Law and Disorder

1974
R
1h 41m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

In crime-ridden 1970s New York City, cops Willie and Cy have had enough. Along with other disgruntled people, they decide to take matters into their own hands - only to realize too late that... Read allIn crime-ridden 1970s New York City, cops Willie and Cy have had enough. Along with other disgruntled people, they decide to take matters into their own hands - only to realize too late that they're in over their heads.In crime-ridden 1970s New York City, cops Willie and Cy have had enough. Along with other disgruntled people, they decide to take matters into their own hands - only to realize too late that they're in over their heads.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

341

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Co-stars Carroll O'Connor and Ernest Borgnine would eventually have the shared distinction that for each, one of their most popular roles had been originated by Rod Steiger. In the live TV anthology series The Philco Television Playhouse (1948), Steiger had first played the role of Marty Pilletti in Marty (1953), later played by Borgnine winning the Best Actor Academy Award for Marty (1955). Steiger would later win his own Best Actor Academy Award for playing Chief Bill Gillespie in In the Heat of the Night (1967), a role that--when the movie was adapted as the long-running TV series In the Heat of the Night (1988), starting its run more than two decades after the original film--would be played by O'Connor, that casting occurring 14 years after this film, at a time when O'Connor was already at his peak of popularity with another iconic television role, that of Archie Bunker on All in the Family (1971).

Quotes
Cy: I believe this area has degenerated into the biggest cesspool for perverts, creeps, thieves, junkies, sexual deviants, and all unwashed freaks in the city of New York!

Alternate versions
In the Anchor Bay DVD/VHS release, the scene where Cy shows Willie the hot police car he bought is cut a bit. In the original theatrical version, after Cy shows Willie the siren, Cy then shows Willie some stickers he is going to put on the car to make it look like an authentic police car, this part is missing in the home versions.

Connections
Featured in Trailer Trauma V: 70s Action Attack! (2020)

User reviews14

Review

Featured review

10/10

Good NYC film

Having not seen this film for over 20 years, and remembering how great it was as a kid seeing it on cable, I was very happy (and surprised!) to see it released on DVD and picked it up immediately. I discovered it was a lot funnier when I was a kid, although making up for that was watching two great stars like Carroll and Ernest, as well as all the NYC locations, as I've always been a fan of NYC films, my hometown.

One interesting thing is, this being a motion picture, Carroll O'Connor is upstaged in every scene by movie star Ernest Borgnine. And not that Carroll is bad, not at all, he's actually decent, and the two actors make a good pair with some good chemistry (a re-pairing in a future film would have been great even!). But on the silver screen Carroll doesn't have the immense presence he has on the tube as Archie Bunker, and Ernest is clearly the "leader" here.

The two head an auxiliary police force to battle the crime in their neighborhood. It's obvious a pre-Rudy Giuliani New York City, NYC being quite legendary in the 70's for it's high crime and smut. NYC isn't cast in the best light, but then again, in 1974 it just wasn't in the best light yet. (Thanks Rudy for all you've done!) Like "Cooley High," it's a bit odd to see such a downbeat ending in a comedy, but it's still a good viewing.

If you like NYC films, and want to see two old pros do their thing and take the young'uns to school, "Law and Disorder" is a good DVD buy, before it goes out of print.