Customer Reviews

Madigan [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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

"Madigan" is one of the most critically acclaimed of director Don Siegel's films, low-key and introverted by the standards of Siegel's action oeuvre. Dan Madigan (Richard Widmark) is a fine New York cop who likes to show off and freely admits to enjoying the occasional perk of the job. Police Commissioner Tony Russell (Henry Fonda) doesn't like Madigan's type. Russell is a real straight arrow, insisting that his officers be scrupulous in their own respect for the law. Madigan and his partner Rocco Bonaro (Harry Guardino) burst into the apartment of Barney Benesch (Steve Ihnat), a hood they want to take in for questioning. Benesch gets the upper hand and flees. The Commissioner puts the cops under pressure to capture Benesch before the weekend is out, while he copes with other potentially embarrassing problems in the department.

"Madigan" is based on the book "The Commissioner" by Richard Dougherty, but the focus has been shifted from the Commissioner to Madigan, as the titles imply. The action takes place over the course of 3 days, cutting back and forth between Madigan and Bonaro's efforts to track down Benesch and the Commissioner under similar pressure to deal with politically volatile issues of alleged racism and possible corruption on the part of his old friend, Chief Inspector Charlie Kane (James Whitmore). The film is talky. It's a dual character study, much of the characters being revealed in conversation. Madigan and the Commissioner are men of very different temperament, and they each have their pressures and foibles to deal with. We essentially observe how these men act under pressure. It's an unusual formula, but two great leading actors make it well worth watching.

The DVD (Universal 1999): Bonus features are a theatrical trailer (2 1/2 min), cast and filmmaker bios and selective filmographies (text), and Product Notes (text) that include comments on the conflict between director Don Siegel and producer Frank Rosenberg and some of Widmark's memories about the production. Captioning is available in English, subtitles in Spanish. Dubbing available in French.

The second Don Siegel movie from 1968 about a cop in NYC hunting the killer who stole his gun. (Paging Dr. Freud.) Great NYC location work is mixed with some dreay backlot stuff in this otherwise good policer. We get a little too much of the cops' homelives, but there's a hard-hitting climax. (Plus the last line in the picture provides ironic resonance to the city's racial issues with law enforcement that haven't gone away since the picture's release. ) Nice brassy Don Costa score.

When focusing on the title character, a maverick New York City detective played by Richard Widmark, this 1968 Don Siegel directed drama is a riveting action film, a precursor of sorts to Siegel's even more riveting "Dirty Harry." Things slow down, however, when the spotlight is turned on various subplots (commissioner Henry Fonda's distrust of Madigan, and the detective's troubled relationship with wife Inger Stevens). Still, no one has ever played a copper with as much authority or short-tempered brilliance as Widmark, and the cinematography is top-notch. Filmed on location, this film captures the gritty streets of New York quite well. The film later inspired an excellent and undeservedly short-lived TV series (1972-73), also with Widmark, that rotated with two other shows on "The NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie."

I rememmber seeing this movie years ago on TV, and bought it because I recall enjoying it. It is a good movie, not great but worth watching, especially if you are a Richard Widmark fan. It portrays the life of police officers in a realistic manner - the challenges of maintaining personal relationships, the difficulties of being part of a large bureauracy, the temptations to skirt the truth. The DVD qualtiy is fine, and the movie worth watching again.

This is a film of the late sixties where men wear hats and hang lit or unlit cigarettes from their mouths. Both the New York Police Commissioner (Henry Fonda) and the detective (Richard Widmark) are good at their jobs, but each has problems, each does good and bad acts, and each has personality defects. The Commissioner sees everything in black and white. Either you are 100% good or you are bad. Madigan in his eyes must be bad because although he never accepts bribes, he takes free gifts, drinks, food, and even, on rare occasions, when he takes his wife out, a free hotel room. Yet the Commissioner commits secret adultery with the wife of another man. He must also decide what to do with his best friend since their youth, the Chief Inspector (James Whitmore), who agreed to a request from a gangster. He did so to protect his son. Will the Commissioner keep to his black and white philosophy and accept his resignation?

Madigan has a superb arrest record, but he attained it by using old - now illegal - techniques. He breaks down doors to enter houses without a warrant. He uses force to get information. And he takes too many chances, one of which may someday kill him. However, we also see him helping a drunk who he knew 6 or 7 years ago, spending time with him and giving him money, and we see him avoiding an opportunity to engage in adultery with a former girl friend. He and his partner break down a door, surprise a gangster, Barney, and arrest him. When Barney's girl friend gets out of bed naked, the two stare at her, and Barney snatches Madigan's gun and escapes. They were reduced five days' pay (which may have been the way people balanced budgets in the 1960s) and were given 72 hours to catch Barney. The film addresses the chase to find Barney, the various ways that Madigan manipulates the system to do so, how Barney uses Madigan's gun to kill a police officer and wound another, how Madigan's work habits are destroying his marriage and tempts his wife (Inger Stevens) to commit adultery, and the relationship between him and the commissioner.

Madigan is a typical late 1960s to mid 1970s police drama with an aging Star (Widmark at 54) trying to resurrect his career and Henry Fonda (63) just going through the motions.

1968 New York was not very appealing in this movie with the Police dept. still based in an old brick bldg. that was used in the 1920s and 1930s and they still used the old 2 piece phones in the bldg.

Absolutely no modernism used at all in this movie, just talking & walking the beat.

The story is flat and of course they had to throw in a bit of brief nudity to sell the movie. Both Widmarks wife and Fondas girlfriend looked young enough to be their daughters.

James Whitmore was the only person who actually did any acting !

This movie is definitely for Widamrk fans only !

New York City detectives Madigan (Richard Widmark) and Bonaro (Harry Guardino), mess up making a routine arrest, allowing a murderer (Steve Ihnat) to escape. This sets the stage for a look at the activities of the NYPD over a three-day period, while the two detectives try to recapture their man.

"Madigan" follows two loosely connected story lines, one the pursuit of the fugitive, and the second involves the activities of the Police Commissioner (PC), played by a prim Henry Fonda. This separation of focus, keeps the movie from reaching it's full potential, as the story elements related to the PC are banal and distract from the chase. There is almost no personal interaction between Madigan and the Commissoner to connect the two stories, and keep the movie's focus tight. While the detectives follow leads to the killer, the PC deals with corruption, accusations of misconduct, and his own moral hypocrisy.

The film does boast a top-notch cast, including Inger Stevens, James Whitmore, Michael Dunn, Don Stroud, Susan Clark and Sheree North. Ihnat is particularly effective as the vicious killer on the run. Stevens is luscious as Madigan's attention starved wife. And Clark is the Commissioner's adulterous young mistress. "Love", Hollywood style is wonderfully realistic, matching the young with the old. Widmark (54) is paired with Stevens (34), and Fonda (63) with Clark (28).

"Madigan" is dated, and may not be well received by today's audience. What was gritty action back then, is tame by today's standards. But if you are into the late 60's, you will probably enjoy the many familiar faces found here. Brought to you by the same people who did the NBC Mystery Theater, and programs like Colombo, McCloud, McMillian, and Banacek.