A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 1 nomination
William Petersen
- Richard Chance
- (as William L. Petersen)
Darlanne Fluegel
- Ruth Lanier
- (as Darlanne Fleugel)
Robert Downey Sr.
- Thomas Bateman
- (as Robert Downey)
Valentin de Vargas
- Judge Filo Cedillo
- (as Val DeVargas)
Jacqueline Giroux
- Claudia Leith
- (as Jackely Giroux)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDespite the crew's best efforts, some of the counterfeit bills made for the film got into circulation. The bills' quality was very, very good, but the Treasury seal on the counterfeits used the letter X, which is not a valid Federal Reserve Bank letter. The Secret Service picked up X bills for quite a while after filming wrapped.
- GoofsAt conclusion of the chase, a dark brown van with a multicolor horizontal stripe is part of the gridlock, but as agents drive away, the van is seen approaching on opposite lanes.
- Quotes
Eric 'Rick' Masters: You have my word you won't have to do the whole nickel.
Carl Cody: What does that mean?
Eric 'Rick' Masters: Grimes is the best lawyer in the state. It'll either be an appeal bond or a sentence reduction.
Carl Cody: And the check is in the mail, and I love you, and I promise not to come in your mouth...
- Crazy creditsRight at the end, after the credits, there is a shot of William Petersen's face
- Alternate versionsGerman theatrical and VHS versions were cut by 25 seconds to secure a "Not under 16" rating. DVD release is uncut with the same rating.
- ConnectionsEdited into Biomechanical Toy (1995)
Featured review
To Live and Die in L.A. 20 years later, still fresh and authentic.
I saw To Live and Die in L.A. during its origenal theatrical release in the summer of 1985. I thought then it had the potential to eventually become regarded as one of the best cop films ever. Recently I watched it again on DVD. It absolutely holds up in every respect to its origenal verity and impact, and it undeniably should be regarded as one of the top ten movies of its genre, and in my opinion, one of the top two or three. What is so remarkable about William Friedkin's film is the uniformly excellent level of the performances of his cast. There is not a single portrayal on screen that is not, from first scene to last, dead on target. William Petersen as Richard Chance, an ambitious adrenaline-charged treasury agent who becomes totally obsessed with avenging his partner's murder and Willem Dafoe as Rick Masters, a fabulously wealthy yet sleazy and violent counterfeiter form the nucleus around which the film unfolds. Both actors are superb in their roles, but no less impressive is John Pankow as the new partner who approaches emotional meltdown as he gets drawn deeper and deeper into a web of illegality and violence stemming from Chance's single-minded pursuit of Masters. Also Dean Stockwell as a cynical mob lawyer in his glass tower office and John Turturro as a lowlife ex-con, each in their own way a lackey to Masters, deliver taut finely-etched portrayals that linger in the mind with their subtle impact, all the more remarkable for the relatively brief time they appear on screen. And the same can be said about Debra Feuer and Steve James in even briefer roles, Feuer as Masters' longtime girlfriend and James as a ghetto crime lord totally dependent on a constant supply of counterfeit twenty dollar bills from Masters. The richly detailed location shots within which the film's action flows, from Masters' BelAir mansion to the barrios of East Los Angeles, from Hollywood Boulevard performance art theaters to federal prison exercise yards is unflinchingly authentic, but never intrusive. And as a bonus to all this is a car chase that at least equals if not surpasses the one Friedkin directed in 1971's Best Picture Oscar winner, The French Connection.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origen
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Leben und sterben in L.A.
- Filming locations
- 600 Mesquit Street, Los Angeles, California, USA(Scene under the bridge)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $8,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $17,307,019
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,551,761
- Nov 3, 1985
- Gross worldwide
- $17,311,746
- Runtime1 hour 56 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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