48 Hrs.

48 Hrs. (pronounced Forty-Eight Hours) is a 1982 American buddy cop action comedy film starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy (the latter in his film debut) as a cop and a convict, respectively, who team up to catch two hardened criminals. Directed by Walter Hill, from a screenplay co-written with Larry Gross, Steven E. de Souza and Roger Spottiswoode, and titled after the amount of time the duo has to solve the crime, 48 Hrs. marked Joel Silver's debut as a producer. Though predated by Richard Rush's 1974 film Freebie and the Bean, the film is often credited as being the first in the "buddy cop" genre, later popularized by films such as Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, and Rush Hour. Its supporting cast features Annette O'Toole, James Remar, Frank McRae, David Patrick Kelly, Sonny Landham, Jonathan Banks and Brion James. The musical score was composed by James Horner. Released by Paramount Pictures on December 8, 1982, 48 Hrs. was one of the most commercially successful films of 1982, received widespread acclaim from critics, and launched Murphy's film career by earning him a Golden Globe Award nomination for New Star of the Year – Actor. A sequel, Another 48 Hrs., was released in 1990, also directed by Walter Hill, with Nolte and Murphy reprising their roles.