Coogan's Bluff (1968)



Movie Title: Coogan's Bluff

Year Released: 1968

Rated: R

Runtime: 1h 33min

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller, Western

Director: Don Siegel

Writer: Herman Miller, Dean Riesner, and Howard Rodman

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Lee J. Cobb, Susan Clark, Tisha Sterling, Don Stroud, Betty Field, Tom Tully, Melodie Johnson, David Doyle, Seymour Cassel, Conrad Bain, Louis Zorich, Skip Battyn, Albert Popwell

Review: Arizona Deputy Sheriff Coogan (Clint Eastwood) is sent to New York City to escort a fugitive back for trial. But when the criminal escapes custody, it's up to the straight-forward lawman, and his unorthodox methods, to bring the vicious villain to justice.

Coogan's Bluff is the first pairing of director Don Siegel and star Clint Eastwood; Two Mules For Sister Sara was their second. They got on quite well and Siegel became one of Eastwood's major influences when he turned to directing. Here Siegel really knows how to use Eastwood's physical stature, charisma, and strong and silent persona to create a character that's very smart and skilled at his job, but you must always expect the unexpected, especially when you're in New York City.

The first two thirds of the movie are very character driven with Eastwood's Coogan arriving in NYC and dealing with the procedures and red tape of the NYPD and the colorful inhabitants of the city. Lee J. Cobb is the gruff Lt. McElroy who's been a cop too long and understands how the game is played and doesn't have time for Coogan's focus and straight-forward approach to police work. However, he does respect him and wishes he still had the same resolve when he was younger that Coogan does now. It could have been a standard issue role, but Cobb brings his best to it. He's great! Susan Clark is also wonderful as Julie Roth, a cop and potential love interest for Coogan. She is smart, strong, and really holds her own holding back Coogan's rather bold advances.

My only real criticisms are that the sets make this one look like a TV Movie at times. Maybe it's due to a lower budget, I'm not sure. The helicopter shots and the chase through the city really up the look and production value. And the last act, the more plot driven action stuff, is no where near as interesting or entertaining as the fish out of water story that came before.

Coogan's Bluff is a fun modern (for 1968) western, that's funny, hard-hitting, and a well-made movie that really showcases the talents of Siegel and Eastwood.

Stars (out of 4):
       

Fun Fact: This movie was the inspiration for the television series McCloud (1970) starring Dennis Weaver. Herman Miller had written the story for this movie and then later changed a few details to create McCloud.


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