The Black Marble (1980)

A romantic comedy which explores the pressures on police officers.

Director:

Harold Becker

Writers:

Joseph Wambaugh (novel), Joseph Wambaugh (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert Foxworth, Paula Prentiss, Harry Dean Stanton

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Foxworth	...	Sgt. A.M. Valnikov
Paula Prentiss	...	Sgt. Natalie Zimmerman
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Philo Skinner
Barbara Babcock	...	Madeline Whitfield
John Hancock	...	Clarence Cromwell
Raleigh Bond	...	Captain 'Hipless' Hooker
Judy Landers	...	Pattie Mae
Pat Corley	...	Itchy Mitch
Paul Henry Itkin	...	Det. Bullets Bambarella
Richard Dix	...	Alex Valnikov
Jorge Cervera Jr.	...	Dr. Rivera
Marilyn Chris	...	Mavis Skinner
Doris Belack	...	Harried Woman
Dallas Alinder	...	Chester Biggs
Elizabeth Farley	...	Receptionist

Storyline

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.

---

Plot Keywords:

vodka | color in title | cop romance | dog show | alcoholic cop | 

---

Taglines:

JOSEPH WAMBAUGH'S DONE IT AGAIN. But he has never done it like this.

---

Genres:

Crime | Romance | Comedy | Drama

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 March 1981 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Alle bliver sorteper

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Black Marble Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was financed by director Harold Becker, screenwriter Joseph Wambaugh, and many of Wambaugh's friends, which allowed them to have total creative control.

---

Connections

Featured in Sneak Previews: Going to the Movies: Revisited (1981)

User Reviews

Outstanding entertainment !

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.