The Laughing Policeman

1973
R
1h 52m

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

3.4K

YOUR RATING

In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.

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Crime Drama Thriller

In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

3.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
According to Bruce Dern's autobiography, it was Walter Matthau's idea to have Dern, known mainly as a character actor, share top billing with him for this film, a gesture for which Dern was most grateful.

Goofs
The actual gun used in the film is a Smith & Wesson M76 9mm machine gun without the barrel shroud and not an M3 .45 caliber "Grease Gun" made by GM Guide Lamp Division for WWII use. The omission of the barrel shroud gives the appearance of an M3. If one sticks to the story line, the M3 magazine held 30 rounds .45 ACP and cycled around 450 rpm. This is sufficient to inflict the damage and wounds shown in the film.

Quotes
Insp. James Larrimore SFPD: [to pimp he has just pushed to the floor] What ever you're reaching for better be a sandwich coz you're gonna have to eat it!

Connections
Edited into The Green Fog (2017)

Soundtracks
Give Me the Simple Life
(uncredited)
Music by Rube Bloom
Played on the clock radio

User reviews47

Review

Featured review

8/10

The Laughing Policeman

This sullen, violent police drama is as detailed an investigation as you will find on film. The opening scene of The Laughing Policeman is extremely tense and sets the tone for a Dirty-Harry-style flick that delivers one of Matthau's moodiest performances. Basically, a mass murder takes place on a San Francisco bus, and we find out that a policeman was one of the victims. He turns out to be Matthau's late partner. Bruce Dern is assigned to be his new partner, working with Matthau, a conflict of interest, to find out why this SFPD detective was on the bus in the first place. Their subsequent relationship is a play the standard, portrayed in the Laughing Policeman as "mute cop/bad cop". So, teams of gritty cops (a young Lou Gossett) meander through the roughest neighborhoods of San Francisco bullying pimps, pushers, hip drag queens and sidewalking street-wheelers in an attempt uncover what turns out to be a very complex underworld fraternity. The purpose (seeing as this plays as a Matthau character study), to quell Matthau's melancholic contribution to this Dirty Harry spin-off. It is more violent and much more precise than Dirty Hary but not as entertaining. A must see, however, for all Matthau fans.