The Last Detail (1973)

Cast

Jack Nicholson
as Buddusky
Randy Quaid
as Meadows
Carol Kane
as Young Whore
Nancy Allen
as Nancy

Get more information about The Last Detail (1973) on IMDb

Genres & Description

Action Comedy Drama

7.6 / 10

Two bawdy, tough looking navy lifers - "Bad-Ass" Buddusky, and "Mule" Mulhall - are commissioned to escort a young pilferer named Meadows to the brig in Portsmouth. Meadows is not much of a thief. Indeed, in his late teens, he is not much of a man at all. His great crime was to try to steal forty dollars from the admiral's wife's pet charity. For this, he's been sentenced to eight years behind bars. At first, Buddusky and Mulhall view the journey as a paid vacation, but their holiday spirits are quickly depressed by the prisoner, who looks prepared to break into tears at any moment. And he has the lowest self-image imaginable. Buddusky gets it into his head to give Meadows a good time and teach him a bit about getting on in the world. Lesson one: Don't take every card life deals you. Next, he teaches Meadows to drink, and, as a coup de grace, finds a nice young whore to instruct him in lovemaking. Mule, who worries aloud about his own position with military authority, seems pleased ...

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Comments on this trailer
Comments may include spoiler!

CaesarInVa

Damn if this movie didn't capture the depressing atmosphere of an east coast naval station. I came off of active duty in 82 and stayed in the reserves till 91. Remember that back in the early to mid-80s the economy truly hurled. It seemed like every time I came home drunk on a Friday night, ready to throw in the towel and head over to the NAF's ResFirst office and ask to be reactivated, The Last Detail would be airing on TV as the late night movie. 15 minutes of the desolate, depressing environment of a naval station, especially the final few minutes when the detail is driving through the Portsmouth naval brig, past the dilapidated enlisted barracks and broken-down clunkers in the parking lots, would snap me out of my insanity. Being broke, underemployed and hungry was WAY better than that bleak existence! - @Friday, September 28, 2018 2:06 AM

John D

USN Never Again ! SM3 U.S.S. Horne DLG-3 Great movie...Bravo Zulu - @Saturday, August 4, 2018 1:15 AM

Alex Simmons

Haha that last line in the trailer foreshadowing JN starring in BATMAN, even a SLIGHT JOKER LAUGH, too haha - @Friday, July 27, 2018 2:23 AM

marty one

https://www.rocketstock.com/blog/opinion-10-reasons-why-cgi-is-getting-worse-not-better/ https://medium.com/@sannguyen/is-cgi-becoming-a-burden-for-film-industry-bf1be2f2976d https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/6-absurd-ways-hollywood-isnt-being-creative.html/?a=viewall - @Wednesday, May 16, 2018 1:34 PM

Sloop

I'm a simple person. I see jack Nicholson. I click. - @Thursday, March 22, 2018 1:07 AM

TheSestren

"The Last Detail, starring Dana Scully." - @Tuesday, December 19, 2017 4:43 PM

Shedon Chambliss

one of my favorites - @Thursday, December 7, 2017 7:35 PM

Daniel Ring

Best movie about the Navy ever. - @Wednesday, August 30, 2017 8:09 PM

EST84x

Can't belive they made a sequel to this only this year. Can't beliebe i'm actually thinking it migght be good. - @Monday, August 28, 2017 7:55 PM

Thomas Holmes

I agree. Best Navy movie ever. - @Tuesday, August 15, 2017 11:03 AM

Paul Dud

Jack Nicholson kicked Robert Redford's ass as the best actor of the 1970's ! Both actors are about the same age, but I always liked Nicholson's acting skills better ! - @Sunday, May 21, 2017 1:05 AM

armst012

Didn't realize Jack mentions Batman in this movie. Kinda ironic.. - @Thursday, December 22, 2016 4:30 AM

Craig Forester

Nam mi yo ho renge kio - @Thursday, October 13, 2016 3:26 AM

cosmicdrifter287

the joker is in the last detail. - @Monday, August 8, 2016 5:42 PM

Dániel Soós

Very underrated movie. I don't understand why. It's great! One of Nicholson's bests. - @Wednesday, July 20, 2016 5:26 AM

bebopprof

I dont understand the meaning of this movie, But I like this movie. - @Tuesday, March 15, 2016 3:43 PM

Ed Findlay

One of the best right here. - @Saturday, February 27, 2016 6:48 AM

Bob Loblaw

Best Navy movie evar!! - @Saturday, November 21, 2015 6:32 PM

Eddie 1925

My father was a Chief in the navy and a Pearl Harbor survivor. Best man I ever knew. I was in the Air Force and a cop for 26 years but I could never measure up to him. He was a great man! - @Thursday, June 25, 2015 12:05 AM

Lynn Turman

I AM THE MOTHERFUCKING SHORE PATROL MOTHER FUCKER!!! I AM THE MOTHERFUCKING SHORE PATROL!!! GIVE THIS MAN A BEER!!! - @Saturday, April 25, 2015 12:09 AM

Mr. Ben

I just discovered this movie via OnDemand and what a great flick, absolutely awesome. - @Friday, July 25, 2014 4:16 AM

Mark Richmond

Spent 4 years in the USN that time period. Wouldn't trade the experience for much. JN nailed it. Oh I could tell the stories. Bottom line is life made a lot more sense back then. - @Thursday, May 29, 2014 4:24 AM

MrGabeanator

ok then - @Wednesday, October 23, 2013 1:22 AM

jennifersman

Maybe so, but he's been in the business a LONG time! He's entitled to sit back and enjoy life, do a movie when he feels like it. He can still be a naughty boy though, check out the time he crashed a TV interview with Jennifer Lawrence just after she won the Oscar, he's still got it! - @Tuesday, October 22, 2013 7:13 PM

jennifersman

It is, one of Nicholson's most underrated flms, well worth looking for - @Tuesday, October 22, 2013 7:07 PM

MrGabeanator

THIS LOOKS GOOD - @Tuesday, September 10, 2013 4:21 AM

Craig Maltby

"Welcome to the wonderful world of p***y, kid. The sink's yours." Epic script and one of the great movies. - @Monday, September 9, 2013 3:55 PM

mgwilliams1000

As a retired Master Chief Petty Officer who is authority on this, who was "tutored" by sailors like this...... one of the finest performances by him and Jack Nicolson. Be proud. Hell, he would have made a good, real sailor. - @Thursday, August 15, 2013 10:13 PM

Mohammed Rizvi

The Departed - About Schmidt - @Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:00 AM

Lil Hez Official

That's my great-uncle Otis e young, let his soul rest in peace. He died in la 2001 - @Sunday, April 28, 2013 8:46 PM

tomas tucker

good underrated movie nicolson in one of his best watched this for the 1st time last night i really did enjoy this movie otis young was very good as mule and credit to the underrated randy quaid as lawrence he should not do 8 years i feel for him cause he has had nothing but dissapoment in his life i thought they would have let him escape but they didn't overall i give this 9 out of 10 - @Thursday, April 25, 2013 11:18 AM

twangville

three AA nominations, all fails - deserved much better - @Saturday, March 16, 2013 9:06 AM

Bob .Grant

Rewatched this again and was blown away by Nicolson. - @Tuesday, February 26, 2013 6:04 PM

weirdshibainu

one of jacks best....imagine a character driven movie...no special effects, no car chases, no over the top gratuitous violence, no gloryifying substance abuse, no space aliens or supernatural beings...film making back then on its worse day is better then most of the crap put out today. too bad most people have never seen this movie...another excellent and seldom seem movie is hard times starring Charles Bronson - @Sunday, February 24, 2013 7:29 PM

seth nelson

i just made the connection, i always knew it from somewhere. that is shipwreck from the 1980s gi joe. just watch and think of shipwreck. - @Sunday, January 27, 2013 3:55 AM

Jonas M

The Departed - @Monday, January 14, 2013 12:45 AM

entwistle4ever

What was the last good movie Jack was in? All he cares about is Lakers games. Kinda like De Niro doing that Meet The Fockers nonsense. Slumming big time. - @Tuesday, January 8, 2013 8:31 PM

entwistle4ever

So good. Such a Nicholson showcase. Couldn't do a better job. They don't make 'em like this anymore. - @Tuesday, January 8, 2013 8:29 PM

id1337x

People got out of the "goddamn house" to see a world which sucks in comparison to what we have now becuase there was no information technology. - @Sunday, December 9, 2012 11:26 PM

SmokeyALCO

This is how it was back then in the Navy.It was good. - @Friday, November 30, 2012 5:07 AM

faffaflunkie

It took 38 years- But Randy Quaid finally made it into Canada. - @Friday, June 8, 2012 5:38 PM

WilliamGarland

Baby Randy Quaid. - @Saturday, February 25, 2012 2:06 AM

Rich Madison

One of the best movies of all time-- - @Friday, February 17, 2012 3:22 PM

Stella Taylor

I love this movie. I love Jack Nicholson. - @Thursday, September 29, 2011 5:10 PM

Cody Short

Another great film from Hal Ashby - one of his best, I think. Thanks for posting! - @Wednesday, August 17, 2011 3:05 AM

mgwilliams1000

The Navy I remember as a new seaman. The Music added so much. I'm retired now, after 30 years service... just not the same. Sailors really looked after another then. - @Tuesday, July 26, 2011 4:30 AM

mgwilliams1000

The Navy I remember as a new seaman. The Music added so much. - @Tuesday, July 26, 2011 4:29 AM

jckfmsincty

This is a great American movie from the 70's. Nicholson and his supporting actor, Randy Quaid, should have won Oscars,. - @Thursday, March 10, 2011 10:00 AM

jacfred

@DeeDonner Jack played this role so well, you just knew that he was in the real Navy and not acting. I should know I was a member. The only reason Jack didn't win the Oscar that year, the academe doesn't know a damn thing about the United States Navy or the whole armed forces for that matter! - @Monday, January 31, 2011 5:36 PM

unfortunatebeam

@goback3spaces lol oh ok so THATS my favourite Jack Nicholson movie my bad :D - @Saturday, October 23, 2010 1:42 PM