Serpico (1973)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Peter Maas (book)
Waldo Salt (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 March 1974 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Many of his fellow officers considered him the most dangerous man alive - An honest cop.

Plot:

The true story about an honest New York cop who blew the whistle on rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.

Plot Keywords:

Undercover | Corruption | 1960s | Hippie | Policeman

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Officer Frank Serpico
John Randolph	...	Chief Sidney Green
Jack Kehoe	...	Tom Keough
Biff McGuire	...	Capt. Insp. McClain
Barbara Eda-Young	...	Laurie
Cornelia Sharpe	...	Leslie Lane
Tony Roberts	...	Bob Blair
John Medici	...	Pasquale
Allan Rich	...	Dist. Atty. Herman Tauber
Norman Ornellas	...	Don Rubello
Edward Grover	...	Insp. Lombardo (as Ed Grover)
Albert Henderson	...	Peluce (as Al Henderson)
Hank Garrett	...	Malone
Damien Leake	...	Joey
Joseph Bova	...	Potts (as Joe Bova)
Gene Gross	...	Capt. Tolkin
John Stewart	...	Waterman
Woodie King Jr.	...	Larry (as Woodie King)
James Tolkan	...	Lt. Steiger (as James Tolkin)
Ed Crowley	...	Barto
Bernard Barrow	...	Insp. Roy Palmer
Sal Carollo	...	Mr. Serpico
Mildred Clinton	...	Mrs. Serpico
Nathan George	...	Lt. Nate Smith
Gus Fleming	...	Dr. Metz
Richard Foronjy	...	Rudy Corsaro
Alan North	...	Brown
Lewis J. Stadlen	...	Jerry Berman
John McQuade	...	Insp. Kellogg
Ted Beniades	...	Al Sarno
John Lehne	...	Insp. Gilbert
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Chief Gallagher
George Ede	...	Deputy Chief Insp. Daley
Charles White	...	Commissioner Delaney
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
F. Murray Abraham	...	Detective partner (uncredited)
Don Billett	...	Detective threatening Serpico (uncredited)
Raleigh Bond	...	(uncredited)
John Brandon	...	Police lieutenant (uncredited)
James Bulleit	...	Det. Styles (uncredited)
Roy Cheverie	...	Cop (uncredited)
Sam Coppola	...	Cop (uncredited)
Marjorie Eliot	...	Rape Victim (uncredited)
René Enríquez	...	Cervantes teacher (uncredited)
Frank Gio	...	Police lieutenant (uncredited)
Trent Gough	...	Cop (uncredited)
Paul E. Guskin	...	Police Academy classmate (uncredited)
Judd Hirsch	...	Cop (uncredited)
Richard Kuss	...	Detective (uncredited)
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Cop (uncredited)
George Loros	...	Det. Glover (uncredited)
Kenneth McMillan	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Stephen Pearlman	...	Desk sergeant (uncredited)
Tim Pelt	...	Black hood (uncredited)
William Pelt	...	Black hood (uncredited)
Jay Rasumny	...	Television cameraman (uncredited)
Jaime Sánchez	...	Cop (uncredited)
Franklin Scott	...	Black prisoner (uncredited)
Tom Signorelli	...	Bookmaker (uncredited)
Ben Slack	...	Detective sitting at desk (uncredited)
Tracey Walter	...	Street Urchin (uncredited)
Mary Louise Weller	...	Lisa - girl at party (uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney Lumet

Writing credits
Peter Maas		(book)
Waldo Salt		(screenplay) and
Norman Wexler		(screenplay)

Produced by
Martin Bregman	....	producer
Dino De Laurentiis	....	executive producer
Roger M. Rothstein	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Mikis Theodorakis

Cinematography by
Arthur J. Ornitz

Film Editing by
Dede Allen
Richard Marks		(co-editor)

Casting by
Michael Chinich
Shirley Rich

Production Design by
Charles Bailey

Art Direction by
Douglas Higgins

Set Decoration by
Thomas H. Wright

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Philip Leto	....	hair stylist (as Phillip Leto)
Reginald Tackley	....	makeup artist (as Redge Tackley)
Michael R. Thomas	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Martin Danzig	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Burtt Harris	....	assistant director
Alan Hopkins	....	assistant director

Art Department
Leslie Bloom	....	set dresser (as Les Bloom)
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	property master (as Joe Caracciolo)
Jack Hughes	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Edward Beyer	....	sound editor
Richard P. Cirincione	....	sound editor
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor (as John J. Fitzstephens)
Robert M. Reitano	....	sound editor (as Robert Reitano)
Robert Rogow	....	boom operator
James Sabat	....	sound mixer (as James J. Sabat)
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recordist (as Richard Vorisek)
Maurice Schell	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	foley editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Frank Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Barlia	....	camera operator (as Louis Barlia)
Charles Kolb	....	key grip
Willie Meyerhoff	....	gaffer (as Willy Meyerhoff)
Joseph Di Pasquale	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Clifford Capone	....	wardrobe (as Clifford C. Capone)

Editorial Department
Ronald Roose	....	assistant editor
Angelo Corrao	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Bob James	....	conductor
Bob James	....	music arranger

Transportation Department
Raymond Hartwick	....	transportation gaffer

Other crew
B.J. Bjorkman	....	script supervisor (as B.J. Bachman)

Production Companies

• Artists Entertainment Complex
• Produzioni De Laurentiis International Manufacturing Company

Distributors

• CIC (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corp. (1974) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video

Other Companies

• Cinemobile System  location services
• Solters, Sabinson, Roskin  production publicity
• Talent Services Associates Inc.  extras casting

Runtime:

129 min | Spain:113 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 (re-rating) (2006) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Brazil:12 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Artists Entertainment Complex

Trivia:

After he decided to make the film, Al Pacino invited Frank Serpico to stay with him at a house that Pacino had rented in Montauk, New York. When Pacino asked Serpico, "Why did you do it?" Serpico replied, "Well, Al, I don't know. I guess I would have to say it would be because... if I didn't, who would I be when I listened to a piece of music?"

Goofs:

Continuity: During the shooting gallery scene, Frank and a few other cops are practicing their marksmanship. All the bays are full except for bay two, which has the shooters table up, to allow access to the gallery itself. In the reverse scene, the table is down.

Quotes:

Barto: How long have you been with the BCI now, Serpico?
Frank Serpico: All my life.
Barto: That's long enough to know how we do things.
Frank Serpico: Barto, it's not just that.
[in a sarcastic tone]
Frank Serpico: You don't like me!
Barto: BCI never had a weirdo cop before.
Frank Serpico: Barto, stop buggin' me!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Coonskin (1975)

Pacino Shines in Classic Grim & Gritty Crime Biopic

I'd been wanting to see SERPICO for some time; this real-life crime drama based on Peter Maas' nonfiction bestseller about an honest cop fighting corruption in the NYPD was one of the few grim-and-gritty New York crime dramas that my older brother didn't take me to see when I was a kid! :-) (I should explain that my brother, 9 years my senior, used to take me to the kind of movies he wanted to see -- films like TAXI DRIVER, REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER, etc. Fortunately, I developed a taste for them as well, though our mother didn't think they were really appropriate for a girl as young as I was then. :-) No wonder this film helped young Al Pacino's then-rising star (he was fresh off THE GODFATHER when he began filming SERPICO) to soar to the stratosphere, complete with an Oscar nomination. Pacino's earnest intensity fuses Frank Serpico's disparate qualities into a spellbinding performance. The guy is a bundle of contradictions, the kind of man who could charm you, move you, and drive you crazy at the same time: a nice Catholic boy who can't commit to any of the devoted women in his life; an honest, downright rigid moralist who's also a free spirit known as "Paco" to his friends and lovers; and an undercover cop with detective aspirations whose hippie-like appearance rankled his superiors and fellow officers even as it helped him blend in on assignments. Pacino's riveting performance carries the film, with fine support by John Randolph, Tony Roberts, M. Emmet Walsh, Barbara eda-Young and Cornelia Sharpe, not to mention memorable uncredited turns by F. Murray Abraham, Judd Hirsch, Kenneth McMillan, and Tony LoBianco, among others. Sidney Lumet's taut direction of the script by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler does Maas' source material proud, as well as taking advantage of evocative NYC locations (just try getting this kind of atmosphere in Canada, I dare you! :-). The sparing use of simple yet haunting music by Mikis Theodorakis sets the tone well. The end result: one of the best films of the 1970s and beyond. Rent the DVD to see some fascinating extras about the making of the film and the filmmakers' experiences with Frank Serpico himself, including interviews with Lumet and producer Martin Bregman (no Pacino, alas).