Product Details

• Actors: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino, James Whitmore
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Universal Studios
• DVD Release Date: June 1, 2010
• Run Time: 101 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 078323208X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,285 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Madigan" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

MADIGAN - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 'Madigan' is enjoyable police drama, September 27, 2003

By 

DBW (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madigan (DVD)

As others have noted, "Madigan" is at its best in basic cops-and-robbers mode, when Detectives Dan Madigan (Richard Widmark) and Rocco Bennaro (Harry Guardino) are pursuing insanely dangerous gunman Barney Benesch (Steve Ihnat). Director Don Siegel knows what he's doing when it comes to movement and violence, and that's more than evident here.

A subplot involving the embattled police commissioner (Henry Fonda) and his struggle with possible graft on the part of his long-time friend and captain (James Whitmore) works reasonably well.

The commissioner's affair with a married woman (Susan Clark) isn't too much of a distraction, especially since Clark is nice to look at, as usual.

But the subplot that doesn't work is the unhappiness of Madigan's wife (Inger Stevens). Stevens does what she can to bring the woman to life, but the script defeats her, particularly in a scene following a police ball.

Production values are very high, as 1968 New York emerges vividly in the location shooting. Don Costa's score deserves to be released on CD - it's a very memorable and exciting one, especially the main title and the build-up to the climax.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GOLD STANDARD FOR ITS TIME, May 6, 2004

By 

Gregory Saffady (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Madigan (DVD)

Richard Dougherty's THE COMMISSIONER, upon which MADIGAN, is based was one of the first works of fiction to accurately portray cops problems away from the station house. MADIGAN, one of the best films of 1968, is true to that part of the book and Don Siegel implants his own brand of genius on the rest. MADIGAN shows a not too distant era when there were blood-and-guts hat wearing detectives who worked their own angles to solve their cases. The portrayls by Widmark and Guardino are lasting and solid to the core. For it's time, MADIGAN was a gold standard in police procedurals. The NYC landscape bolstered by the Don Costa soundtrack is stunning.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty 60's cop movie, November 25, 2007

By 

F. J. Harvey "Cricket ,country music and a go... (Birmingham England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Madigan (DVD)

This actionful New York set cops and robbers movie was co-scripted by the once blacklisted leftist writer Abraham Polonsky and this may ,together with the anti-establishmant modes of thinking current at the time of its making ,be responsible for its strongly critical stance on police corruption and morality .
Madigan (Richard Widmark)and his partner Bonaro (Harry Guardino)go to arrest a hoodlum wanted for murder ,one Benech(Steve Inhat).They find him in bed with a woman and using the fact that they are distracted by this he steals Madigan's gun and makes his getaway.Police Commissioner Russell (Henry Fonda) givbes them 72 hours to nail him and restore the prestige the department has lost by the fiasco
Russell has other weighty matters on his mind .He is having an affair with a married woman (Susan Clark).A prominent black minister (Raymond St Jacques) is hassling him over the death of the minister's son ,an "activist"who has been beaten by racist cops.Plus ,he is on the take from local brothel owners to ensure their businesses are undisturbed by the police .
Madigan also has problems outside his work life namely his domestic situation .His socialite wife (Inger Stevens)is pressurising him to leave the force and take up more remunerataive work .The crisis worsens when Benech uses Madigan's gun to kill two people .

Don Siegal directs splendidly ,in a semi-documentary style ,and this contributes to a realistic and gritty movie with an authentic feel to its depiction of police work on the streets of (mainly Spanish )Manhattan.The acting is uniformally excellent with Richard Widmark especially outstanding ,
There is a technical problem which some may find impairs enjoyment slightly -the Techniscope process used by Universal gives a certain grainy quality to night scenes but in some ways this is appropriate to the ambience of the movie

This is a very good movie if a tad heavy on the leftist propaganda at times