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The Laughing Policeman

  • 1973
  • R
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
3K
YOUR RATING
The Laughing Policeman (1973)
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.
Play trailer3:36
1 Video
62 Photos
CrimeDramaThriller

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.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.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.

  • Director
    • Stuart Rosenberg
  • Writers
    • Thomas Rickman
    • Per Wahlöö
    • Maj Sjöwall
  • Stars
    • Walter Matthau
    • Bruce Dern
    • Louis Gossett Jr.
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Stuart Rosenberg
    • Writers
      • Thomas Rickman
      • Per Wahlöö
      • Maj Sjöwall
    • Stars
      • Walter Matthau
      • Bruce Dern
      • Louis Gossett Jr.
    • 45User reviews
    • 35Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 3:36
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos62

    Walter Matthau, Bruce Dern, Louis Gossett Jr., and Cathy Lee Crosby in The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    Anthony Zerbe in The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    Joanna Cassidy and Bruce Dern in The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    Walter Matthau, Bruce Dern, and Gregory Sierra in The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    Bruce Dern in The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern in The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    Walter Matthau, Bruce Dern, and Louis Gossett Jr. in The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern in The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    Walter Matthau in The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    Louis Gossett Jr., Val Avery, and David Moody in The Laughing Policeman (1973)
    Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern in The Laughing Policeman (1973)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Walter Matthau
    Walter Matthau
    • Jake Martin
    Bruce Dern
    Bruce Dern
    • Larsen
    Louis Gossett Jr.
    Louis Gossett Jr.
    • Larrimore
    • (as Lou Gossett)
    Albert Paulsen
    Albert Paulsen
    • Camerero
    Anthony Zerbe
    Anthony Zerbe
    • Steiner
    Val Avery
    Val Avery
    • Pappas
    Cathy Lee Crosby
    Cathy Lee Crosby
    • Kay
    Mario Gallo
    Mario Gallo
    • Bobby Mow
    Joanna Cassidy
    Joanna Cassidy
    • Monica
    Shirley Ballard
    • Grace
    William Hansen
    William Hansen
    • Schwermer
    Don Borisenko
    • Collins
    • (as Jonas Wolfe)
    Paul Koslo
    Paul Koslo
    • Haygood
    Louis Guss
    • Gus Niles
    Frances Lee McCain
    Frances Lee McCain
    • Prostitute
    • (as Lee McCain)
    David Moody
    • Pimp
    Ivan Bookman
    • Rodney
    Clifton James
    Clifton James
    • Maloney
    • Director
      • Stuart Rosenberg
    • Writers
      • Thomas Rickman
      • Per Wahlöö
      • Maj Sjöwall
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to Bruce Dern's autobiography, it was Walter Matthau's idea to have Dern, known mainly as a character actor, share top billing with him for this film, a gesture for which Dern was most grateful.
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Insp. James Larrimore SFPD: [to pimp he has just pushed to the floor] What ever you're reaching for better be a sandwich coz you're gonna have to eat it!

    • Connections
      Edited into The Green Fog (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      Give Me the Simple Life
      (uncredited)

      Music by Rube Bloom

      Played on the clock radio

    User reviews45

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    70's crime drama that's one of a kind, Matthau style
    I've seen this movie only a few times, 4-5 throughout, I'd say. I loved how Matthau played serious in this. It's probably the only unfunny Matthau film I've seen, and this is definitely no comedy. This 70's film, with it's hard feel and vibe, is uniquely intriguing. Some nutter boards a bus, shoots down 8 people, one a police detective friend of cop, Matthau's. At the start this then alive detective was tailing some old guy, as I can remember, where obviously this has a bearing on his demise, otherwise the scene wouldn't be included in the film. What I loved, in this film, where about every exterior shot was shot in sunny weather, was the pairing of Matthau, and his new partner Dern, where he proves looks aren't everything, if you can act. Dern, playing tough here, who tends to infer violence if his suspects don't co-operate almost stole the show. One scene, has him getting into a confrontational scene with other cop, Lou Gossett Jnr, and he ever so smoothly backs down, provided a cool moment. We take the journey with Dern (who almost shared Matthau's dead partner's build, though the dead guy was better looking) and the gum chewing Matthau to find the cause of this slaughter. When questioning a pimp, as Matthau leaves, we hear a ho mumble "Pig". Matthau stops, looks around with angry intent. There's a couple of these unnerving moments from this actor's character, and it's not just in his work, though Dern came off better acting wise in this good solid crime flick, that will having you guessing why, where it's answer, will kind of thrown you into a one eighty, where you the viewer, have been really duped. We learn things about the dead cop, like how he was a bit of a creep, into things, other cops didn't know about, where some realizations start to surface. That's what makes a good crime thriller, though it doesn't have the logical of motives for the slaughter. Near it's end, if losing more faith as we do through the film to finding the killer and his reasons, our two hot shots resort to setting up this suspected killer in the same scenario as in the start. Another exhausting scene has Matthau and Dern climbing flights of steps to interrogate someone, where they stop mid flight to take a breather. Paul Koslo, again plays another loser character, who provides some info, who when questioned, has a tendency to smile all the time, and is not big on straight talk.
    helpful•7
    0
    • PeterMitchell-506-564364
    • Feb 18, 2013

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 23, 1974 (Sweden)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tvrdoglavi policajac iz San Franciska
    • Filming locations
      • 156 Robinhood Drive, San Francisco, California, USA(Jake Martin's home)
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $2,280,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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