Magnum Force (1973)

Dirty Harry is on the trail of vigilante cops who are not above going beyond the law to kill the city's undesirables.

Director:

Ted Post

Writers:

Harry Julian Fink (original material), Rita M. Fink (original material) (as R.M. Fink)

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Mitchell Ryan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Harry Calahan
Hal Holbrook	...	Lt. Briggs
Mitchell Ryan	...	McCoy
David Soul	...	Davis
Tim Matheson	...	Sweet
Kip Niven	...	Astrachan
Robert Urich	...	Grimes
Felton Perry	...	Early Smith
Maurice Argent	...	Nat Weinstein
Margaret Avery	...	Prostitute
Richard Devon	...	Ricca
Tony Giorgio	...	Palancio
Jack Kosslyn	...	Walter
Bob March	...	Estabrook
Bob McClurg	...	Cab Driver

Storyline

San Francisco Police Inspector 'Dirty' Harry Callahan and his new partner, Early Smith have been temporarily reassigned from Homicide to Stakeout Duty. Meanwhile, those of the city's criminals who manage to avoid punishment by the courts are nevertheless being killed by unknown assassins. Callahan begins to investigate the murders despite the orders of his superior officer, Lieutenant Briggs. A man has to know his limitations...

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Plot Keywords:

cult film | dirty harry | partner | murder | police | 

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Taglines:

Clint Eastwood is Dirty Harry in Magnum Force

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vigilance

Filming Locations:

1501 Leavenworth Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 2,295,452 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Malpaso Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

As with the first Dirty Harry (1971) movie, Clint Eastwood performs all his own stunts. His face is clearly visible in several stunt sequences which includes him clinging to the hood of Palancio's moving and swerving car, and the climactic motorcycle chase sequence.

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Goofs

When Harry walks up to the limousine in which Ricca and his men have been murdered, he puts his hands on the car's door sill and partially rolled-down window, contaminating an active crime scene which is still under investigation. No veteran homicide detective would do this.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Harry Callahan: [at end of main titles] This is a 44. Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and it could blow your head clean off. Do you feel lucky?
[fires at the audience]

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Crazy Credits

The credits are played over a hand (presumably Harry's) holding a 44 Magnum against a red background. As such, this is the only Dirty Harry movie in which the opening credits are not played over San Francisco scenery.

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Connections

Referenced in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)

User Reviews

Intriguing and lots of action Eastwood's second Dirty Harry outing

This time Harry Callahan(Eastwood) attempts to detain a vicious killers are murdering mobsters and criminals.The rock-hard inspector is accompanied by an African-American cop(Felton Perry) and they track down a suspects P.D.(Robert Urich,Tim Matheson, Mitchell Ryan).The killers band sees outlaws freed on legal technicalities and they take justice into their own hands.Harry aware a secret gang which administers justice extra-legally and take revenge. Harry is called on once again and wielding a Magnum 44 revolver, he returns his unorthodox means;taking on ominous avengers group that is threatening the city of San Francisco. Harry in trouble as habitual with his chiefs(Hal Holbrook) because his methods lead abuse the criminal's civil rights and a pile of death in clod blood along his wake.Harry pursues the revenge-obsessed murderers and encounters he has more in common with them than he expected.

Eastwood's second Dirty Harry entry is well written by John Milius and Michael Cimino; it packs tension,violence, action-filled and is really effective. Although less exciting than ¨Dirty Harry(1971,by Don Siegel with Reni Santoni, Andrew Robinson) but still interesting and plenty of vivid action and suspenseful. However this time ,doesn't feature Callahan's classic phrases, such as ¨Do you feel lucky¨ or ¨Go ahead , make me day¨, though he also says some original lines. Good use of locations by cameraman Frank Stanley and adequate musical score by usual Lalo Schifrin. Taut and expert direction by Ted Post and well produced by the usual, Robert Daley. Followed by ¨The enforcer'(1976, by James Fargo with Tyne Daly,Harry Guardino), ¨Sudden impact¨(1983, Eastwood with Sandra Locke)and ¨Dead pool¨(1988,by Buddy Van Horn with Lian Neeson, Jim Carrey). This formula thriller will like to Clint Eastwood fans and Harry Callahan series enthusiastic.