In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.
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Title: The Laughing Policeman (1973)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Walter Matthau | ... | Jake Martin | |
| Bruce Dern | ... | Larsen | |
| Louis Gossett Jr. | ... | Larrimore (as Lou Gossett) | |
| Albert Paulsen | ... | Camerero | |
| Anthony Zerbe | ... | Steiner | |
| Val Avery | ... | Pappas | |
| Cathy Lee Crosby | ... | Kay | |
| Mario Gallo | ... | Bobby Mow | |
| Joanna Cassidy | ... | Monica | |
 |
Shirley Ballard | ... | Grace |
|
|
William Hansen | ... | Schwermer |
|
|
Don Borisenko | ... | Collins (as Jonas Wolfe) |
| Paul Koslo | ... | Haygood | |
|
|
Louis Guss | ... | Gus Niles |
| Frances Lee McCain | ... | Prostitute (as Lee McCain) | |
Edit
Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
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Storyline
A policeman is among the victims when the passengers of a late-night bus are machine-gunned. With only one semi- conscious survivor and no other witnesses, the detectives try to learn from the identities of the dead why this happened and who the killer could be. Climax includes excellent chase. Written by David Carroll <davidc@atom.ansto.gov.au>
Plot Keywords:
mass murder | massacre | police procedural | bus station | hare krishna |Taglines:
This movie is so real it makes every other movie in this town look like a movie. See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 January 1974 (Sweden) See more »Also Known As:
An Investigation of a Murder See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$2,280,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD: And then his girlfriend winds up dead on the floor with the needle... Jake, you realize what you just did? You do it to me all the time, now you heard what the man said upstairs.
Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD: I heard him, I was up there, he's a nice man, he shoots in the low 80s, but he plays too close to the vest.
Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD: Then what are you laying all that crap on ME FOR? ...
[...]
See more »
(uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting
Lyrics by Ray Egan and Gus Kahn
Sung by the street performers
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The same distinctive green station wagon with wood paneling was used in multiple scenes as an "automobile extra", and appeared throughout the film in background shots. See more »Goofs
The actual gun used in the film is a Smith & Wesson M76 9mm machine gun without the barrel shroud and not an M3 .45 caliber "Grease Gun" made by GM Guide Lamp Division for WWII use. The omission of the barrel shroud gives the appearance of an M3. If one sticks to the story line, the M3 magazine held 30 rounds .45 ACP and cycled around 450 rpm. This is sufficient to inflict the damage and wounds shown in the film. See more »Quotes
Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD: Evans was working the Teresa thing on his own time. He's killed on the same bus with Gus Niles who's looking for a grease gun that happens to be the weapon used.Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD: And then his girlfriend winds up dead on the floor with the needle... Jake, you realize what you just did? You do it to me all the time, now you heard what the man said upstairs.
Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD: I heard him, I was up there, he's a nice man, he shoots in the low 80s, but he plays too close to the vest.
Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD: Then what are you laying all that crap on ME FOR? ...
[...]
See more »
Connections
Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Jack Palance/Joanna Cassidy/Jose Molina/Orson Bean (1974) See more »Soundtracks
Ain't We Got Fun(uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting
Lyrics by Ray Egan and Gus Kahn
Sung by the street performers
See more »
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Not as bad as the other comments would suggest, "The Laughing Policeman" is a police procedural mystery that lacks the spark of great thriller genre films. What this does have is some very good acting, especially from the lead players, and a decent script with interesting characters. The plot does get a little convoluted near the end and the action is inspired by better films, but it is worth a watch. I'd give it a mild recomendation.