48 Hrs. (pronounced 'forty-eight hours') is a 1982 American buddy cop action comedy film directed and co-written by Walter Hill, co-written by Larry Gross, Steven E. de Souza and Roger Spottiswoode, and starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy (in his film debut) as a cop and a convict, respectively, who team up to catch two hardened criminals. The title refers to the amount of time they have to solve the crime. Though it is predated by Richard Rush's Freebie and the Bean, the film is often credited as being the first in the "buddy cop" genre, later popularised by films such as Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys and Rush Hour. 48 Hrs. was Joel Silver's first title as a producer. 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, and it received widespread acclaim from critics. It launched Murphy's film career, and earned 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. Plot Convicted career criminal Albert Ganz escapes from custody with the help of his accomplice Billy Bear. They travel to San Francisco and kill Henry Wong, a former associate. SFPD Inspector Jack Cates, accompanied by Detectives Algren and Van Zant, trace Ganz and Bear to a hotel, where they've checked in under aliases. Ganz and Bear ambush the officers. In the ensuing shootout, Ganz kills Algren and Van Zant, and escapes with Billy, taking Jack's service revolver. Armed with a replacement pistol, Jack tracks down Ganz's former partner-in-crime Reggie Hammond, who is in prison with six months to go on a three-year sentence for armed robbery. After a memorable first meeting in prison, Jack manages to get Reggie a 48-hour release in to his custody so that Reggie can help Jack find Ganz and Bear. Reggie leads Jack to an apartment where Ganz's last remaining associate Luther Kelly lives. When Jack looks around, Luther shoots at him and refuses to be interrogated, so Jack arrests Luther. That night, Reggie leads Jack to Torchy's, a redneck hangout where Billy used to be a bartender. Reggie,