Prince of the City Poster
MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Down 6,561 this week

Prince of the City (1981)

R  167 min  -  Drama | Thriller   -  21 August 1981 (USA)
7.6
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 7.6/10 from 2,732 users  
Reviews: 46 user | 21 critic

A New York City narcotics detective reluctantly agrees to cooperate with a special commission investigating police corruption. However, he soon discovers that he's in over his head, and nobody can be trusted.

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Robert Daley (book), Jay Presson Allen (screenplay), and 1 more credit »
 Loading Watchlist 

Watch now

Buy it from Amazon »
See IMDb's coverage of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival

Related Lists

image of title
a list of 2,170 titles by Dr-Faustus created 8 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 682 titles by KMairowitz created 8 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 247 titles by Dr-Faustus created 8 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 105 titles by christopherwadecollins created 5 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 2,574 titles by hhouwen created 6 days ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Download the free IMDb App
Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations See more awards »
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Treat Williams ...
Daniel Ciello
Jerry Orbach ...
Gus Levy
Richard Foronjy Richard Foronjy ...
Joe Marinaro
Don Billett Don Billett ...
Bill Mayo
Kenny Marino Kenny Marino ...
Dom Bando
Carmine Caridi Carmine Caridi ...
Gino Mascone
Tony Page Tony Page ...
Raf Alvarez
Norman Parker Norman Parker ...
Rick Cappalino
Paul Roebling Paul Roebling ...
Brooks Paige
Bob Balaban ...
Santimassino
James Tolkan ...
District Attorney Polito
Steve Inwood Steve Inwood ...
Mario Vincente
Lindsay Crouse ...
Carla Ciello
Matthew Laurance Matthew Laurance ...
Ronnie Ciello
Tony Turco Tony Turco ...
Socks Ciello
Edit

Storyline

New York City cop Daniel Ciello is involved in some questionable police practices. He is approached by internal affairs and in exchange for him potentially being let off the hook, he is instructed to begin to expose the inner workings of police corruption. Danny agrees as long as he does not have to turn in his partners but he soon learns that he cannot trust anyone and he must decide whose side he is on and who is on his. Written by Josh Pasnak <chainsaw@intouch.bc.ca>  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Police | Corruption | New York City | Mink Coat | Racial Slur  | See more »

Taglines:

A cop is turning. Nobody's safe.

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

O Príncipe da Cidade See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$8,600,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$64,713 (USA) (23 August 1981) (3 Screens)

Gross:

$8,124,257 (USA)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Daniel Ciello is based on real-life NYPD Narcotics Detective Robert Leuci. Leuci's testimony helped indict 52 corrupt detectives. After he quit the job, Leuci turned novelist and wrote the gritty police dramas "Snitch", "Odessa Beach" and "Captain Butterfly". See more »

Goofs

Continuity: Near the start of the film when Dan is pushing his brother Ronnie around, there's a large crack on the wall (probably from a previous shot). After he pushes Ronnie near the wall, another large crack appears but Ronnie is never shown hitting the wall. See more »

Quotes

Raf Alvarez: I don't know why you people don't understand the system. You want a conviction, but you've got these stupid search and seizure laws. And wiretaps. Case one never got made without an illegal wiretap. And you're never gonna get a conviction if a cop don't commit perjury...
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) See more »

Soundtracks

"Love Will Keep Us Together"
Performed by Captain & Tenille See more »