Coogan's Bluff (1968)

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Herman Miller (screenplay) &
Dean Riesner (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

2 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

Before "Dirty Harry"... there was Coogan.

Plot:

An Arizona deputy goes to New York City to escort a fugitive back into custody.

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Police | New York City | Escape | Gangster

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Coogan
Lee J. Cobb	...	Lt. McElroy
Susan Clark	...	Julie Roth
Tisha Sterling	...	Linny Raven
Don Stroud	...	James Ringerman
Betty Field	...	Ellen Ringerman
Tom Tully	...	Sheriff McCrea
Melodie Johnson	...	Millie
James Edwards	...	Sgt. Jackson
Rudy Diaz	...	Running Bear
David Doyle	...	Pushie (as David F. Doyle)
Louis Zorich	...	Taxi Driver
Meg Myles	...	Big Red
Marjorie Bennett	...	Mrs. Fowler
Seymour Cassel	...	Young Hood
John Coe	...	Bellboy
Skip Battyn	...	Omega
Albert Popwell	...	Wonderful Digby
Conrad Bain	...	Madison Avenue Man
James Gavin	...	Ferguson
Albert Henderson	...	Desk Sergeant
James McCallion	...	Room Clerk
Syl Lamont	...	Manager
Jess Osuna	...	Prison Hospital Guard
Jerry Summers	...	Good Eyes
Antonia Rey	...	Mrs. Amador
Marya Henriques	...	Go-Go Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Brandon	...	Hippie Boy (uncredited)
Eve Brent	...	Hooker (uncredited)
Linda Clifford	...	Hippie Girl (uncredited)
Constance Davis	...	Mother (uncredited)
James Dukas	...	Prison Hospital Doctor (uncredited)
Larry Duran	...	Zig Zag (uncredited)
Andy Epper	...	Pool Player (uncredited)
George Fargo	...	Gay Boy at Pigeon-Toed Orange Peel (uncredited)
Scott Hale	...	Dr. Scott (uncredited)
Ted Jacques	...	Detective (uncredited)
James Joyce	...	Man at Pigeon-Toed Orange Peel (uncredited)
Diki Lerner	...	Gay Boy at Pigeon-Toed Orange Peel (uncredited)
James McEachin	...	Man (uncredited)
Kathleen O'Malley	...	Woman (uncredited)
James Oliver	...	Hip Type (uncredited)
Robert Osterloh	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Allen Pinson	...	Whippy (uncredited)
Doug Reid	...	Prison Hospital Guard (uncredited)
Diana Rose	...	Psychedelic Paint Girl (uncredited)
Al Ruban	...	Detective (uncredited)
Don Siegel	...	Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
Kristoffer Tabori	...	Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
Colleen Thornton	...	Hippie Twin (uncredited)
Morreen Thornton	...	Hippie Twin (uncredited)
Clark Warren	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)

Directed by
Don Siegel		(as Donald Siegel)

Writing credits
Herman Miller		(screenplay) &
Dean Riesner		(screenplay) and
Howard Rodman		(screenplay)
Herman Miller		(story)

Produced by
Irving L. Leonard	....	associate producer (as Irving Leonard)
Richard E. Lyons	....	executive producer
Don Siegel	....	producer (as Donald Siegel)

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Bud Thackery		(director of photography)
Robert Surtees		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Sam E. Waxman

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen
Robert MacKichan		(as Robert C. MacKichan)

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin		(set decorations) (as John Austin)
John McCarthy Jr.		(set decorations) (as John McCarthy)

Costume Design by
Helen Colvig

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bob Larson	....	unit production manager (as Robert E. Larson)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph C. Cavalier	....	assistant director (as Joe Cavalier)
Ted Swanson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jack Bolger	....	sound
Lyle Cain	....	sound
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound

Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunt coordinator
Larry Duran	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dave Ekins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Andy Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
James W. Gavin	....	aerial stunts (uncredited)
Clyde Howdy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Allen Pinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Barth	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Bruce Surtees	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Stanley Wilson	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Scott Hale	....	dialogue coach
Dominic Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Ruth Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents) (as Universal) (as A Universal-Malpaso Company Picture also)
• Malpaso Company, The (as A Universal-Malpaso Company Picture)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1968) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Universal Picture)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1968) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1968) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1987) (Greece) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1970) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (200?) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2002) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes (uncredited)
• Cinematique  cosmetics by
• Office of the Mayor and the City of New York, The  we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: in the production of this motion picture (as the office of the Mayor and the City of New York)
• Universal Title  titles

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (1993) | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1994) (2002) | USA:R (re-rating) (1968) | Iceland:16 | Spain:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | West Germany:16 (re-rated) (DVD) | West Germany:18 (f) | USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #21736) (Suggested for Mature Audiences) | Netherlands:16 | UK:15 (tv rating) | UK:X (original rating) (passed with cuts)

Filming Locations:

Sedona, Arizona, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Coogan's Bluff in New York City is the name of a large cliff extending northward from 155th Street in Manhattan. It once was the site of the fabled Polo Grounds, home of the New York baseball Giants, and the first home of the New York Mets before the Polo Grounds were demolished in 1964.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Lampposts: The movie is set in New York yet shows side street lighting usually found in San Francisco. By 1967, half of New York had replaced street lighting with new aluminum poles, and those that had not been replaced would have seen the more common 'bishops crook' masts or 'long arm' poles.

Quotes:

Mrs. Ellen Ringerman:[to Coogan, who's looking for her son] I don't usually make no deals with cops.
Coogan:Be smart if you did...
Mrs. Ellen Ringerman:Smart? Smartness is one thing, motherhood's another

Movie Connections:

Features Tarantula (1955)

Soundtrack:

Pigeon-Toed Orange Peel

Before "Dirty Harry"...

With less violence and the addition of a comical bent, "Coogan's Bluff" became the inspiration for the long running TV series "McCloud" starring Dennis Weaver. For director Don Siegal, it was, like the same year's "Madigan," another early examination of the maverick police officer that would reach its zenith with 1971's "Dirty Harry." For Eastwood, it's an interesting blend of the genre for which he was best known at the time--the western--and of the urban crime thrillers with which he would achieve superstardom. This one isn't as exciting as "Dirty Harry," and the fish out of water theme (ala "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town") helps to excuse some of the more unpleasant aspects of the character's law and order at any cost mentality, but "Coogan's Bluff" has an abundance of smart-a** humor to make it memorable. Eastwood is very effectively cast, and it is to his credit that he was willing to play such an unlikable and offensive SOB at this relatively early stage of his big-screen career. (Can you imagine Gregory Peck in this role?)