The New Centurions (1972)

An idealistic rookie cop joins the L.A.P.D. to make ends meet while finishing law school, and is indoctrinated by a seasoned veteran. As time goes on, he loses his ambitions and family as police work becomes his entire life.

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Stirling Silliphant (screenplay), Joseph Wambaugh (novel)

Stars:

George C. Scott, Stacy Keach, Jane Alexander

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George C. Scott	...	Kilvinski
Stacy Keach	...	Roy
Jane Alexander	...	Dorothy
Scott Wilson	...	Gus
Rosalind Cash	...	Lorrie
Erik Estrada	...	Sergio
Clifton James	...	Whitey
Richard E. Kalk	...	Milton (as Richard Kalk)
James Sikking	...	Sgt. Anders
Beverly Hope Atkinson	...	Alice
Mittie Lawrence	...	Gloria
Isabel Sanford	...	Wilma
Carol Speed	...	Martha
Tracee Lyles	...	Helen
Burke Byrnes	...	Phillips

Storyline

A group of new police recruits takes to patrolling the streets of Los Angeles. Roy Fehler is a law student with a family and has joined the LAPD until he can complete his degree. He's partnered with veteran patrolman Kilvinski and they soon develop a good rapport. On the street the policemen are exposed to the seedier side of life but Kilvinski is a fair cop and a good teacher. Over time however, Fehler comes to love the work and both his family and his studies fall by the wayside. Kilvinsky retires and Fehler loses his way, drinking heavily. Fehler's wife leaves him and he soon hits bottom. Just as he begins to get his life in order, fate intervenes.

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Plot Keywords:

squad car | call box | police call box | police officer killed | police officer shot | 

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Taglines:

The nationwide bestseller about cops - by a cop!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title of the novel and the film referred to officers in the army of ancient Rome. The name dates from the Marian reforms of 107 B.C. The "new" aspect refers to the fact that these centurions (i.e., police officers) are the modern-day equivalents of centurions who battle in an urban jungle, as distinct from the world of ancient times.

In actuality, the term would not apply to the patrol officers depicted here. A centurion in the Roman army had command 100 soldiers, hence the term centurion. This would be equivalent to an LAPD Captain commanding a division of officers.

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Goofs

Both Fahler and Kilvinski make a grievous error (not to mention violating both LAPD policy and procedure) by not handcuffing the truck driver when they arrest him. That is the first thing that should have been done before placing him in the back seat of the patrol car, especially given his belligerence about being pulled over and issued a traffic ticket, which then he refused to sign.

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Quotes

Dorothy: Roy, I'm leaving you.
Roy: When did you decide this?
Dorothy: I don't know. It's been coming on a long time, I guess. I guess after Kilvinski retired and you decided to stay on and go on to vice, I guess that's what did it.
Roy: Yeah, but Dorothy, I'm, I hate this assignment, I'm not gonna be doing this forever.
Dorothy: It doesn't matter, Roy. It doesn't have anything to do with that. And it has nothing to do with you being a policeman anymore. And it's not because I'm a girl who doesn't like to be alone or because I worry ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in 21 Jump Street (2012)

User Reviews

"What Are You Wasting Your Time Being A Cop For?"

Joseph Wambaugh had a string of best-selling novels in the 1970's, all based on his experiences as a beat cop in the Los Angeles Police Department. 'The New Centurions' was one such novel, and this is the film of the book. Wambaugh's familiar world of drunks, domestic disputes, whores and 'busting fruits' is set out here with reasonable exactitude. Sterling ('Towering Inferno') Silliphant's screenplay is somewhat sluggish, but the Wambaugh ambience is immediately recognizable.

The point of the film is that yes, police work is physically dangerous, but the real threat to the officers' well-being comes from the emotional strain that they have to endure. Marriages founder and strong, healthy men take to drink and drugs because they get worn down by seeing what crime does to people. Often, they find their training and knowledge of the law completely useless, because the reality of street life makes glorified social workers of them. Some officers acquire a benign wisdom which enables them to bend the rules and do a little good. The esprit de corps among the officers is strong, and deep personal friendships are forged, but the job is an ugly, dirty, dangerous one and society is fortunate that there are some people willing to do it.

The friendship between rookie Roy Fehler (Stacey Keach) and veteran Andy Kilvinski (George C. Scott) is the centrepiece of the story. The younger man learns and grows under the tutelage of a partner who is an outstanding cop. We see Fehler in his turn become a veteran, but we also watch the decline of both men as the job grinds them down.

Intimate moments of unspoken affection between the two men are well done, and the Californian paradise which houses this human hell is nicely depicted, but would a senior police officer really beat up a rapacious landlord in the street? And after the innovative "Boston Strangler" of four years earlier, it is a shame to see this able director cranking out a film so devoid of artistic merit.

"I tried to hold on," says Fehler after being dragged along by a car. It's a metaphor for his police career.

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

9 November 1972 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

The New Centurions

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Chartoff-Winkler Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1