Magnum Force (1973)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Ted Post

Writers:

Harry Julian Fink (characters) and
Rita M. Fink (characters) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Clint Eastwood is Dirty Harry in Magnum Force

Plot:

Dirty Harry is on the trail of vigilante cops who are not above going beyond the law to kill the city's undesirables.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Police | Homicide | Pimp | Stakeout

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
Hal Holbrook	...	Lt. Neil Briggs
Mitch Ryan	...	Officer Charlie McCoy (as Mitchell Ryan)
David Soul	...	Officer John Davis
Tim Matheson	...	Officer Phil Sweet
Kip Niven	...	Officer Red Astrachan
Robert Urich	...	Officer Mike Grimes
Felton Perry	...	Insp. Early Smith
Maurice Argent	...	Nat Weinstein
Margaret Avery	...	Prostitute
Richard Devon	...	Carmine Ricca
Tony Giorgio	...	Frank Palancio
Jack Kosslyn	...	Walter
Bob March	...	Estabrook
Bob McClurg	...	Cab Driver
John Mitchum	...	Insp. Frank DiGiorgio
Russ Moro	...	Gino, Ricca's Driver
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Lou Guzman
Albert Popwell	...	J.J. Wilson
Christine White	...	Carol McCoy
Adele Yoshioka	...	Sunny
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul D'Amato	...	Store Crook (uncredited)
Michael L. Davis	...	Ricca's Bodyguard (uncredited)
Drew Eshelman	...	Neighbor (uncredited)
Will Hutchins	...	Stakeout Cop (uncredited)
Craig Kelly	...	Airport counterman (uncredited)
Tony Piazza	...	Police Cadet (uncredited)
Ray Saunders	...	Doctor Infirmary (uncredited)
Suzanne Somers	...	Pool Girl (uncredited)
Steve Treacy	...	Police Photographer (uncredited)

Directed by
Ted Post

Writing credits
Harry Julian Fink		(characters) and
Rita M. Fink		(characters) (as R.M. Fink)
John Milius		(story)
John Milius		(screenplay) and
Michael Cimino		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Daley	....	producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Frank Stanley

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
Jack T. Collis		(as Jack Collis)

Set Decoration by
John Lamphear

Makeup Department
Shirley Dolle	....	hair stylist
Joe McKinney	....	makeup artist

Production Management
John G. Wilson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wesley J. McAfee	....	first assistant director (as Wes McAfee)
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	second assistant director (as Carl Roup)
Al Silvani	....	second assistant director
Buddy Van Horn	....	second unit director

Art Department
Edward Aiona	....	property master
Douglas Freeman	....	set dresser

Sound Department
James R. Alexander	....	sound (as James Alexander)
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sergio Reyes	....	additional sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sass Bedig	....	special effects
Jim Aupperle	....	mold assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Dar Robinson	....	motorcycle stunt driver
Max Balchowsky	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Couch	....	stunts (uncredited)
Everett Creach	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted Duncan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted Grossman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Harris	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (uncredited)
Julie Ann Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
William T. Lane	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Troy Melton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Mulder	....	stunts (uncredited)
Victor Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dar Robinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Sawaya	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Shannon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Waters	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Barber	....	assistant camera
Wynn Bowles	....	gaffer (as Wynn 'Bud' Bowles)
William N. Clark	....	camera operator (as William Clark)
Bud Howell	....	key grip (as Carmon 'Bud' Howell)
Cliff Ralke	....	assistant camera
Charles W. Short	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jules Melillo	....	key costumer
Glenn Wright	....	costume supervisor (as Glenn T. Wright)

Music Department
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Other crew
Jack Kosslyn	....	dialogue supervisor
Carey Loftin	....	special action sequences
Hope McLachlin	....	script supervisor
Tom Piskura	....	assistant to producer
Carol Rydall	....	secretary to producer

Production Companies

• Malpaso Company, The
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1974) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CBS Television Network (1976) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Sandrews (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2008) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (deluxe edition)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Burbank Studios, The  production equipment
• Burbank Studios, The  production services
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:X (1973) (cut) | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (1974) (cut) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:16 | Peru:18 | Finland:K-15 (2008) (uncut) (video rating) | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Australia:R | Canada:18A | France:-12 | Italy:VM18 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 (cut) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

18th St. Overpass, Potrero Hill, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

Directly after the scene in the garage where Callahan is threatened by the motorcycle cops, the cycles drove out and every single one of them crashed. Clint Eastwood said, "I've been threatened by the Keystone Kops."

Goofs:

Continuity: In the pool scene, the bullet wound of the girl shot in the center of the chest disappears when she is floating in the pool.

Quotes:

Sunny: [as Harry walks by to his appartment] Hi!
Harry Callahan: Oh, hi... what's your name?
Sunny: Sunny. You know, I've been living here for almost six months now. It's funny I've never met you before.
Harry Callahan: Oh well... I work a lot.
Sunny: I know. You're the cop who lives upstairs.
Harry Callahan: That's right.
Sunny: Mind if I ask you a question?
Harry Callahan: Go ahead.
Sunny: What does a girl have to do to go to bed with you?
Harry Callahan: [blinks twice, then smiles] Try knocking on the door.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Starsky and Hutch: Long Walk Down a Short Dirt Road (#2.21)" (1977)

A good follow up to a classic

Creating a follow-up to the amazing Dirty Harry must have resulted in weeks and weeks of frustration. Overall, the film was rather good and well shot, but there just wasn't a strong enough story to back up the complex nature of Harry. This was also one of those films which talked about the social moirés of the time. Harry, making the random reference about homosexuals was priceless, and should have been used in pro-gay rights slogans. Anyhow, this film was better than most sequels could ask for, so I have to say this was a good follow-up to a great movie.