Rent Madigan (1968)

Gritty Police Thriller - Madigan review by GI

Director Don Siegel, in many ways, pioneered the maverick cop movie in the 60s and 70s, bringing western stars into the city in what is basically a western structured narrative. Coogan's Bluff (1968) even blurred the two genres more closely and with Clint Eastwood moving on from that to Dirty Harry (1971). Many nominally western stars were lured to the cop genre as a result of the success of these films, even John Wayne had a go!. Here Richard Widmark plays the loose cannon cop, Dan Madigan, known for rule breaking who along with his partner, Rocco (Harry Guardino), makes a hash of an arrest letting the bad guy escape with their guns. The by-the-book Commissioner (Henry Fonda) is less than happy but gives the two detectives 72 hours to get their man. That's the basis of the story and it's a pretty straight forward one in truth and you always know they will get him by the end. But what sets this film apart is the exposure of the New York police life, the depictions and references to casual sex (even with minors), drug taking, corruption, marital strife and infidelities was all ahead of its time. There's little violence on show here and unlike the films mentioned above this is not a story of men born in the wrong time or that violence is the only way to do the job properly, this is a procedural tale designed to show the realities of police life and cops as flawed characters, there are no heroes here. Shot on the streets of New York with all its detritus and seediness on show it certainly was seen as a shocker in 1968. There are more gritty films to emerge in the 70s, for example Serpico (1973), that really dug down into the murky, dirty world of policing but Madigan is a film that started a trend. It remains an interesting example of the police thriller from this time.

Cop Thriller - Madigan review by sb

FILM & REVIEW Seigal’s New York based cop thriller has Widmark as Madigan who plays fast and loose with the rules partnered with Banaro (Guardino) who bust a guy on a warrant. He turns the tables and takes both their guns and although the cops didn’t know he was wanted for a murder rap. They are given 72 hours to hunt him down and retrieve their guns and their careers. The whole thing is overseen by fastidious Police Commissioner Russell(Fonda) who is a real by the book man which sets up a ongoing conflict with Madigan. Great use is the more obscure New York locations with some terrific character actors in support. Unfortunately the film sags quite a bit with just too much soapy stuff. Madigan has a younger wife (Stevens) but as he works cases with stupid hours she hardly sees him which creates a major strain on the marriage and for all his puritanical take Russell is having an affair with a married woman. On the one hand that fleshes out the characters but some of the scenes just drag on - you’ll much rather concentrate on the manhunt on the mean streets of New York City. Strong performances throughout and a cracking finale - just could have done with little less personal issues - so 3.5/5

Procedural Landmark (spoilers) - Madigan review by Steve

This is a marker in the evolution of the crime picture from the realistic docu-noirs of the late ’40s to the action cop films of the 70’s. Don Siegel directed across the whole of that period. His cinematographer Russell Metty was one of the great film noir photographers. And Richard Widmark one of its key stars.

He’s in the title role as a dedicated, overworked New York detective who doesn’t play by the rules. He and his partner (Harry Guardino) are tough anti-heroes on the trail of the psycho-killer who gunned down a traffic cop with the duo's own guns. Obviously Madigan’s relationship with his neglected wife (Inger Stevens) is in disarray.

This made a huge impact on the crime genre, including television. The stuff it influenced was eventually spoofed in The Naked Gun (1988), so this no longer seems as original as it once did. But there is a deep feeling of post-Eisenhower urban decline. Plus the helicopter shots, funky soundtrack and widescreen Technicolor.

Now, even the good guys are… ethically flexible. And procedurally pragmatic… 1968 was also the year of Bullit, The Boston Strangler and Coogan’s Bluff (also Siegel). The motifs of the cop film were in flux in a time of political turmoil. Madigan is ultimately a hero, but hell, even Henry Fonda ( as the inscrutable Commissioner) is burying corruption.