ED McBAIN'S 87TH PRECINCT
US, 1995, 95 minutes, Colour.
Randy Quaid, Alex Mac Arthur, Deanne Bray, Vin Rhames, Eddie Jones, Alan Blumenfeld, Ron Perkins.
Directed by Bruce Paltrow.
Ed Mc Bain's 87th Precinct is one of the many stories by popular novelist Evan Hunter writing under his name Ed Mc Bain. His stories of the 87th Precinct began in the 50s and he was still writing by the end of the 90s. This film has the spirit of his novels, has several of his central characters and is based principally on the novel Lightning.
While Steve Carella, the focal hero of all these novels, is of Italian origin, he is well played in this film by Randy Quaid. It is the story of his meeting with his wife, the deaf mute Teddy, here played by Deanne Bray. The other characters who recur in Mc Bain's novels and are presented here include Vin Rhames as the African- American Arthur Brown, Eddie Jones as Lieutenant Peter Burns, Ron Perkins as Meyer Meyer. There is also an amusing performance, using the clues from the novels, by Alan Blumenfeld as Ollie Weeks.
The film shows Carella meeting with Teddy, their initial encounters, the impact of her being deaf mute and he being hearing and their future marriage. The film also focuses on Bert Kling and his relationship with his unfaithful wife model, Augusta. (Kling's relationship with Augusta came in later novels.)
There was a further series of Ed Mc Bain's 87th Precinct films in 1996 and 1997, based on the novel Ice, and a general film based on the characters. These two adaptations were done by Larry Cohen, the writer-director of many horror films of the 70s and 80s. Dale Midkiff played Carella, Michael Grose Peter Burns, Paul Johansson as Kling and Paul Ben- Victor as Meyer. They also introduce the character of Eileen Burke, who was to become involved with Kling. Fans of the novels will appreciate how the characters and their development and their spirit were incorporated into the films.
This film follows the usual pattern of showing work at the 87th Precinct and this is re-created effectively. It shows the teamwork, the pressures on the police, their own personal hardships, their interrelationships and collaboration. The film reveals the murderer halfway through and then focuses on the detective work that is used to catch him.
Direction is by Bruce Paltrow, director of a number of television films and of Duets (and the father of Gwyneth Paltrow).
1. The popularity of Ed Mc Bain's 87th Precinct novels? Film adaptation? Capturing the spirit of the precinct, the work and the pressures, the interrelationships, the characters?
2. The New York setting, the precinct, the streets, apartments, sports arenas? An authentic atmosphere? The musical score?
3. The title, lightning, referring to the murderer?
4. The film as a murder mystery, the presentation of the victims, their discovery, the manner of the killing, their being positioned? The patriotism with the American flag? The revelation of the murderer, his background, sports trainer, his not being selected to represent America, his vindictiveness, posing as a sports writer, the girl athletes, the Milers, and their response to him for the interview, their deaths? The final victim and her being saved?
5. The people at the precinct: Peter Burns and his tough managing of the precinct, Meyer Meyer and his investigations, his strident wife and her matchmaking, his wearing a wig and people joking about it, giving up the wig? Artie Brown and his being part of the team, African- American, tough? Bert Kling, young, friends with Carella, supporting him, his concern about his wife, Carella urging him to talk with her, discovering her in bed with the man, ousting them, his grief?
6. Steve Carella, the central focus of the film, his background, relationships, capacity for work? The tedium of office work and typing? Collaboration? The encounter with Teddy, attracted to her, her refusal to date him, learning sign language, seeing her again, the building-up of a relationship? His being late for the meal, her understanding his pressures as a policeman? His skills in his work, the interrogations?
7. The pursuit of the killer, examining the bodies, the wounds, the use of symbols to alert the police, being a serial killer? His sending items from the victims to the police? The clues for the restaurant, the traffic jam and their failure to prevent the murder? The diaries of the dead girl, her calendar, the discovery of the interview technique? Their pursuit of the killer in the park, the confrontation in the stadium?
8. A satisfying and gritty police thriller?
