The Black Marble (1980)A romantic comedy which explores the pressures on police officers. Director:Harold Becker |
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The Black Marble (1980)A romantic comedy which explores the pressures on police officers. Director:Harold Becker |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Robert Foxworth | ... |
Sgt. A.M. Valnikov
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| Paula Prentiss | ... |
Sgt. Natalie Zimmerman
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| Harry Dean Stanton | ... |
Philo Skinner
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| Barbara Babcock | ... |
Madeline Whitfield
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John Hancock | ... |
Clarence Cromwell
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Raleigh Bond | ... |
Captain 'Hipless' Hooker
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| Judy Landers | ... |
Pattie Mae
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Pat Corley | ... |
Itchy Mitch
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Paul Henry Itkin | ... |
Det. Bullets Bambarella
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Richard Dix | ... |
Alex Valnikov
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Jorge Cervera Jr. | ... |
Dr. Rivera
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| Marilyn Chris | ... |
Mavis Skinner
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Doris Belack | ... |
Harried Woman
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Dallas Alinder | ... |
Chester Biggs
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Elizabeth Farley | ... |
Receptionist
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Pragmatic Sgt. Natalie Zimmermann is paired with Valnikov, a romantic detective of Russian origin who is going through a midlife crisis. They fall in love while solving the case of the kidnapping of a socialite's pet dog. Written by EST <cimas@sinfo.net>
I read the book (©1978) about two weeks ago, rated it 8/10, discovered there was a movie version (©1980), watched the movie last night while "Irene" was storming our neighborhood. The book was slow to start and a bit difficult to get into. But, once the author "set the hook", I couldn't stop reading. What a superb composition. But then comes the movie... Hollywood did an outstanding job moving the book to film. The last time I enjoyed a book/film combination as much as this was for "Get Shorty". Well done Wambaugh! Thanks much.
The character development within the film is excellent with plenty of concentration on the major & minor players... one reason the movie is as long as it is. Some may complain, but one can't really appreciate how well this development supports the overall thrust of the movie without reading the book or watching the movie a second time.