Dirty Harry: The Original (2001) (V)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Jerry Hogrewe

Writer:

Howard Klausner (writer)

Release Date:

20 November 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Short

Plot:

A look at the making of the Dirty Harry series. |

Plot Keywords:

Making Of | Behind The Scenes | Sniper | Police | Film Making

Cast

Patricia Clarkson	...	Herself
Tyne Daly	...	Herself
Clint Eastwood	...	Himself
Hal Holbrook	...	Himself
Evan C. Kim	...	Himself
John Milius	...	Himself
Ted Post	...	Himself
Andrew Robinson	...	Himself (as Andy Robinson)
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Himself
Robert Urich	...	Host

Directed by
Jerry Hogrewe

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Howard Klausner		writer (as Howard A. Klausner)

Produced by
Jan Hogrewe	....	producer

Cinematography by
Robert Ballo

Film Editing by
Michael Polito		(as Mike Polito)

Makeup Department
Patricia Dehaney-Le May	....	hair stylist
Louis Lazzara	....	hair stylist
Louis Lazzara	....	makeup artist
Nancie Marsalis	....	hair stylist
Nancie Marsalis	....	makeup artist
James Lee McCoy	....	hair stylist
James Lee McCoy	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Paul Hemstreet	....	executive in charge: Warner Home Video

Sound Department
Paul Buscemi	....	sound
D.J. Ritchie	....	additional sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Favaro	....	grip (as Richard Favaro)
Kenji Luster	....	Steadicam operator
Craig Peterschmidt	....	Steadicam operator
Mike Stockton	....	gaffer

Other crew
Patrick Smith	....	production assistant: San Francisco
Richard Threlfall	....	pilot

Thanks
John Cantwell	....	special thanks
Joyce Cohen	....	special thanks
Lenny Hirshan	....	special thanks
Sargeant George Karrington	....	special thanks
Nic Lavorv	....	special thanks
Tim Lillyquist	....	special thanks
Officer Frank Lutticken	....	special thanks
Sheryl Main	....	special thanks
Elizabeth Murphy	....	special thanks
Shelley R. Spicer	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Pond Films

Distributors

• Warner Home Video

Other Companies

• Aris Aviation  aerials
• Blur Studio  graphic design
• City of San Francisco  special thanks
• FotoKem Laboratory  on-line editing
• Malpaso Productions  special thanks

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:MA (Cable TV rating)

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Pond Films

Trivia:

This documentary is featured on the Clint Eastwood Collection DVD of Dirty Harry (1971), released in 2001, and the two disc special edition DVD, released in 2008.

Movie Connections:

References Lethal Weapon (1987)

The Man Who Provided Instant Justice

If you stick with this 30-minute "documentary" or DVD "bonus feature," whatever you want to call it, you'll be satisfied. The first half is a bit boring but the second half is very interesting. It was on the feature film, "Dirty Harry," DVD.

Clint Eastwood, who played the title character in all of the "Dirty Harry movies," said they originally thought of having the film take place in Seattle since few movies had been done in that area before. After all, everyone knew San Francisco from tons of classic films. However, they decided on staying in San Francisco and that was fine with Eastwood as he grew up in that area and knew it well.

Clint also points out there really wasn't anything political about the series even though some had painted it that way. He admitted the public was tired of hearing a lot in that period about all the rights of the accused and seemed to have forgotten the victims. Thus, Dirty Harry, who meted out "instant justice," became popular.

Host Robert Urich also points out this was the time of Viet Nam, Watergate, the rise of new psychotic killers and people felt "the good guys were losing" and we had no control over things. "Harry Callahan," of course, took control, so movie-goers lived variously through "Harry."

On a lighter note, some of the actors who worked on these films like Andy Robinson, Hal Holbrook and Patricia Clarkson recall action scenes where they were scared to death but Eastwood remained calm and cool throughout it all.

Would Eastwood come back today as a "retired" Dirty Harry lured back into assignment? "Nah," he said, "some things are best left alone."