THE BLUE KNIGHT
US, 1973, 103 minutes, Colour.
William Holden, Lee Remick, Joe Santos, Sam Elliott, David Moody, Jamie Farr, Vic Tayback.
Directed by Robert Butler.
The Blue Knight is a telemovie version of a story by Joseph Wambaugh, prolific writer on the lives, work and trials of American police - and filmed often with such movies as The Onion Field, The Choirboys, The New Centurions. The Blue Knight was also filmed as a pilot for a television series with George Kennedy in the central role.
In this film, a world-weary William Holden effectively plays Bumper Morgan, a policeman in the last week of his career. He is supported by Lee Remick as a romantic interest. However, the film shows the detail of work in Los Angeles in the '70s with some detail, the atmosphere of the precinct, the coming of the new young police (with their hairdryers) and the old tough veterans. There are various sequences of action as Bumper tries to solve a murder mystery and bring in a criminal in his last week. The film focuses a great deal on the psychology of the policeman and his struggles.
1.Interesting and entertaining police story? The streets of the city, America in the '70s?
2.The contribution of Joseph Wambaugh to film-making? Films, telemovies, miniseries? The background of his police life and work? His insights?
3.The streets of the city, the precincts, the rundown areas, the sleazy areas of the city? The role of the police, law and order, detection, arrests? An authentic look at the police work?
4.William Holden as Bumper Morgan? His age and experience? His living for the police work? Craggy, experienced, an idealist yet partly embittered? His relationship with Cassie, love, the visits, the discussions, prospect of marriage, family, the tickets and the trip? His inability to commit himself? His memory of his own marriage and past relationships? His role in the precinct? Skill on the beat, taking risks, the confrontation in the building - and his saving the visitor from the east (and later going to his restaurant)? The murder of the prostitute and his determination to find the killer? Interrogations, contacts, the young boy and his information? The visit to the stripper, friendship, concern for her, support for her and her daughter? His interaction with authorities?
5.His final week on the force, his looking forward to his pension, the policeman who also took his leave and whom he later met, bitter and drunk? The murder mystery and his wanting to solve it? Tracking down suspects? Car pursuits, fights? His confronting Lafferty? The lead and the arrest of the suspect in the hotel? The irony that neither of these was the murderer?
6.The reason for his not being able to give up his police work? The support of the authorities? Bronski and the investigation? The final confrontation - and the street shooting of the sergeant? A future for Morgan?
7.Cassie, coming from a different world, her relationship with Morgan, her own life and work, the party - and the young radicals of the '70s criticising Morgan and his police work? Her wanting a family? The prospect of marriage, the travel? His failure to commit?
8.The police at the precinct? Morgan and his feeling old, watching the younger police, their different style, the hairdryer etc? His relationship with the sergeant? Bronski and the interrogations?
9.The death of the prostitute, his investigations? Confronting Lafferty, the pimp and his lifestyle? Taking him in? The second suspect and the lead from the hot-dog stand? The interrogation? The irony that neither of these was the killer?
10.The young boy, the friendship, his treating him well, taking him in, the gangs in the street, his sister and her inability to look after him? The possibility of adopting him?
11.The retiring police, hard work, bitterness?
12.The stripper, her working for her daughter, her liking for Morgan? His empathy with her?
13.The incidental characters on the street, pimps, dealers, stand vendors, the visitor going with the prostitute into the building, the standover men? A portrait of an American city, day-by-day crime, the role of the police?
