NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET

US, 1986, 96 minutes, Colour.
Robert Carradine, Billy Dee Williams, Valerie Bertinelli, Bobby di Cicco, Doris Roberts, Peter Graves.
Directed by Jack Smight.

Number One With A Bullet is one of the numerous films coming from the U.S. about drugs and police during the '80s. It is an average entertainment, with the strength of Robert Carradine and Billy Dee Williams as stars. Peter Graves appears as their boss. Valerie Bertinelli has a token role as Robert Carradine's wife. Doris Roberts has a better role as his mother. Bobby de Chico appears as an informer.

Direction is by Jack Smight, a director of many interesting films during the'60s, especially Harper with Paul Newman, and No Way To Treat A Lady with Rod Steiger.

Typical of its time - routinely enjoyable police story.

1. The popularity of drug and police films during the '80s? Drug empires in the U.S? The role of the police? Corrupt police? The portrait of two policemen?

2. Los Angeles settings, the streets, warehouses, ships, mansions, police precinct? The special effects and stunts? Helicopters and planes? Explosions? Musical score?

3. The title and its reference to Nick and his being a target by the drug boss?

4. The buddies: Nick and Frank, black and white, working together, their skills as police, investigations, tough? The dangerous situations? Shootings, murders of drug empire connections? Interrogations, shakedowns? Their own personalities? Nick and his relationship with Theresa, the break tip, continually going to see her, offering to take her out for a meal? His mother and her phone calls, her concern? Frank and his girlfriends, man about town? Continually being sabotaged by Nick's phone calls intimating, that Frank is a pervert, homosexual, etc? Jokes between: the two? Serious? Their pursuit of da Costa? Their relationship with authorities? Their being saved by the officer (and the irony that he was the corrupt link)? A sketch of police and their work?

5. The role of the police, the law? Authorities? Corrupt police, informants? The death toll because of informants? Set-ups? The murdering of informants?

6. The drug empire, the wealthy businessmen, their covers, henchmen- contacts, corrupt police, women, lifestyle? Da Costa and the final confrontation?

7. The sketch of thugs, bodyguards, informants? Malcolm and his getting the treatment by Nick and Frank?

8. The incidental sequences of domestic life, the break-up of marriages, Theresa and her desperation, her car exploding and her being in the hospital? Reconciliation with Nick? The plane ride and going to see relations? (Frank and the jokes about his fear of flying and the actual crash-landing?)

9. The popularity of this kind of film in the '80s? The popularity of police work films? Buddies? The fight against drugs?