Madigan

Interesting cop drama, a clear forerunner of DIRTY HARRY (with Harry's future colleague Guardino along for good measure); mix of lurid police action with the corrupt private lives of the police officers doesn't always work, but Widmark is a terrific bad-ass, Fonda brings estimable class to the police commissioner and Whitmore is also effective in support. Film nervously straddles 50s film-making with a soon-to-be 70s hip attitude which clashes awkwardly at times.

"This is some of the least glamorous filmmaking of its time." http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2015/03/episode-51-crime-dramas-of-don-siegel.html

Too much drama, too much lovey dovey crap

Viewed July 20, 2020.

Em honra do centenário de Richard Dougherty. O usualmente excelente Siegel não está no seu melhor aqui, dá para contar uns 15 filmes do diretor melhor do que esse, mas felizmente é apenas exceção à regra de grandes filmes. Box Versátil Cinema Policial Volume 4.

Starring Widmark and directed by Siegel this really plays like the missing link between the noirs before and the cop films to come. It is at it best when it focus on the realistic portrayal of Madigan searching for the crook. The part with Fonda are decent but less interesting, cause they are too disconnected from the A plot and his internal struggle doesn’t really come across. Although thematically important the movie loses momentum in the scenes with beautiful age inappropriate love interests.

Solid police drama from pre-Dirty Harry Don Siegel has Widmark and Guardino casually picking up a known perp for questioning as a favor to a neighboring precinct unaware of what they're really walking into. While this could have (and maybe should have) been a taut fast-paced thriller, instead Madigan takes a more wide-angle view of lives of the NYPD. A young Don Stroud as a reluctant stool pigeon with a funny accent is a hoot in this otherwise dour and grim tale.

Generally well done, and with some nice locations, although it doesn't stand out prominently in a crowd of similar movies. Widmark is pretty good here but Fonda, with the more complex character, plays it a bit too one-dimensional in my view.