I really tried to like this movie. In fact, I was excited to get it for a number of reasons: Robert Duvall, an Eddie Egan vehicle, and it being an early 1970's cop movie filmed in New York City. Many of the things I like. But I was sorely disappointed. I just don't follow the attraction to this film. In the wake of such Seventies superstar films like 'Dirty Harry', 'The French Connection', and 'Shaft' among others ('The Seven-Ups' is a great example of a lesser known film but equally as exciting), 'Badge 373' is a slow-moving, poorly acted, long, uninspiring, and less than memorable movie which surprisingly detours half-way through. Duvall is at best fair and Egan is painful in watching him deliver his robotic lines. Direction by Howard Koch is unimaginative and dark in many areas. A fairly exciting chase sequence involving a NYC transit bus along with a decent performance by Verna Bloom as Duvall's long suffering girlfriend, some noticeable non-PC slurs and a decent aerial view of lower Manhattan gives this movie its only credibility.
