Buddy Buddy

Buddy Buddy

Year: 1981

Runtime: 96 mins

Language: English

Director: Billy Wilder

ComedyCrime

The iconic duo returns as the story unfolds. During a high‑profile Mafia testimony, a contract killer checks into a hotel across from the courthouse and discovers his next‑door neighbor—a depressed man struggling with marital problems and suicidal thoughts—living beside him. Their lives intersect, leading to an unlikely partnership.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Buddy Buddy yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – Buddy Buddy (1981)

Trace every key event in Buddy Buddy (1981) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Retirement plan and final assignment

Trabucco, a seasoned hitman, is determined to retire and schedules one final assignment. He methodically eliminates several mob witnesses to clear the path for his exit. The last target on his list is Rudy Gambola, setting the stage for the climactic hit.

2

Arriving at the Ramona Hotel

Trabucco checks into the Ramona Hotel in Riverside, across from the courthouse where Gambola is due to arrive. The hotel provides a vantage point for watching the impending hit. Tension escalates as the deadline draws near.

Ramona Hotel, Riverside
3

Victor Clooney moves in next door

Victor Clooney, an emotionally disturbed television censor, moves into the neighboring room. He calls his wife Celia and, after she rejects his attempts at reconciliation, he makes a desperate suicide attempt.

Ramona Hotel, Riverside
4

Trabucco agrees to accompany Victor

Fearing police attention from the courthouse, Trabucco decides to accompany Victor to quietly eliminate him. He hopes to avert any unwanted scrutiny that could jeopardize the final hit. The uneasy partnership begins to form under high-stakes pressure.

Ramona Hotel, Riverside
5

Trip to the Institute for Sexual Fulfillment

They drive to the Institute for Sexual Fulfillment, the clinic where Celia has enlisted the involvement of Dr. Hugo Zuckerbrot. The detour adds complexity to their fragile alliance and raises questions about Celia's loyalties. The visit foreshadows the tangled motives surrounding the trio.

Institute for Sexual Fulfillment
6

Celia rejects Victor again; return to the hotel

Celia spurns Victor once more, and they return to the Ramona Hotel. Victor then plans to jump off the building after lighting himself on fire, revealing the depth of his desperation. Trabucco becomes entangled in the drama that surrounds his last assignment.

Ramona Hotel, Riverside
7

Accidental knock-out and care attempt

While trying to stop Victor, Trabucco knocks himself out. Victor, showing a moment of mercy, brings him back inside and tries to take care of him. The fragile alliance continues to hinge on chance and mutual survival.

Ramona Hotel, Riverside
8

Zuckerbrot's plan and the sedative injection

Zuckerbrot and Celia devise a plan to have Victor confined in a mental institution. Zuckerbrot arrives at the hotel and, mistaking Trabucco for Victor, injects him with a potent sedative. The plan to control Victor spirals further out of control.

Ramona Hotel, Riverside
9

Gambola's arrival approaches; Trabucco is groggy

With Gambola's arrival imminent, Trabucco is too groggy to pull the trigger. The grogginess prevents the completion of the intended hit and alters the trajectory of the planned execution. The window for the job closes as events unfold unpredictably.

Riverside Courthouse vicinity
10

Victor volunteers to take out Gambola

Victor volunteers to shoot Gambola to help his supposed best friend complete the hit. He succeeds, and the two escape the police after Trabucco, posing as a priest, ensures Gambola's death. Despite the partnership, Trabucco declines Victor's company and walks away alone.

Courthouse area, Riverside
11

Months later on a tropical island

Months pass and Trabucco retreats to a tropical island, enjoying a hard-won sense of peace. His solitude is disrupted when Victor unexpectedly joins him, bringing the old danger back into his life. The old life continues to haunt his fragile retirement.

months later Tropical island retreat
12

Victor's trouble and Celia's fate

Victor explains that he is wanted by the police after blowing up Zuckerbrot's clinic. Celia has run off with Zuckerbrot's female receptionist, complicating Victor's already precarious situation. The island idyll is tarnished by their ongoing entanglements.

Tropical island retreat
13

Volcano revenge fantasy

Desperate to get rid of the irritating Victor, Trabucco suggests reviving the old custom of sacrificing humans in the local volcano. The notion reveals his growing moral numbness and willingness to embrace brutal rituals to end his burdens. The finale hints at a bleak, ritualistic option rather than a straightforward escape.

Local volcano

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:58

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Buddy Buddy Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Buddy Buddy

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