Rent Madigan (1968)
3.3 of 5 from 74 ratings
1h 36min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda star in this critically-acclaimed detective drama that takes a hard-hitting look at the lives and loves of New York City's top cops. Directed in gripping documentary fashion by Don Siegel, Richard Widmark portrays the veteran Big Apple detective who is given only a few hours to track down a vicious killer. Henry Fonda is the humane yet relentlessly forceful police commissioner who orders Widmark into the streets to solve the case, even though he knows it might be his last assignment.
- Actors:
- Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino, James Whitmore, Susan Clark, Michael Dunn, Steve Ihnat, Don Stroud, Sheree North, Warren Stevens, Raymond St. Jacques, Bert Freed, Harry Bellaver, Frank Marth, Lloyd Gough, Virginia Gregg, Henry Beckman, Richard O'Brien, Woodrow Parfrey
- Directors:
- Don Siegel
- Producers:
- Frank P. Rosenberg
- Writers:
- Howard Rodman, Abraham Polonsky, Richard Dougherty
- Studio:
- Universal Pictures
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- Top 10 Films By Year, Top 10 Films Turned Into TV Series, Top Films, Top Films of 1968
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 12/09/2022
- Run Time:
- 101 minutes
- Languages:
- English LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Audio commentary with writers and film experts Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman (2022)
- Cinema cinemas:Richard Widmark (1983, 8 mins): the celebrated actor talks about his career in this extract from the French television programme
- Super 8 version: cutdown home cinema presentation
- Isolated music and effects track
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
- UK premiere on Blu-ray
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Reviews (3) of Madigan
Gritty Police Thriller - Madigan review by GI
Director Don Siegel, in many ways, pioneered the maverick cop movie in the 60s and 70s, bringing western stars into the city in what is basically a western structured narrative. Coogan's Bluff (1968) even blurred the two genres more closely and with Clint Eastwood moving on from that to Dirty Harry (1971). Many nominally western stars were lured to the cop genre as a result of the success of these films, even John Wayne had a go!. Here Richard Widmark plays the loose cannon cop, Dan Madigan, known for rule breaking who along with his partner, Rocco (Harry Guardino), makes a hash of an arrest letting the bad guy escape with their guns. The by-the-book Commissioner (Henry Fonda) is less than happy but gives the two detectives 72 hours to get their man. That's the basis of the story and it's a pretty straight forward one in truth and you always know they will get him by the end. But what sets this film apart is the exposure of the New York police life, the depictions and references to casual sex (even with minors), drug taking, corruption, marital strife and infidelities was all ahead of its time. There's little violence on show here and unlike the films mentioned above this is not a story of men born in the wrong time or that violence is the only way to do the job properly, this is a procedural tale designed to show the realities of police life and cops as flawed characters, there are no heroes here. Shot on the streets of New York with all its detritus and seediness on show it certainly was seen as a shocker in 1968. There are more gritty films to emerge in the 70s, for example Serpico (1973), that really dug down into the murky, dirty world of policing but Madigan is a film that started a trend. It remains an interesting example of the police thriller from this time.
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Cop Thriller - Madigan review by sb
FILM & REVIEW Seigal’s New York based cop thriller has Widmark as Madigan who plays fast and loose with the rules partnered with Banaro (Guardino) who bust a guy on a warrant. He turns the tables and takes both their guns and although the cops didn’t know he was wanted for a murder rap. They are given 72 hours to hunt him down and retrieve their guns and their careers. The whole thing is overseen by fastidious Police Commissioner Russell(Fonda) who is a real by the book man which sets up a ongoing conflict with Madigan. Great use is the more obscure New York locations with some terrific character actors in support. Unfortunately the film sags quite a bit with just too much soapy stuff. Madigan has a younger wife (Stevens) but as he works cases with stupid hours she hardly sees him which creates a major strain on the marriage and for all his puritanical take Russell is having an affair with a married woman. On the one hand that fleshes out the characters but some of the scenes just drag on - you’ll much rather concentrate on the manhunt on the mean streets of New York City. Strong performances throughout and a cracking finale - just could have done with little less personal issues - so 3.5/5
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Very good. - Madigan review by NR
Gritty but gripping vintage cop movie,with some references that would be deemed politically incorrect these day's,so even more enjoyable?
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