Number One with a Bullet (1987)

Director:

Jack Smight

Writers:

Gail Morgan Hickman (story)
Gail Morgan Hickman (writer) ...

Release Date:

February 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Crime

Plot:

A pair of detectives is assigned to investigate a murder, and discover a trail of corruption and criminal activity that leads right back to their own police department.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Corruption | Murder | Detective | City

Cast

Robert Carradine	...	Det. Barzak
Billy Dee Williams	...	Det. Hazeltine
Valerie Bertinelli	...	Teresa Barzak
Peter Graves	...	Capt. Ferris
Doris Roberts	...	Mrs. Barzak
Bobby Di Cicco	...	Malcolm
Ray Girardin	...	Lt. Kaminski
Barry Sattels	...	DeCosta
Mykelti Williamson	...	Casey (as Mykel T. Williamson)
Jon Gries	...	Bobby Sweet (as Jonathan Gries)
Richard Minchenberg	...	Lepidus
Michael Goodwin	...	Pogue
LaGena Hart	...	Blonde
Alex Rebar	...	Boudreau
Artie Ripp	...	Rotweiler

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Golan-Globus Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When Nick and Frank pull up to ATC, the red Corvette is parked diagonally beside the blue car. But when Frank gets out, it's parked straight.

Quotes:

Det. Barzak: You're new around here. What's your name?
Malcolm: Malcolm.
Det. Barzak: Malcolm?
Malcolm: Yeah. What are you - welcome wagon?
Det. Barzak: Yeah. I've seen you oozing around the street. What is your scam?
Malcolm: Who me? Uh, I sell Amway products. Ha ha...
Det. Barzak: Yeah, ha ha. I catch you dealing any soap flakes in this neighborhood, I will cripple you.
Malcolm: I ain't afraid of no jive-ass cop, man. I KNOW my rights.
[turns to leave]
Det. Barzak: [puts him in a painful wrist lock] Malcolm: I am NOT your normal jive-ass cop, all right? And around here, you GOT no rights!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Kidnapped: Number One with a Bullet (#1.4)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Canyon Blues

"NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET"... more bang for the buck.

Here we have an enjoyable buddy cop film, fresh from the buddy cop hey-day of the mid '80's. Robert Carradine plays Nick Berzak (dubbed "Berzerk" by the perps who know him best), a rough and tough cop who always seems to be down on his luck. His partner, Hazeltine (played by the original "Ladies Man", Billy Dee Williams), is the one who keeps him in line. A perfect combination of good cop, bad cop.

They're hot on the trail, with their gut instinct that the local mayor, DeCosta, is behind some elaborate drug smuggling connection. Naturally, no one else on the police force believes either one of them, and it becomes clear throughout that there is a "rat" among them, who may be in on the scheme.

Like I said, I found this enjoyable. It's merely a "paint-by-numbers" action film, that is salvaged by the likeable charms of Carradine and Williams, with a good supporting cast headed by Peter Graves and Valerie Bertinelli. If you are a fan of the Cannon Group and their "canon" of '80's action flicks, you should enjoy this.

Story by Gail Morgan Hickman, who also wrote the Cannon/Charles Bronson films, "MURPHY'S LAW" and "DEATH WISH 4: THE CRACKDOWN". The script recieved a polish by James Belushi, to whom this film was initially intended as a starring vehicle.

* For added fun, one could develop a drinking game based on every time Carradine spouts the name "DeCosta".