Brock's Last Case

Richard Widmark stars as a New York City detective who is not happy with the new trends in law enforcement, things like Miranda you know. Also citizens aren't showing the same kind of respect for police as they used to. This last arrest he swears will be Brock's Last Case as he retires to an orange grove in southern California that he put money down on.

As it turns out though Widmark's professional expertise is needed because the sheriff was murdered and the man looking good for it is Henry Darrow the American Indian who has been looking after Widmark's orange grove and not too successfully I might add. The acting sheriff is young Michael Burns and he needs all the help he can get.

In this sleepy town in which folks like Will Geer and John Anderson are trying to get a real estate boom started Darrow and his tribe aren't very popular. A lot of people would see it most convenient if he was guilty. Darrow looks good because the sheriff and two more people are killed during the course of the film with his arrows.

Brock's Last Case might have been a good television series, but it was never picked up. With the cast list I wonder how it could not have been. I did like Beth Brickell who was a neighboring rancher and an attorney who has ACLU instincts. She would have been law and order cop Widmark's romantic interest and professional rival.

Widmark did do a series based on Madigan one of his best films, but the series wasn't a patch on the Don Siegel classic.

Brock's Last Case though is not in Madigan the movie's league, but still pleasant viewing.