DIRTY HARRY
Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry Movies
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SPECIALS:
Clint Eastwood in The Man with No Name Trilogy
Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry Movies
IMAGES:
Clint Eastwood Posters, Prints, Photos, Framed, Mounted Images
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Dirty Harry (1971)
CAST
Detective Harry Callahan, Clint Eastwood; Bressler, Harry Guardino; Chi-co, Reni Santoni; Scorpio, Andy Robinson; Chief, John Larch; DeGeorgio, John Mitchum; Mrs. Russell, Mae Mercer; Norma, Lyn Edgington; bus driver, Ruth Kobart; Mr. Jaffe, Woodrow Parfey; Rothko, Josef Sommer; Bannerman, William Paterson; liquor-store proprietor, James Nolan; Sid Kleinman, Maurice S. Argent; Miss Willis, Jo De Winter; Sergeant Reineke, Craig G. Kelly; mayor, John Vernon.
CREDITS
Produced and directed by Don Siegel. Executive producer, Robert Daley. Screenplay by Harry Julian Fink and R. M. Fink and Dean Riesner. Story by Harry Julian Fink and R. M. Fink. Director of photography, Bruce Sur-tees. Art director, Dale Hennesy. Film editor, Carl Pingitore. Sound by William Randall. Music by Lalo Schifrin. Set Decorator, Robert DeVestel. Assistant Director, Robert Rubin. Panavision and Technicolor. Running time: 103 minutes. Released by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts.
When Don Siegel stumbled across a story about a right-wing detective in an age of peace protests and anti-police sentiment, the director thought it was tailor-made for Eastwood- Warner Bros, agreed, and the cameras started rolling. Dirty Harry was filmed on location (the only studio shot was the opening bank-robbery sequence) in San Francisco. The film came in on a relatively low budget and under schedule. For once, the locations did not prove to be a hassle, although Siegel did complain that they put enormous physical strain on him. One problem occurred when the crew prepared to shoot night sequences. Filming was limited to a few hours, owing to complaints from neighborhood residents that all the activity was keeping them awake.
Siegel was also concerned about Clint's insistence upon doing his own stunts, most notably his now-famous leap from a railroad trestle onto a speeding schoolbus. Eastwood maintained that there was no way a double could have done the scene as effectively, and he was right. The stunt worked marvelously well on screen.
Siegel first rejected the notion of casting Andy Robinson (son of Edward G. Robinson) as a psychotic killer. Robinson in real life is a gentle, peace-loving man with good looks and a charming personality. However, Siegel changed his conception of the villain and decided that it would be more effective and terrifying if the maniac proved to be just like the average man in the street. The choice was a wise one. Robinson's performance ranks with the most memorable of screen villains.
The filming of Dirty Harry was relatively low key, but its reception upon release certainly was not. It shortly became one of the most controversial films in recent memory, with one school of critics arguing that it condoned fascism and police power while others argued that it was about time the screen reflected a sympathetic look at a police officer's frustrations rather than always painting them as dishonest extortionists. Dirty Harry was not only a financial success, but it could better be termed a "phenomenal success." It quickly outgrossed any of Eastwood's previous films and jumped high on Variety's list of the top mon-eymaking films of all time. If the critics were divided, audiences weren't. They stood in line by the droves to see Eastwood as Dirty Harry-Tor once, Eastwood was playing a character with some substance. His role, originally offered to Frank Sinatra and John Wayne, proved to be one of the best of his career. Critics were mostly complimentary toward his acting, which, under Don SiegeTs superb direction, was letter perfect.
SYNOPSIS
When a sadistic, maniacal killer {Andy Robinson) stalks San Francisco, Detective Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is called in on the case by his superior, Lieutenant Bressler (Harry Guardino) and the mayor (John Vernon). The object of the killer's game is clear: He intends to hold the city in terror until a ransom of a hundred thousand dollars is paid. Bressler and the mayor decide that the safest way to pacify the killer, who identifies himself as Scorpio, is to meet his demand, a proposal that gets immediate flack from Callahan, a man of few words but violent actions.
Harry is reluctant to accept the assignment of a young partner named Chico (Reni Santoni), but the two eventually begin to respect each other. The killer announces that he has buried a fourteen-year-old girl alive and will let her die unless paid two hundred thousand dollars. Harry gets the assignment to deliver the money and is backed up by Chico, who remains hidden from the killer's view. Harry is run all over town by the killer's demands and eventually confronts him in a park late at night.
Scorpio immediately takes the money and, after announcing that he intends to let the girl die, hits Harry over the head and knocks him to the ground. As his vicious kicks rack Harry with pain, Chico dashes from the woods, only to be wounded by submachine-gun fire from Scorpio. In the confusion, however, Harry manages to jam a long switchblade into the killer's thigh, sending him limping through the woods in agonized panic.
Harry traces Scorpio to a closed football stadium and pursues him onto the field. He captures the killer and begins to torture him in order to find the whereabouts of the girl. Scorpio confesses where he has hidden her, and the girl is soon found-dead. Harry's troubles are only beginning, however. The DA severely criticizes him for torturing the suspect, and because his civil rights have been abused, Scorpio is released from police custody.
The killer quickly arranges for a muscleman to beat him mercilessly, then tells the news media that the beating was Harry's doing. This brings Harry more abuse from his own brass about being too brutal in his police methods.
Harry predicts that Scorpio will kill again. Like clockwork, the killer kidnaps a schoolbus at gunpoint and terrifies the children and driver. His demands this time include ransom money and a fueled plane for an escape.
Against orders, Harry takes off after the killer on his own. As the bus passes under a railroad trestle, Harry leaps onto the roof and plays a deadly cat-and-mouse game as Scorpio desperately tries to shoot him by firing into the roof. The bus goes out of control near a quarry plant, and Harry relentlessly pursues his prey through the winding passageways and conveyor belts of the plant.
When he can't escape Harry any longer, Scorpio grabs a young boy who is fishing by the bay and holds a gun to his head, demanding that Harry throw down his .44 Magnum. Harry coolly pretends to do so, but Don Siegel gives advice suddenly his gun hand springs upward and he fires, hitting Scorpio and in the opening sequence. seriously wounding him. Harry gives Scorpio a choice: He can surrender or gamble that Harry is out of ammunition and grab for a nearby pistol. Scorpio takes the gamble, but before he can fire, Harry's gun blasts him into the water, dead.
As the police cars begin to arrive, Harry stands on the dock and disgustedly throws his badge into the water.
REVIEWS
A bluntly violent, very well made suspense thriller. - Los Angeles Times
Dirty Harry is very effective at the level of a thriller. - Chicago Sun-Times
A fast-paced detective story. Eastwood is excellent. - New York Daily News
One of the year's ten best. - Time
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