Madigan [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)

film noir(13)

gene tierney(4)

richard widmark(4)

drama(2)

crime(1)

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good gritty cop thriler, 20 Oct 2009

By

One view "one view" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madigan [VHS] (VHS Tape)

If you like your thrillers lean and mean then this is a film for you.
Two cops with a contrasting way of doing there job(in persuit of the same deranged killer ) an old cinema cliche but with actors of the calabar of Fonda and Widmark and belivable dilouge and what feels like an authentic script Madigan works.
Don Sigel directs in what appears to be a warm up for Dirty Harry a taut Thriller
about a hard boiled mavrick detective (Widmakr) and his unemphatic rigid boss (Fonda) who is guided as much by his displine to buracratic sytems and correct procedure as his iretent Madigan is by gut instinct and ready use of his fist's.
I woouldn't put money that Fonda and Widmark are together in a film for the first time(I'm sure they made some western together) but when these two clash on screen it really is something and it's there verbal battles which make the film a stand out for this viewer. The climax is shocking.
A good comercal action film if you like'd Bullit Copland Serpico and Dirty Harry this ought to be your ticket. An entertaining but non the less riveting little Cop opera.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse | Permalink

Comment Comments (2)

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT DETECTIVE STORY, 15 Aug 2010

By

JIMBO (Dublin,) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madigan [DVD] [1968] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] (DVD)

I saw Madigan in the the cinema when it was first released and found it to be a great thriller and better than your average cop thriller we had seen up to then.
A hard nosed cop Madigan (Widmark) and his partner Rocky Bonarro (Guardino) are on the trail of a psycho killer played brilliantly by Steve Inhat. Although the main plot is always there we are shown how police commissioner (Fonda) runs his police force...straight by the book, no nonsense here and no exceptions. That is until his best friend the Chief of Police (James Whitmore) finds himself in a corruption scandal. These two men have been friends all their lives, so whats the 'no nonsense' commissioner gonna do now?

Back to Dan Madigan, his marriage is falling apart, because he is so busy trying to nail his psycho killer. Dan's wife (Inger Stevens) cannot understand her husband being away so long but loves 'ol Danny in spite of it all.
The movie moves at a reasonable pace so as to keep the viewer interested, and we have a fly on the wall look at some of the other characters that eventually come Madigans way as The movie comes to an unexpected bloody end.
Apart from Harry Guardino watch out for other Don Siegel regulars such as Don Stroud and Susan Clark who featured in his later films, Coogans Bluff and the Dirty Harry series.
I really enjoyed this movie being as it was for 1968, and I believe it paved the way for future cop thrillers both on screen and T.V.
and its available through Amazon on dvd ....go get it!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse | Permalink

Comment Comment

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See both customer reviews...

Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com ^(beta)

Amazon.com: 3.2 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 'Madigan' is enjoyable police drama, 28 Sep 2003

By DBW - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Madigan [DVD] [1968] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] (DVD)

As others have noted, "Madigan" is at its best in basic cops-and-robbers mode, when Detectives Dan Madigan (Richard Widmark) and Rocco Bennaro (Harry Guardino) are pursuing insanely dangerous gunman Barney Benesch (Steve Ihnat). Director Don Siegel knows what he's doing when it comes to movement and violence, and that's more than evident here.

A subplot involving the embattled police commissioner (Henry Fonda) and his struggle with possible graft on the part of his long-time friend and captain (James Whitmore) works reasonably well.

The commissioner's affair with a married woman (Susan Clark) isn't too much of a distraction, especially since Clark is nice to look at, as usual.

But the subplot that doesn't work is the unhappiness of Madigan's wife (Inger Stevens). Stevens does what she can to bring the woman to life, but the script defeats her, particularly in a scene following a police ball.

Production values are very high, as 1968 New York emerges vividly in the location shooting. Don Costa's score deserves to be released on CD - it's a very memorable and exciting one, especially the main title and the build-up to the climax.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GOLD STANDARD FOR ITS TIME, 7 May 2004

By Gregory Saffady - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Madigan [DVD] [1968] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] (DVD)

Richard Dougherty's THE COMMISSIONER, upon which MADIGAN, is based was one of the first works of fiction to accurately portray cops problems away from the station house. MADIGAN, one of the best films of 1968, is true to that part of the book and Don Siegel implants his own brand of genius on the rest. MADIGAN shows a not too distant era when there were blood-and-guts hat wearing detectives who worked their own angles to solve their cases. The portrayls by Widmark and Guardino are lasting and solid to the core. For it's time, MADIGAN was a gold standard in police procedurals. The NYC landscape bolstered by the Don Costa soundtrack is stunning.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty 60's cop movie, 26 Nov 2007

By F. J. Harvey "Cricket ,country music and a go... - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Madigan [DVD] [1968] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] (DVD)

This actionful New York set cops and robbers movie was co-scripted by the once blacklisted leftist writer Abraham Polonsky and this may ,together with the anti-establishmant modes of thinking current at the time of its making ,be responsible for its strongly critical stance on police corruption and morality .
Madigan (Richard Widmark)and his partner Bonaro (Harry Guardino)go to arrest a hoodlum wanted for murder ,one Benech(Steve Inhat).They find him in bed with a woman and using the fact that they are distracted by this he steals Madigan's gun and makes his getaway.Police Commissioner Russell (Henry Fonda) givbes them 72 hours to nail him and restore the prestige the department has lost by the fiasco
Russell has other weighty matters on his mind .He is having an affair with a married woman (Susan Clark).A prominent black minister (Raymond St Jacques) is hassling him over the death of the minister's son ,an "activist"who has been beaten by racist cops.Plus ,he is on the take from local brothel owners to ensure their businesses are undisturbed by the police .
Madigan also has problems outside his work life namely his domestic situation .His socialite wife (Inger Stevens)is pressurising him to leave the force and take up more remunerataive work .The crisis worsens when Benech uses Madigan's gun to kill two people .

Don Siegal directs splendidly ,in a semi-documentary style ,and this contributes to a realistic and gritty movie with an authentic feel to its depiction of police work on the streets of (mainly Spanish )Manhattan.The acting is uniformally excellent with Richard Widmark especially outstanding ,
There is a technical problem which some may find impairs enjoyment slightly -the Techniscope process used by Universal gives a certain grainy quality to night scenes but in some ways this is appropriate to the ambience of the movie

This is a very good movie if a tad heavy on the leftist propaganda at times

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 24 reviews 3.2 out of 5 stars

Were these reviews helpful? Let us know