I love this movie every time I see it. Just watching it the other day, gave me cause to watch it again. You breeze through this 93 minute movie, where I really didn't want it to end. Partners, I get the distinct impression, was a very overlooked comedy. Yes it's funny, very much situation wise, but too it has a good backdrop of story, involving a couple of gay murders, which sets off a few new ones too. The plot here was what really impressed me. Homophobic cop, Benson (Ryan O Neal (barely adequate) and gay desk cop, Kerwin (Hurt, fantastic as always) are forced to go undercover as a gay couple, moving into Homoville, where they start to rock some people's boats, and jangle their chains in order to flush out and bait the killer, much the same way Cruisin' was done, where that was just a solo job. One criticism, I did find with the story, well two criticisms. I'll get Hurt's character's one out the way, first. Kerwin has been trying the hide the fact that he is gay, O'Neal's chief (Macmillan) is surprised he's caught on to this fact. It's patent as a black eye. The other criticism is to do with Hurt and O Neal's undercover snooping antics, like having in depth conversations about the murders with gay suburbia folk, and having them not catch on, or not be suspicious of their tones, or q and a methods, was a worry. But put that aside, you guaranteed a laugh night's in. The casting of Hurt and O'Neal, is somewhat bloody fascinating, when you think about, and they bounce well off each other, having to put up with each other's annoying habits, although O Neal doesn't complain about Hurt's cooking. Near the finale, Hurt trying to keep a grip on his tinker toy, while covering O Neal, who's set upon by the killer, is the film's memorably comic high. Jill's a knockout beauty too. Jennifer Ashley is tasty too, as a sexy secretary, down at police headquarters.

Here's a gay-themed action-comedy that even the gay community has thankfully forgotten, an appalling, tangled mess involving two male Los Angeles police detectives (one straight, one gay) posing as lovers in order to track down a killer of homosexuals. You have to commend Ryan O'Neal, he gives this one-joke affair his best shot; but poor John Hurt (the most sullen gay character ever!) sluggishly performs as if against his will. The plot is promising--it might've been a sharp satire of "Cruising" had the handling been a bit more nimble. But "Partners" has the patched-together feel of too many different hands, and the laziness of the writing and directing sinks the idea almost completely. Sniggering jokes, embarrassing and half-hearted sentiment, and a plea for the understanding of the gay minority turns this tale into one swishy stew. *1/2 from ****

Done with a much lighter touch than Cruising, Partners operates on the same plot premise with the police looking for a serial killer of gay men. Only it's two undercovers that are sent in by the chief played by Kenneth McMillan. One is Detective Sergeant Ryan O'Neal from LAPD homicide. The other is an officer down in records played by John Hurt.

I recently wrote an article about a man I knew back in the 80s who had been a McCarthyite victim because he was gay and fit all the stereotypes. Hurt's character is the same, he operates quietly and unobtrusively no doubt seething inside over the stupid homophobic comments made in front of him. When McMillan picks him for the assignment he feigns surprise.

So the two go undercover in a gay area as a couple and start to mix and mingle. It's actually O'Neal who discovers there's a serial killer that the regular homicide cops missed. That's because he is a cop first and foremost as hard as he is trying to overcome his preconceived notions about gays.

O'Neal and Hurt are fine in the leads. O'Neal looks every bit the hunk he plays. Hurt has the more difficult role and carries it off beautifully.

I was very moved by the other reviewer who identified himself as coming from Bible Belt America and how he saw Partners much differently than LGBT people from the coasts. Sometimes the stereotypes might have been over the top in this and other films, but they validated his existence. I can truly relate to that because in the 60s when I was growing up I had even fewer entertainment role models than he probably had.

Some of the gags misfire and some of the stereotypes are over the top. But Partners is a film with some real relevancy.