The Laughing Policeman (1973)

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg

Writers:

Per Wahlöö (novel) &
Maj Sjöwall (novel) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 January 1974 (Sweden)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

This movie is so real it makes every other movie in this town look like a movie.

Plot:

In San Francisco, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.

Plot Keywords:

Killer | Bus | Detective | Massacre | Murder

Cast

Walter Matthau	...	Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD
Bruce Dern	...	Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Insp. James Larrimore SFPD (as Lou Gossett)
Albert Paulsen	...	Henry Camerero
Anthony Zerbe	...	Lt. Nat Steiner SFPD
Val Avery	...	Insp. John Pappas SFPD
Cathy Lee Crosby	...	Kay Butler
Mario Gallo	...	Bobby Mow, Snitch
Joanna Cassidy	...	Monica, Beth's Roomate
Shirley Ballard	...	Grace Martin
William Hansen	...	Mr. Schwermer, Bus Vicitm
Jonas Wolfe	...	Det. Mike Collins
Paul Koslo	...	Duane Haygood, Drug Pusher
Louis Guss	...	Gus Niles / Andrew Medford - Bus Victim
Frances Lee McCain	...	Prostitute (as Lee McCain)
David Moody	...	Pimp
Ivan Bookman	...	Rodney Davis
Clifton James	...	Officer Jim Maloney SFPD Bomb Squad
Gregory Sierra	...	Ken Vickery, Outlaw Biker (as Gregg Sierra)
Warren Finnerty	...	Ripple, Outlaw Biker
Matt Clark	...	Coroner
Joseph Bernard	...	Avakian's Brother Samuel
Melvina Smedley	...	Maydala
Leigh French	...	Porno Cashier
James Klawin	...	Fowler
Anthony Costello	...	Det. Dave Evans - Bus Victim
John Francis	...	Inspector Russo, SFPD
John Frederick Vick	...	Inspector Lou Terry SFPD
Wayne Grace	...	Inspector Tom Brennan SFPD
Cheryl Christiansen	...	Beth, Nurse on Bus
James V. Christy	...	Lemuel Avakian, Bus Victim (as James Christy)
David Belrose	...	Ralph Martin
Dawn Frame	...	Debbie Martin
Ellan Nance	...	Camerero's Receptionist #1
Lavelle Roby	...	Camerero's Receptionist #2 (as Lavelle Robey)
Hobart Nills Nelson	...	Jail Guard
Captain Gus Bruneman	...	TAC Squad Captain SFPD (as Capt. Gus Bruneman)
The San Francisco Strutters	...	Street Musicians
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elaine Collins	...	Go-Go Dancer (uncredited)
Sacheen Littlefeather	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Stuart Rosenberg

Writing credits
Per Wahlöö		(novel "Den skrattande polisen") &
Maj Sjöwall		(novel "Den skrattande polisen")
Thomas Rickman		(writer)

Produced by
Stuart Rosenberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Charles Fox

Cinematography by
David M. Walsh

Film Editing by
Bob Wyman

Casting by
Joyce Selznick

Set Decoration by
Doug von Koss

Production Management
Mike Moder	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Moder	....	first assistant director
Ron Wright	....	second assistant director
Charles Ziarko	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Jerry Jost	....	production sound mixer
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound re-recording mixer

Other crew
Gus Coreris	....	technical advisor: SFPD homicide (as Inspector Gus Coreris)
Charles Ellis	....	technical advisor: SFPD homicide (as Lieutenant Charles Ellis)
Peggy Locke	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1974) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Also Known As:

An Investigation of Murder (UK)

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

According to Bruce Dern's autobiography, it was Matthau's idea to have Dern, known mainly as a character actor, share top billing with him for this film - a gesture Dern was most grateful for.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The Anthony Zerbe character is Lieutenant "Styner" according to his desk nameplate, but "Steiner" in the closing credits.

Quotes:

Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD: [after spending the day monitoring Henry Camarero] We got a man farting in silk and playing all day.
Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD: I talked to Frank at the lab, and he got an FBI report on Gus Niles' prints from his service record.
Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD: [mildly surprised] Uh, are you just making conversation now?
Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD: Gus Niles used to be Andrew Medford, and he was in business with Camarero for awhile. You wanna take a guess who was Camarero's alibi at the Teresa inquest?
Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD: [realizing Jake's hunch about Camarero as the bus killer has substance behind it] How come you didn't make that in the original investigation?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hot Times (1974)

Soundtrack:

You'll Never Know

From the golden age of urban American film

From a period before marketing departments and focus groups took over the movie industry and began pumping out formulaic happy-ended regurgitated baby food, The Laughing Policeman offers gritty urban drama, acted by the great character actors of the day, actors that filled out such classics as The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon...

It's shortcomings are there, to be sure, but as a stylistic gem - as a sample of the type of movies they just don't or can't make anymore, it's worth watching. Matthau is as angry and as serious as you've ever seen him - a performance sterner that even the MTA traffic official in The Taking of Pelham 123.

There is no formula here - no overbearing Sargent hanging over the detectives, no goofing off in the office downtown to lighten things up. No romantic interest or hot sex scene crammed in between bullets.This is reality, harsh and complicated - if you can handle it, that is.