Dirty Harry (1971)

When a mad man calling himself 'the Scorpio Killer' menaces the city, tough as nails San Francisco Police Inspector Harry Callahan is assigned to track down and ferret out the crazed psychopath.

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Harry Julian Fink (screenplay), Rita M. Fink (screenplay) (as R.M. Fink)

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Andrew Robinson, Harry Guardino

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Harry
Harry Guardino	...	Bressler
Reni Santoni	...	Chico
John Vernon	...	The Mayor
Andrew Robinson	...	Killer (as Andy Robinson)
John Larch	...	Chief
John Mitchum	...	De Giorgio
Mae Mercer	...	Mrs. Russell
Lyn Edgington	...	Norma
Ruth Kobart	...	Bus Driver
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Mr. Jaffe
Josef Sommer	...	Rothko
William Paterson	...	Bannerman
James Nolan	...	Liquor Proprietor
Maurice Argent	...	Sid Kleinman (as Maurice S. Argent)

Storyline

In the year 1971, San Francisco faces the terror of a maniac known as Scorpio- who snipes at innocent victims and demands ransom through notes left at the scene of the crime. Inspector Harry Callahan (known as Dirty Harry by his peers through his reputation handling of homicidal cases) is assigned to the case along with his newest partner Inspector Chico Gonzalez to track down Scorpio and stop him. Using humiliation and cat and mouse type of games against Callahan, Scorpio is put to the test with the cop with a dirty attitude.

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Plot Keywords:

dirty harry | sniper | .44 magnum | smith and wesson model 29 | smith and wesson .44 magnum revolver | 

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Taglines:

Dirty Harry and the homicidal maniac. Harry's the one with the badge.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official DVD Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 December 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dead Right

Filming Locations:

Alamo Square, Hayes Valley, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Malpaso Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 99 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the opening scene, the camera pans over Market Street, and a bulldozer can be seen driving up Powell Street. This was due to the construction of the Powell Street BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station. Construction continued all through the film's shooting.

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Goofs

The Washington Square sniping scene takes place during the daytime, but the subsequent chase takes place at night.

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Quotes

The Mayor: Callahan... I don't want any more trouble like you had last year in the Fillmore district. You understand? That's my policy.
Harry Callahan: Yeah, well, when an adult male is chasing a female with intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard - that's my policy.
The Mayor: Intent? How'd you establish that?
Harry Callahan: When a naked man is chasing a woman through a dark alley with a butcher knife and a hard on, I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross.
[leaves]
The Mayor: I think he's got a point.

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Connections

Spoofed in Hollywood Shuffle (1987)

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Soundtracks

Row, Row, Row Your Boat
(uncredited)
Written by Traditional

User Reviews

One of the defining film of the 1970s

Released on Christmas Day 1971, "Dirty Harry" transformed Clint Eastwood from cult figure to superstar. Another maverick cop thriller, "The French Connection," was released a few months earlier, and it may have won the Oscars and garnered the critical acclaim, but "Dirty Harry" is the true classic of the two, and the most influential. Great action magnificently directed by Don Siegel, the master of the genre, great dialogue, and relentless tension make this the ultimate detective thriller and one of the defining films of the 1970s.