Take a moment and read that poster: ”this movie is so real it makes every other movie in this town look like a movie.”
That’s a unique sales pitch, but it came at a time when “Dirty Harry” and other gritty early 70’s action thrillers were pushing the envelope for realism.
My journey through the world of 70’s cinema heads to San Francisco, where Walter Matthau excelled once again in this gritty crime thriller:
The Laughing Policeman.
This 1973 police action film starred Matthau, who took a detour from comedy classics like “The Odd Couple” to play a weary San Francisco Detective trying to solve a massacre on a city bus.
Here is the trailer:
By 1973, the world was a dirty, crime-ridden place, and in San Francisco, Detective Walter Matthau has to find the maniac who boarded a city bus late one night and opened fire on the passengers.
In keeping with the world-weary feel of the movie, Walter Matthau is terrific as a cop who’s seen too much…and he is finding it hard to make sense of a world gone wild…
Matthau isn’t helped by his partner, the very caustic Bruce Dern, who has a way of inflaming every situation he’s in.
This is an America that has seen the death in Vietnam, the massacre at Kent State, and a world where cops like “Dirty Harry” were the enemy, not a friend. It’s an America where the citizens hated the cops – almost as much as the cops hated them.
Iconic Dialogue!
The script is tight, gritty and in your face. Here’s a great line of dialogue: fellow Detective Bruce Dern explaining how good his lawyer is:
“He could get a sodomy charge reduced to ‘following too close.’”
More Great Bruce Dern Lines!
As I said, Dern has a field day with one-liners like this:
[to the pimp he has just pushed to the floor]
“What ever you are reaching for better be a sandwich coz you’re gonna have to eat it!”
Bruce Dern is great in the film, as is Lou Gossett Jr. And of course, it is anchored by Walter Matthau. This is a very effective, grimly determined Matthau, a much better Actor than he was given credit for…and an action star to boot!
The early 70’s were filled with gritty crime thrillers that showed just how violent the street of America were at the time…and Matthau starred in one of the best crime thrillers of that era!
This is a great 70’s poster, and the film is phenomenal: starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw and a great chest of character – check out this film here:
Of course, the mean streets of America were nothing new to movie audiences at the time, especially when they were introduced to this cop:
This is another brilliant film from that time – and not only that, it was only one of THREE films that Clint Eastwood made that year!
Click here to see the other two, which are also terrific!
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Categories: 70's Cinema, Action Films, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Movies, New York, Pop Culture, Revenge Movies, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
I’ll have to watch it.
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I not only haven’t seen it, I have never heard of it! One for me to try to track down.
Thanks, John.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, it’s a real gritty 70’s gem and Matthau is great as usual…hopefully you will come across it one day and try it out!
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No, never had. Strange because I always liked both stars.
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It’s a lesser known film but it is out there to find…gritty and good
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I can’t believe I have never seen this and I intend to take care of that asap )
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