The Drowning Pool (1975)

A big-city private detective travels to the Deep South to help out an old girlfriend who is being blackmailed.

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg

Writers:

Tracy Keenan Wynn (screenplay), Lorenzo Semple Jr. (screenplay),

Stars:

Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Franciosa

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Newman	...	Harper
Joanne Woodward	...	Iris
Anthony Franciosa	...	Broussard (as Tony Franciosa)
Murray Hamilton	...	Kilbourne
Gail Strickland	...	Mavis
Melanie Griffith	...	Schuyler
Linda Haynes	...	Gretchen
Richard Jaeckel	...	Franks
Paul Koslo	...	Candy
Joe Canutt	...	Glo
Andrew Robinson	...	Pat Reavis (as Andy Robinson)
Coral Browne	...	Olivia
Richard Derr	...	James
Helena Kallianiotes	...	Elaine Reavis
Leigh French	...	Red Head

Storyline

Harper is brought to Louisiana bayou country to investigate an attempted blackmail scheme. He soon finds out that it involves an old flame of his and her hellion of a daughter. What is more, he finds himself caught in a power struggle between the matriarch of the family and a greedy oil baron, who wants her property. Poor Harper! Things are not as straight-forward as they initially appeared.

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Plot Keywords:

private detective | blackmail | detective | louisiana | oilman | 

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Taglines:

Harper days are here again...

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Genres:

Thriller | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

July 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Piscina Mortal

Filming Locations:

French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Artists, Coleytown, Turman-Foster Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the set, Joanne Woodward told the then seventeen-year-old Melanie Griffith, who was playing her daughter, that she had three goals in life: Marry a movie star (Paul Newman), have beautiful babies (she had three), and win an Oscar (which she did in 1958). Melanie said that she adopted those goals for herself by marrying a movie star (Antonio Banderas), having beautiful babies (she also has three), but expressed frustration that she hasn't won an Oscar, even though she was nominated in 1989.

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Goofs

When Harper comes up the last time, from trying to turn the water off in the hydrotherapy room, his head bumps one of the ceiling panels and it clearly moves, meaning their attempts at breaking the panel were bogus.

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Quotes

Lew Harper: What's Pat Reavis really like?
Schuyler Devereaux: He was fun. Mild psychopaths often are if you don't cross them.

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Connections

Edited into La classe américaine (1993)

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Soundtracks

"Killing Me Softly With His Song"
By Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox
Scored and conducted by Charles Fox

User Reviews

Excellent mid-seventies noir

Newman reprises his role as Lew Harper for the second and final time in the long-awaited sequel to 1966's HARPER, another twisting mystery; this time set in Louisiana. Unfortunately, THE DROWNING POOL was tepidly received by both critics and audiences, most of whom seemed to think the film paled in comparison to the original. I am one viewer who disagrees strongly with the general consensus in this case. Not only is THE DROWNING POOL a first-rate mystery thriller, but it is also one of the most sorely underrated films in Newman's filmography.

The film has a completely different look and feel than the previous film, which may have been the reason that so many critics and audiences unfairly rejected it. Gone is the sixties-era go-go mania, which has been replaced with the moody elements of modern film noir which perfectly suits the intricate story of murder and blackmail. The film may not have the starpower of the previous film, but it nonetheless offers solid work from Joanne Woodward, Anthony Franciosa, and a particularly affecting turn from Linda Haynes. Best of all is the then-18 year old Melanie Griffith, who owns her role as the scheming bit of jail bait, unsubtly lusting after Newman's Harper.

Yet nothing can even come close to upstaging Newman, who is as commanding here as anywhere else in his career. In many ways this is a transitional effort for Newman, paving the way from early brutish roles (1958's THE LONG HOT SUMMER, 1963's HUD) to his latter day, more cerebral heroes (1982's THE VERDICT, 1994' NOBODY'S FOOL). Also, even at age 50, the man has rarely been sexier. To top things off, we also have one of the greatest, most original escape scenes in movie history

• although I'm not giving it away; you'll have to check out this

underrated thriller and see for yourself.