Magnum Force (1973)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Ted Post

Writers:

Harry Julian Fink (characters) and
Rita M. Fink (characters) ...

Release Date:

25 December 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Clint Eastwood is Dirty Harry in Magnum Force

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Police | Homicide | Pimp | Stakeout

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
Hal Holbrook	...	Lt. Neil Briggs
Mitch Ryan	...	Officer Charlie McCoy (as Mitchell Ryan)
David Soul	...	Officer John Davis
Tim Matheson	...	Officer Phil Sweet
Kip Niven	...	Officer Red Astrachan
Robert Urich	...	Officer Mike Grimes
Felton Perry	...	Insp. Early Smith
Maurice Argent	...	Nat Weinstein
Margaret Avery	...	Prostitute
Richard Devon	...	Carmine Ricca
Tony Giorgio	...	Frank Palancio
Jack Kosslyn	...	Walter
Bob March	...	Estabrook
Bob McClurg	...	Cab Driver

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:X (1973) (cut) | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (1974) (cut) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:16 | Peru:18 | Finland:K-15 (2008) (uncut) (video rating) | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Australia:R | Canada:18A | France:-12 | Italy:VM18 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 (cut) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

18th St. Overpass, Potrero Hill, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

The two escort carriers were ex Rabaul (which was acquired by the navy after WWII but never commissioned and never saw service of any kind) and ex USS Badoeng Strait. (which was completed too late to serve in WWII but saw action in the Pacific - including combat in the Korean War) Both were scrapped in late 1972 in Beverly Hills CA

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the "try knocking on the door" dialogue, a trolley can be seen passing by on the street outside. One of the trolley patrons waves directly at the camera, obviously aware that a film was being shot.

Quotes:

Harry Callahan: Well, I just work for the city, Briggs!
Lieutenant Briggs: So do I, longer than you, and I never had to take my gun out of its holster once. I'm proud of that.
Harry Callahan: Well, you're a good man, lieutenant. A good man always knows his limitations...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Dead Zone: The Hunt (#2.16)" (2003)

Vigilantes and 'Dirty Harry'

The first sequel to "Dirty Harry," is an involving story that grabs you right from the start and keeps you interested for the full two hours.

In this one, "Harry" (Clint Eastwood) goes up against cops-turned-vigilantes. It's interesting to see two of those young policemen who went on to stardom on TV: David Soul and Robert Urich. However, I don't recall Urich uttering one line! Hal Holbrook, meanwhile, was convincing as the bad guy-lieutenant.

The climactic scene was a little hokey: all kinds of car chases and shootouts in the streets but no one else around! Where was everyone? Have you ever noticed how many times that happens in movies. All kinds of strange and loud things happen on the road but at that particular time - even in the middle of the day - no one else is on the road. Oh well. All these 'Dirty Harry' movies are entertaining nonetheless.