • Quemando: Prisoner
    Caryn Sanchez
    • Mary Jane's Daughter
    Robert Mandan
    Robert Mandan
    • Mr. Brill
    Michael Moriarty
    Michael Moriarty
    • Ballard
    Denise Renfro
    • Brill's Daughter
    Bernie Schwartz
    • Bernie
    • Director
      • Robert Culp
    • Writer
      • Walter Hill
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews38

    6.31.5K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    8revtg1-2

    Not your father's "I, Spy" team.

    The guys from I, Spy are back and "it" hits the fan. Hickey and Boggs are two long in the tooth private investigators on their last legs, physically and financially. They get a case that seems like a good deal to make a few bucks. Then they uncover some things that the really, really bad guys do not want uncovered. The more the bad guys try to get them off the case the harder they press. Then one of their families is murdered as a warning and they go methodically ballistic. Now they are looking not for information but for some people to kill. Also featured is Bill Hickman, one of Hollywood's most sought after stunt drivers and the driver of the black Charger in "Bullitt." You never saw Bill Cosby portray a quiet family man turned into a methodical, cold blooded killer. Don't miss a chance to see it.
    FEF312

    Culp and Cosby as you've never seen them before. (Now on DVD!)

    Robert Culp directed this tough '70s crime flick about two down on thier luck private investigators in LA. Culp and Cosby are miles away from the characters they played in I SPY, but the chemistry is still their. Another note - several prominent actors make early appearances in this film - James Woods, and Michael Moriarty. Vincent Gardenia appears in the cliche role of the put upon, aggravated police contact. Good news - this film is now available on DVD. The company releasing it on DVD is AIP films. Quality of the transfer is mediocre, but it's still worth it to see this underrated film again.
    9DeanSpeir

    Good film... terribly underrated

    Despite the setting of Southern California and daytime set pieces, this is a very dark film, and presages much of Walter Hill's later work. A good cast, including the great Bill Hickman (a world class stunt driver and distinctive screen presence), it was probably marketed poorly. Movie-goers were led to believe that this "reunion" of TV's popular I SPY co-stars was going to somehow harken back to that glib and serendipitous collaboration.

    Best line o'the film: after a protracted shoot-out with two sets of adversaries in Los Angeles' famed Coliseum, in which few bullets found their marks, Culp, while reloading his long-barreled S&W .357 Magnum, mutters: "I gotta get a bigger gun."
    8zetes

    Rather flawed, but still very good

    Hickey & Boggs is not entirely successful - in fact, it has some major flaws - but it creates a powerful mood, and that's what makes it worthwhile. I will remember it, for a long time perhaps. In similar cases, the flaws will gradually fade from my mind and the film will seem better in my memory. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that the next time I watch the film (I had to get it on tape) the flaws will again be too big to ignore.

    The biggest fault is the film's editing. It's awful. I can't remember any other film where the quality of editing was such a big issue, but this is definitely one of them. Take, for instance, the shoot-out at the football stadium. The setup, where they cut to the various people involved in the proceedings, is very confusing and almost silly. You can't, for instance, tell where people are in relation to each other. When the action starts to go down, it should be quite exciting. Unfortunately, again, the editing never makes it clear where the characters are in relation to each other. It's even difficult at times to tell who's shooting at whom. Near the end of the sequence, we see one character run past another who has been guarding him with his machine gun. I had thought that the second man had been shooting at both him and Hickey. I could then finally tell what had been going on, but that doesn't help generate the past suspense and logic that that scene needed. The editing is also very quick, especially in the film's first half. It makes the story difficult to follow. Luckily, the editing gets better as the film progresses, but it's never perfect. Surely the editor deserves a lot of the blame - he clearly didn't have much of an idea what he was doing - but Robert Culp is partly culpable (ha-ha) as well. The editor is not the only culprit (there I go again) in that aforementioned stadium shoot-out. Part of the confusion is due to sloppy direction. Most of his direction is quite good, however. Some of it is downright excellent. This was his one and only film. Imagine how much better he could have gotten.

    The script is also quite sloppy. Again, a lot of the confusion is due to the editing. Many scenes happen too quickly. But, on the script's side of the scale, I was never 100% sure who the different groups were. By the end, I was mostly sure, but there was still a bit of confusion. I would compare Hickey & Boggs greatly with Chinatown, which was made two years later. But unlike Chinatown, which also has a very intricate mystery story, Hickey & Boggs is never able to make sense out of the whole story. We shouldn't still be trying to figure out what has happened or who certain characters were when the end credits begin to roll. I also think that the film has a few too many P.I. movie cliches. Even Hickey's family situation, which is where the film gets most of its emotional power, is rather formulaic. Hickey is the type of guy who's too into his job, and his wife's angry at him all the time; Hickey still loves his wife and child, but he's not the greatest father (they actually develop his poor fatherly skills quite well). I would also have wanted more backstory to Boggs, although I kind of like the way the screenplay only hints at his life. They also needed to invest a little more emotional pull in the characters of Mary Jane and her husband. They tried, but didn't quite succeed. Just think of how powerful their last scene would be if we knew them a little better.

    Now for the acting. The supporting cast is generally adequate, with one exception (a good one): James Woods. It was his second feature film, and he's already showing how great an actor he would become. His character is created rather sloppily, but he's still good in the role. Of course, Culp and Cosby are the main focus of the film. Culp, despite the fact that he directed, is actually more of the supporting actor. He's quite good, although, like I said, I wish that he had a more in-depth part. Cosby, on the other hand, is exquisite. I would doubt that he's ever had a better role in his life. His dramatic prowess is amazing, and he has several masterful scenes where his job is to remain rather emotionless, thereby multiplying the emotional effectiveness. It works wonders, and he should probably have been recognized for the performance.

    As for other aspects of the film, the cinematography, by Wilmer Butler, is quite beautiful. He does a great job of bringing out the inherent darkness of sunny L.A. He also does a lot of magic hour stuff, and it is quite beautiful. I especially like the final shot. The musical score should be mentioned as well. Ted Ashford's score is very evocative, and it doesn't fall into the cheesier, Shaft-type funk, which I was expecting. George Edward's theme song is also very good. Also, the sound effects are great. That's odd to point out, but you'll definitely be influenced by some of them. Sometimes, sirens, like tornado sirens, arise out of nowhere and no one on screen aknowledges them. At other times, you'll hear this spooky, unembodied laughter. It's very disturbing. Overall, I give Hickey & Boggs an 8/10. It should have been better, it could have been an equal to Chinatown. It is still a very worthwhile film that ought to be more available and more famous.
    7ninjaalexs

    On the Bogg - Very Good, but also-ran 70s crime

    Walter Hill wrote a string of excellent crime films in the 70s: The Getaway, The Warriors and The Driver. Hickey & Boggs is the weakest of the bunch, but it's still a very good film.

    It was directed by Robert Culp who also plays the co-starring lead. Direction wise it is very good, but workman like. It is helped immensely by a great script with snappy dialogue. I can't help, but think if Hill or Peckinpah had directed it that it might have a bit more flair.

    Robert Culp lacks the charisma of Clint Eastwood or Steve McQueen. He's a fine actor though and is physically imposing even next to Bill Cosby. Bill Cosby plays it straight, no jokes, no silly laugh; just a tough guy role. The role lacks something that Eddie Murphy brought to 48Hrs, maybe just humour. This pre-dated the buddy cop style of film by a decade though, which has been the blueprint ever since.

    Bill Cosby's private life has since buried this film like a suitcase of stolen money. I think if you can look beyond that it is a very good film with some great stunts, sharp dialogue and action scenes. Like all 70s films it also has cops who look like real people rather than male models and criminals who are genuinely nasty rather than corny pantomime gangsters.

    The Blu-Ray from Kino Lorber has a superb print, but only 2.0 sound. It's sadly difficult to find.

    More like this

    Report to the Commissioner
    6.7
    Report to the Commissioner
    The Last Run
    6.6
    The Last Run
    The Wilby Conspiracy
    6.4
    The Wilby Conspiracy
    Tonight's the Night
    6.2
    Tonight's the Night
    Across 110th Street
    7.0
    Across 110th Street
    Hilda Crane
    6.3
    Hilda Crane
    The Outfit
    7.0
    The Outfit
    The Hired Killer
    5.9
    The Hired Killer
    The Visitors
    6.3
    The Visitors
    I Spy
    7.2
    I Spy
    White Lightning
    6.4
    White Lightning
    Busting
    6.4
    Busting

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Boggs' wife, Edith, was played by Culp's then-wife, Sheila Sullivan.
    • Goofs
      Hickey and Boggs have to sneak into the football game disguised as ushers because the game is sold out yet there are quite a few empty seats, including entire rows, during the game. Sold out doesn't mean full seats just tickets sold. Companies buy blocks of tickets and don't always use them plus individuals might buy a ticket but don't make it to the game.
    • Quotes

      Frank Boggs: The only thing you can do is goddamn try to even it up, make it right.

    • Connections
      Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Hickey & Boggs
      Written and Performed by George Edwards

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ15

    • How long is Hickey & Boggs?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 4, 1972 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Hickey and Boggs
    • Filming locations
      • Dodger Stadium - 1000 Vin Scully Avenue, Chavez Ravine, Elysian Park, Los Angeles, California, USA(Location)
    • Production company
      • Film Guarantors
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 51 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Hickey & Boggs (1972)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Hickey & Boggs (1972) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Poster
    List
    IMDb Summer Watch Guide
    Browse the guide
    Production art
    List
    July 2025 TV and Streaming Premiere Dates
    See the list
    Poster
    List
    Most Popular Indian Movies of 2025 So Far
    See the list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.