The Laughing Policeman

1973
X
1h 52m

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

3.5K

YOUR RATING

In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.

Play trailer3:36

1 Video

63 Photos

Crime Drama Thriller

In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

3.5K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 3:36

Official Trailer

Photos63

+ 57

‘Snow White’ Stars Test Their Wits

Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, and director Marc Webb take our Ultimate Disney Quiz.

Watch now

9:57

More like this

6.7

7.5

7.0

6.5

6.7

6.6

7.0

6.3

7.0

Electra Glide in Blue

6.5

The Violent Professionals

6.2

Goodbye Charlie

7.0

Across 110th Street

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
According to Bruce Dern's autobiography, it was Walter Matthau's idea to have Dern, known mainly as a character actor, share top billing with him for this film, a gesture for which Dern was most grateful.

Goofs
The actual gun used in the film is a Smith & Wesson M76 9mm machine gun without the barrel shroud and not an M3 .45 caliber "Grease Gun" made by GM Guide Lamp Division for WWII use. The omission of the barrel shroud gives the appearance of an M3. If one sticks to the story line, the M3 magazine held 30 rounds .45 ACP and cycled around 450 rpm. This is sufficient to inflict the damage and wounds shown in the film.

Quotes
Insp. James Larrimore SFPD: [to pimp he has just pushed to the floor] Whatever you're reaching for better be a sandwich, 'cause you're gonna have to eat it!

Connections
Edited into The Green Fog (2017)

Soundtracks
Give Me the Simple Life
(uncredited)
Music by Rube Bloom
Played on the clock radio

User reviews50

Featured review

From the golden age of urban American film

From a period before marketing departments and focus groups took over the movie industry and began pumping out formulaic happy-ended regurgitated baby food, The Laughing Policeman offers gritty urban drama, acted by the great character actors of the day, actors that filled out such classics as The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon...

It's shortcomings are there, to be sure, but as a stylistic gem - as a sample of the type of movies they just don't or can't make anymore, it's worth watching. Matthau is as angry and as serious as you've ever seen him - a performance sterner that even the MTA traffic official in The Taking of Pelham 123.

There is no formula here - no overbearing Sargent hanging over the detectives, no goofing off in the office downtown to lighten things up. No romantic interest or hot sex scene crammed in between bullets.This is reality, harsh and complicated - if you can handle it, that is.