Mitchell (1975)

User Rating:

2.2/10   

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writer:

Ian Kennedy Martin (written by)

Release Date:

10 September 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Action | Drama

Tagline:

Murder...Cops...and Corruption

Plot:

A detective goes after big-time drug dealers.

Plot Keywords:

Double Cross | Burglar | Exploding Car | Helicopter | Unintentional Humor

Cast

Joe Don Baker	...	Mitchell
Martin Balsam	...	James Arthur Cummings
John Saxon	...	Walter Deaney
Linda Evans	...	Greta
Merlin Olsen	...	Benton
Morgan Paull	...	Salvatore Mistretta
Harold J. Stone	...	Tony Gallano
Robert Phillips	...	Chief Albert Pallin
Buck Young	...	Det. Aldridge
Rayford Barnes	...	Det. Tyzack
Todd Bass	...	Child
Jerry Hardin	...	Desk Sergeant
Lillian McBride	...	Rich Lady (as Lilyan MacBride)
Rob Narke	...	Customs Officer (as Robin Narke)
Sidney Clute	...	Rudy Moran

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 (theatrical rating) (cut) (1984) | Norway:(Banned) (1976-1984) (cinema release) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | USA:R | Norway:16 (video) (1983)

Filming Locations:

Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Allied Artists Pictures

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Behind Mitchell as he is eating dinner.

Quotes:

Chief Pallin: People don't like you, Mitchell. I don't care for you much myself.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Code Name: Diamond Head (#7.8)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Mitchell

Bad film, worse fashion

Joe Don Baker's biggest mistake in his career was to not do those succeeding Walking Tall films. If the choice was for him to make films like Mitchell than he should have stuck with Buford Pusser.

Mitchell is a Dirty Harry like cop without Clint Eastwood's sense of style. Either in the way he takes down the bad guys or in his wardrobe. Baker wears some of the worst sports jackets I've ever seen on anyone in film. He really needed a visit from the Fab Five.

Mitchell is taken off a homicide that John Saxon committed because Saxon has too much juice in the department. He's put on surveillance of Martin Balsam and open surveillance at that. The object being to rattle drug kingpin Balsam who's having his own problems.

It gets dumber and dumberer after that as Mitchell combines the cases. And the ending is a total ripoff from Key Largo.

Joe Don Baker never did become the really big star that Walking Tall was to be the springboard for and films like Mitchell are the reason why.