Serpico (1973)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Peter Maas (book)
Waldo Salt (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 December 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Many of his fellow officers considered him the most dangerous man alive - An honest cop.

Plot:

The true story about an honest New York cop who blew the whistle on rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.

Plot Keywords:

Money | Corruption | Police | Drugs | Knapp Commission

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Frank Serpico
John Randolph	...	Chief Sidney Green
Jack Kehoe	...	Tom Keough
Biff McGuire	...	Captain McClain
Barbara Eda-Young	...	Laurie
Cornelia Sharpe	...	Leslie Lane
Tony Roberts	...	Bob Blair
John Medici	...	Pasquale
Allan Rich	...	D.A. Tauber
Norman Ornellas	...	Don Rubello
Edward Grover	...	Lombardo (as Ed Grover)
Albert Henderson	...	Peluce (as Al Henderson)
Hank Garrett	...	Malone
Damien Leake	...	Joey
Joseph Bova	...	Potts (as Joe Bova)
Gene Gross	...	Captain Tolkin
John Stewart	...	Waterman
Woodie King Jr.	...	Larry (as Woodie King)
James Tolkan	...	Steiger (as James Tolkin)
Ed Crowley	...	Barto
Bernard Barrow	...	Insp. Roy Palmer
Sal Carollo	...	Mr. Serpico
Mildred Clinton	...	Mrs. Serpico
Nathan George	...	Lt. Nate Smith
Gus Fleming	...	Dr. Metz
Richard Foronjy	...	Rudy Corsaro
Alan North	...	Brown
Lewis J. Stadlen	...	Jerry Berman
John McQuade	...	Kellogg
Ted Beniades	...	Al Sarno
John Lehne	...	Gilbert
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Gallagher
George Ede	...	Daley
Charles White	...	Commissioner Delaney
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
F. Murray Abraham	...	Detective Partner (uncredited)
Don Billett	...	Detective Threatening Serpico (uncredited)
Raleigh Bond	...	(uncredited)
John Brandon	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
James Bulleit	...	Det. Styles (uncredited)
Roy Cheverie	...	Cop (uncredited)
Sam Coppola	...	Cop (uncredited)
Marjorie Eliot	...	Rape Victim (uncredited)
René Enríquez	...	Cervantes Teacher (uncredited)
Conard Fowkes	...	Cop - Narcotics Raid (uncredited)
Frank Gio	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Trent Gough	...	Cop (uncredited)
Paul E. Guskin	...	Police Academy Classmate (uncredited)
Judd Hirsch	...	Cop (uncredited)
Bianca Hunter	...	(uncredited)
Richard Kuss	...	Detective (uncredited)
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Cop (uncredited)
George Loros	...	Det. Glover (uncredited)
Kenneth McMillan	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Stephen Pearlman	...	Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Tim Pelt	...	Black Hood (uncredited)
William Pelt	...	Black Hood (uncredited)
Jay Rasumny	...	Television Cameraman (uncredited)
Franklin Scott	...	Black Prisoner (uncredited)
Tom Signorelli	...	Bookmaker (uncredited)
Ben Slack	...	Detective Sitting at Desk (uncredited)
Jaime Sánchez	...	Cop (uncredited)
Tracey Walter	...	Street Urchin (uncredited)
Mary Louise Weller	...	Sally - Girl at Party (uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney Lumet

Writing credits
Peter Maas		(book)
Waldo Salt		(screenplay) and
Norman Wexler		(screenplay)

Produced by
Martin Bregman	....	producer
Dino De Laurentiis	....	executive producer
Roger M. Rothstein	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Mikis Theodorakis

Cinematography by
Arthur J. Ornitz		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Dede Allen		(film editor)
Richard Marks		(co-editor)

Casting by
Shirley Rich

Production Design by
Charles Bailey

Art Direction by
Douglas Higgins

Set Decoration by
Thomas H. Wright

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Philip Leto	....	hair stylist (as Phillip Leto)
Reginald Tackley	....	makeup artist (as Redge Tackley)
Michael R. Thomas	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Martin Danzig	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Burtt Harris	....	assistant director
Alan Hopkins	....	assistant director

Art Department
Leslie Bloom	....	set dresser (as Les Bloom)
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	property master (as Joe Caracciola)
Jack Hughes	....	scenic artist
Robert Hart	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Edward Beyer	....	sound editor
Richard P. Cirincione	....	sound editor
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor (as John J. Fitzstephens)
Robert M. Reitano	....	sound editor (as Robert Reitano)
Robert Rogow	....	boom operator
James Sabat	....	sound mixer (as James J. Sabat)
Dick Vorisek	....	re-recordist (as Richard Vorisek)
Maurice Schell	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	foley editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Frank Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Barlia	....	camera operator (as Louis Barlia)
Charles Kolb	....	key grip
Willie Meyerhoff	....	gaffer (as Willy Meyerhoff)
Joseph Di Pasquale	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Jim Hovey	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Michael Chinich	....	extras casting (uncredited)
Don Phillips	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Clifford Capone	....	wardrobe (as Clifford C. Capone)

Editorial Department
Ronald Roose	....	assistant editor
Angelo Corrao	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Bob James	....	conductor
Bob James	....	music arranger

Transportation Department
Raymond Hartwick	....	transportation gaffer

Other crew
B.J. Bjorkman	....	script supervisor (as B.J. Bachman)
Shari Leibowitz	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Artists Entertainment Complex
• Produzioni De Laurentiis International Manufacturing Company (for)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corp. (1974) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1974) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Cinema Internazional Corporation (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1974) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1974) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (Australia) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• StudioCanal (2010) (France) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Videosonic Arts (1986) (Greece) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Talent Services Associates Inc.  extra casting
• Cinemobile System  locations by
• Solters, Sabinson, Roskin  production publicity

Also Known As:

Runtime:

130 min | Spain:113 min

Country:

USA | Italy

Language:

English | Italian | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:12 (re-rating) (2006) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Brazil:12 | Peru:18

Filming Locations:

5-7 Minetta Street, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Artists Entertainment Complex

Trivia:

After he decided to make the film, Al Pacino invited Frank Serpico to stay with him at a house that Pacino had rented in Montauk, New York. When Pacino asked Serpico, "Why did you do it?" Serpico replied, "Well, Al, I don't know. I guess I would have to say it would be because... if I didn't, who would I be when I listened to a piece of music?"

Goofs:

Continuity: In the opening sequence of the movie that shows Serpico having been shot, it is raining heavily while he is being rushed to the hospital in the police cruiser. Towards the end of the movie where this sequence of events picks up again, it is not raining.

Quotes:

Tom Keough:Frank, let's face it, who can trust a cop that won't take money?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Soundtrack:

E Lucevan le Stelle

The first real power-house performance by Pacino, thirty years down the line still one of his finest

Sidney Lumet proved himself to be a highly competent and effective director/storyteller for the true story of New York Officer Frank Serpico, who became famous after appearing to testify before the NAPA Commission about payoffs and corruption in the Police Department. At the time, it was unheard of, and it gained Peter Maars attention to write the book, which thus got transferred to the screen as so. But what makes Serpico such a riveting and eye catching picture today are the little things about it, little details in specific scenes and locations that help ring Serpico's emotions far more than true- it's just there. Even more amazing on the part of the actual filming of the movie is that it was at the time filmed backwards (started with the beard, then the mustache, then clean-shaven).

Al Pacino, right off of the first part of the Godfather trilogy, took this role with all the fire and compassion that he had in him. He sees in Serpico not just an honest cop wanting some balance and honor in his work, yet also a man, who can get as joyful and humorous as he can act subtle, furious, and thoughtful. This will always remain one of his stand-out roles after all the Scarfaces and Scent of a Woman pictures he can do because he, as well as Lumet, know how to approach such a saga. Plenty of great, compelling set pieces, and even sweet ones (like when he first buys the sheepdog as a puppy). A+