The New Centurions (1972)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Stirling Silliphant (screenplay)
Joseph Wambaugh (novel)

Release Date:

9 November 1972 (West Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

The nationwide bestseller about cops - by a cop!

Plot:

An idealistic rookie cop joins the LAPD to make ends meet while finishing law school, and is indoctrinated by a seasoned veteran. As time goes on, he loses his ambitions and family as police work becomes his entire life. |

Plot Keywords:

Law | Rookie Cop | Law School | Rookie | Veteran

Cast

George C. Scott	...	Kilvinski
Stacy Keach	...	Roy Fehler
Jane Alexander	...	Dorothy Fehler
Scott Wilson	...	Gus
Rosalind Cash	...	Lorrie
Erik Estrada	...	Sergio
Clifton James	...	Whitey
Richard E. Kalk	...	Milton (as Richard Kalk)
James Sikking	...	Sergeant Anders
Beverly Hope Atkinson	...	Alice
Mittie Lawrence	...	Gloria
Isabel Sanford	...	Wilma
Carol Speed	...	Martha
Tracee Lyles	...	Helen
Burke Byrnes	...	Phillips

Also Known As:

Precinct 45: Los Angeles Police

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Chartoff-Winkler Productions

Trivia:

George C. Scott wears the old eight-point hat that the LAPD stopped wearing in the late-'60s/early-'70s, while other officers wear the current round "wheel" hat. Scott wore it because his character was an "old-line" police officer.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

DECENT WAMBAUGH FLICK WITH POTENTIAL!

Under- and over- rated at the time ('72), appropriately a good time in America to begin the Wambaugh cop legacy, this film has wonderful moments, but as a film it's a letdown overall. George C. is the best as always, Scott Wilson in a supporting role is crucially vibrant, and Stacy Keach at the HEIGHT of his wonderful movie beginnings is this Roy character (with great wife and actress Jane Alexander), but the script goes south 1/2 through trying to appeal to everybody, which was unnecessary in the early 70's. Keach (so great in BREWSTER McCLOUD, HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER, JUDGE ROY BEAN, FAT CITY, etc. .etc.) did a great job with crumby lines, trying to be (in his words)..super-cop). A decent well-made whatever. Scott's final scene = free acting lession to punks.

A 5 out of 10. Best performance = G.C. Scott. Worth the time; don't expect art and you'll see some cool stuff..Rosalind Cash, you know.