The Laughing Policeman main backdrop
The Laughing Policeman main poster

The Laughing Policeman

Visit website

6.2/10 • 60

1973-12-201h 52m

CrimeThrillerDrama

This movie is so real it makes every other movie in this town look like a movie.

When a gunman opens fire on a crowded city bus in San Francisco, Detective Dave Evans is killed, along with the man he'd been following in relation to a murder. Evans' partner, Sgt. Jake Martin, becomes obsessed with solving the case.

Directors
Stuart Rosenberg
Editors
Bob Wyman

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Walter Matthau

    Walter Matthau

    Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD

  2. Bruce Dern

    Bruce Dern

    Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD

  3. Louis Gossett Jr.

    Louis Gossett Jr.

    Insp. James Larrimore SFPD

  4. Albert Paulsen

    Albert Paulsen

    Henry Camerero

  5. Anthony Zerbe

    Anthony Zerbe

    Lt. Nat Steiner SFPD

  6. Val Avery

    Val Avery

    Insp. John Pappas SFPD

  7. Cathy Lee Crosby

    Cathy Lee Crosby

    Kay Butler

  8. Mario Gallo

    Mario Gallo

    Bobby Mow, Snitch

  9. Joanna Cassidy

    Joanna Cassidy

    Monica, Beth's Roomate

Reviews1

View Reviews
talisencrw Avatar

talisencrw

Jan 18, 2016

8/10

From the early-70's zenith of crime and police-centered films, 'The Laughing Policeman' deserves credit, respect and recognition as a fine, gritty, accurate work that shows the way real officers interact and go through their work-days and solve crimes. Walter Matthau, mostly known for his astute comedic touch, is excellent, as is Bruce Dern, who's promoted to an uneasy partnership with Matthau, when the latter's partner, who was on vacation yet took an unsolved case home with him, is at the wrong place at the wrong time, part of a brutal mass murder on board a bus. The well-directed script shows how alienated a good policeman is from his family, how hated he is by most of the community, and the blind alleys and dead ends he has to go through in order to solve the case, and have it hold up in a court of law. It's 'Dirty Harry' or the 'French Connection' films done honestly, not as a fever dream of wish fulfillment from the policeman's perspective (though I must admit I love those too!)...

Media

  • The Laughing Policeman poster
  • The Laughing Policeman poster
  • The Laughing Policeman poster
  • The Laughing Policeman poster
  • The Laughing Policeman poster

Recommendations

  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three main backdrop

    The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

    7.5

  • Law of Desire main backdrop

    Law of Desire

    7.2

  • Ishtar main backdrop

    Ishtar

    4.5

  • The Outfit main backdrop

    The Outfit

    6.8

  • The Hospital main backdrop

    The Hospital

    6.6

  • The Unforgivable main backdrop

    The Unforgivable

    7.4

  • Ben-Hur main backdrop

    Ben-Hur

    7.9

  • First Man main backdrop

    First Man

    7.0

  • Memento main backdrop

    Memento

    8.2

  • The Super Mario Bros. Movie main backdrop

    The Super Mario Bros. Movie

    7.6

  • The Prestige main backdrop

    The Prestige

    8.2

  • Marriage Story main backdrop

    Marriage Story

    7.7

  • The Shawshank Redemption main backdrop

    The Shawshank Redemption

    8.7

  • Parasite main backdrop

    Parasite

    8.5

  • Back to the Future Part II main backdrop

    Back to the Future Part II

    7.8

  • The Godfather main backdrop

    The Godfather

    8.7

  • A Quiet Place Part II main backdrop

    A Quiet Place Part II

    7.5

  • Interstellar main backdrop

    Interstellar

    8.5

  • Tenet main backdrop

    Tenet

    7.2

  • Alien main backdrop

    Alien

    8.2

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$2,280,000.00
Revenue
$1,700,000.00
Keywords
san francisco, californiamass murdermurderkiller