Sweeney! (1977)

Hard-bitten Flying Squad officer Jack Regan gets embroiled in a deadly political plot when an old friend asks him to investigate the death of his girlfriend. Framed on a drunk-drive charge ... See full summary »

Director:

David Wickes

Writers:

Ranald Graham (screenplay), Ian Kennedy Martin (based on "The Sweeney" created by)

Stars:

John Thaw, Dennis Waterman, Barry Foster

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Thaw	...	D.I. Jack Regan
Dennis Waterman	...	D.S. George Carter
Barry Foster	...	Elliott McQueen
Ian Bannen	...	Charles Baker
Colin Welland	...	Frank Chadwick
Diane Keen	...	Bianca Hamilton
Michael Coles	...	Johnson
Joe Melia	...	Ronnie Brent
Brian Glover	...	Mac
Lynda Bellingham	...	Janice Wyatt
Morris Perry	...	Flying Squad Cdr. Maynon
Paul Angelis	...	Secret Serviceman
Nick Brimble	...	D.S. Burtonshaw
John Alkin	...	D.S. Tom Daniels
Bernard Kay	...	Matthews

Storyline

Hard-bitten Flying Squad officer Jack Regan gets embroiled in a deadly political plot when an old friend asks him to investigate the death of his girlfriend. Framed on a drunk-drive charge and suspended from the force, with his partner and best mate George Carter unable to help, Jack must rely on his wits to evade deadly government hitmen and expose the real villain of the piece.

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Plot Keywords:

1970s | framed | female nudity | poliziottesco | british poliziottesco | 

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Taglines:

The roughest, toughest men from London's greatest crime squad smash their way onto the big screen!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Dennis Waterman's autobiography, he and John Thaw "didn't like 'Sweeney!' very much".

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Quotes

Det. Sgt. George Carter: Do you know what, Jack? You're full of shit.
Det. Insp. Jack Regan: I thought it was about time you made an intellectual contribution to this debate.
Det. Sgt. George Carter: Bollocks.

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Connections

References North by Northwest (1959)

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Soundtracks

Love of a Lifetime
(uncredited)
Music by Keith Mansfield
KPM Music Ltd

User Reviews

Not quite as good as the show, but still a very entertaining film

I absolutely love The Sweeney, it is gritty, violent and very addictive not to mention compelling and I never miss it. Then again, I am a huge John Thaw fan, having loved him since Inspector Morse. Sweeney! is not quite as good as the show, which is a classic to me, but it is a worthy film. The plot is complicated with some holes and the violence level did get quite shocking at times, but the location shooting is superb, the music is great and the action pieces are a real joy. As is the dialogue, one of the main reasons why I love the Sweeney is because of its irresistibly quotable dialogue, and here there is some really juicy dialogue. Maybe I am biased but anything Regan said stood out a lot. The direction is good, but the acting was really good bringing to life some very intriguing characters. The late great John Thaw is outstanding as Regan, and Dennis Waterman is delightful as Carter. Their chemistry together is wholly believable as well, and I also enjoyed the performances of Colin Welland, Barry Foster(actually didn't mind his accent) and Diane Keen. Overall, a worthy film with flaws and not as good as the show, but it is very entertaining on the whole. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 1977 (UK)

Also Known As:

Sweeney!

Filming Locations:

New Scotland Yard, 8-10 Broadway, Westminster, Greater London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP130,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

EMI Film Distributors, Euston Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 97 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)