Sharky's Machine

1981
R
2h 2m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

6.9K

YOUR RATING

Burt Reynolds, Charles Durning, and Bernie Casey in Sharky's Machine (1981)

Play trailer1:51

1 Video

42 Photos

Action Crime Drama Thriller

Tom Sharky is demoted to vice after a bust goes terribly wrong. He and his team stumble across a mob murder tied to prostitution and government.Tom Sharky is demoted to vice after a bust goes terribly wrong. He and his team stumble across a mob murder tied to prostitution and government.Tom Sharky is demoted to vice after a bust goes terribly wrong. He and his team stumble across a mob murder tied to prostitution and government.

Director
- Burt Reynolds
Writers
- William Diehl
- Gerald Di Pego
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

6.9K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Burt Reynolds
Writers
- William Diehl
- Gerald Di Pego
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination total

Videos1

Trailer 1:51

Sharky's Machine

Photos42

+ 34

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
William Diehl, the author of the "Sharky's Machine" (1978) source novel, has said that he had Burt Reynolds in mind when he wrote the novel.

Goofs
On the boat, Smiley tells Sharky, "When you went to see the man, you really pissed him off... you should have just turned[Dominoe] in. She'd be dead, but Nosh, Jo Jo and all your friends would be alive." But the way the movie is edited, Nosh and Jo Jo were killed before Sharkey went to see Victor to tell him Dominoe is still alive.

Quotes
Sharky: I'm gonna pull the chain on you, pal. And you wanna know why? 'Cause you're fucking up my city. 'Cause you're walking all over people like you own them. And you wanna know the worst part? You're from out of state.

Alternate versions
The censored version prepared for US television restores one scene not included in the theatrical prints. This shows Charles Durning's character talking about his experience in Vietnam.

Connections
Featured in Sneak Previews: Neighbors, Sharky's Machine, Ghost Story, Pennies from Heaven (1981)

Soundtracks
My Funny Valentine
Performed by Chet Baker
by Richard Rodgers (as R. Rodgers) & Lorenz Hart (as L. Hart)
Courtesy Liberty Records
A division of Capitol Records

User reviews89

Review

Featured review

6/10

Ah, you'll die all right!

I like Burt Reynolds (Boogie Nights) playing a cop, and he didn't do too bad as a director here either.

He had a great supporting cast of cops and criminals: Vittorio Gassman makes a great crime boss; Henry Silva (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai) makes a great psychopath; Brian Keith ("Family Affair"), Charles Durning (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas), Bernie Casey, and Richard Libertini (A Grandpa for Christmas) all make great partners; and, there is, of course, Rachel Ward ("The Thorn Birds"), who got a Golden Globe nomination out of her performance.

Lots of action, superb performances, and a great story.