Magnum Force (1973)

Director:

Ted Post

Writers:

Harry Julian Fink (characters) and
Rita M. Fink (characters) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Clint Eastwood is Dirty Harry in Magnum Force

Plot:

Dirty Harry is on the trail of vigilante cops who are not above going beyond the law to kill the city's undesirables.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Police | Homicide | Pimp | Stakeout

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
Hal Holbrook	...	Lt. Neil Briggs
Mitch Ryan	...	Officer Charlie McCoy (as Mitchell Ryan)
David Soul	...	Officer John Davis
Tim Matheson	...	Officer Phil Sweet
Kip Niven	...	Officer Red Astrachan
Robert Urich	...	Officer Mike Grimes
Felton Perry	...	Insp. Early Smith
Maurice Argent	...	Nat Weinstein
Margaret Avery	...	Prostitute
Richard Devon	...	Carmine Ricca
Tony Giorgio	...	Frank Palancio
Jack Kosslyn	...	Walter
Bob March	...	Estabrook
Bob McClurg	...	Cab Driver
John Mitchum	...	Insp. Frank DiGiorgio
Russ Moro	...	Gino, Ricca's Driver
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Lou Guzman
Albert Popwell	...	J.J. Wilson
Christine White	...	Carol McCoy
Adele Yoshioka	...	Sunny
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul D'Amato	...	Store Crook (uncredited)
Michael L. Davis	...	Ricca's Bodyguard (uncredited)
Drew Eshelman	...	Neighbor (uncredited)
Will Hutchins	...	Stakeout Cop (uncredited)
Craig Kelly	...	Airport counterman (uncredited)
Tony Piazza	...	Police Cadet (uncredited)
Ray Saunders	...	Doctor Infirmary (uncredited)
Suzanne Somers	...	Pool Girl (uncredited)
Steve Treacy	...	Police Photographer (uncredited)

Directed by
Ted Post

Writing credits
Harry Julian Fink		(characters) and
Rita M. Fink		(characters) (as R.M. Fink)
John Milius		(story)
John Milius		(screenplay) and
Michael Cimino		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Daley	....	producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Frank Stanley

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
Jack T. Collis		(as Jack Collis)

Set Decoration by
John Lamphear

Makeup Department
Shirley Dolle	....	hair stylist
Joe McKinney	....	makeup artist

Production Management
John G. Wilson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wesley J. McAfee	....	first assistant director (as Wes McAfee)
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	second assistant director (as Carl Roup)
Al Silvani	....	second assistant director
Buddy Van Horn	....	second unit director

Art Department
Edward Aiona	....	property master
Douglas Freeman	....	set dresser

Sound Department
James R. Alexander	....	sound (as James Alexander)
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sergio Reyes	....	additional sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sass Bedig	....	special effects
Jim Aupperle	....	mold assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Dar Robinson	....	motorcycle stunt driver
Max Balchowsky	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Couch	....	stunts (uncredited)
Everett Creach	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted Duncan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted Grossman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Harris	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (uncredited)
Julie Ann Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
William T. Lane	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Troy Melton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Mulder	....	stunts (uncredited)
Victor Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dar Robinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Sawaya	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Shannon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Waters	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Barber	....	assistant camera
Wynn Bowles	....	gaffer (as Wynn 'Bud' Bowles)
William N. Clark	....	camera operator (as William Clark)
Bud Howell	....	key grip (as Carmon 'Bud' Howell)
Cliff Ralke	....	assistant camera
Charles W. Short	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jules Melillo	....	key costumer
Glenn Wright	....	costume supervisor (as Glenn T. Wright)

Music Department
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Other crew
Jack Kosslyn	....	dialogue supervisor
Carey Loftin	....	special action sequences
Hope McLachlin	....	script supervisor
Tom Piskura	....	assistant to producer
Carol Rydall	....	secretary to producer

Production Companies

• Malpaso Company, The
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1974) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CBS Television Network (1976) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Sandrews (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2008) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (deluxe edition)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Burbank Studios, The  production equipment
• Burbank Studios, The  production services
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Magnum .44 (Argentina) (Peru) (Venezuela) [es]
Dirty Harry II - Callahan (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
À coups de magnum (Canada: French title) [fr]
Dirty Harry går amok (Denmark) [da]
Ena magnum 44 gia ton epitheoriti Callahan (Greece) [el]
Harry - O Detective em Acção (Portugal) [pt]
Harry el fort (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Harry, el fuerte (Spain) [es]
Magnum .44 (Finland) [fi]
Magnum .44 (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Silahin gücü (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Una 44 magnum per l'ispettore Callaghan (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:X (1973) (cut) | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (1974) (cut) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:16 | Peru:18 | Finland:K-15 (2008) (uncut) (video rating) | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Brazil:14 | Australia:R | Canada:18A | France:-12 | Italy:VM18 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 (cut) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

18th St. Overpass, Potrero Hill, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

Highest body count of all 'Dirty Harry' movies at 30.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After Callahan removes the bomb from his own mailbox, he looks up at a man on the nearby stairs. As a car drives by on the street, the lights from it cast the shadow of the boom operator onto the wall.

Quotes:

[someone knocks on Harry's door]
Harry Callahan: Who is it?
[no answer and there's another knock]
Harry Callahan: [takes gun out and aims it at door] Come on in.
Lieutenant Briggs: [enters] I don't like looking down one of those.
[Harry reholsters his gun]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Starsky and Hutch: Long Walk Down a Short Dirt Road (#2.21)" (1977)

First sequel to the classic

Ted Post directed and John Milius and Michael Cimino wrote this first sequel to Don Siegel's classic gritty police drama, Dirty Harry (1971). Magnum Force (1973) is not as near as effective or powerful as the first and original film, but this sequel is watchable and has its merits, too. Harry is now investigating strange killings of criminals, pimps, dirty politicians and others, so the killer is killing "bad guys" this time. Harry starts to investigate the cases, and he has his doubts about all this. Then the truth is revealed and also, unfortunately, spoilt in most of the reviews and comments I've read.

Harry has again his usual opponents, mostly his colleagues and superiors who don't accept his tough style. Harry wants to do justice, but by using his own ways and moral. If talking doesn't help, then the magnum .44 will. I don't think this or the first film are fascist, but realistic and honest, and extremely bleak depictions of world and society which is more or less collapsing because of its inhabitants. This film manages still to tell something about that, but the next sequel, The Enforcer, is pretty lame in comparison.

Magnum Force has pretty fat plot and many different characters and sub plots, without being too confusing. Towards the end, the film becomes perhaps too predictable and unbelievable, and I think the ending should have needed little tightening. Now it is little unnecessary shoot outs and nothing else. The film runs two hours, which is the longest running time in the "series", but still this manages to interest and even surprise, but if they had finished the film some 20 minutest earlier, this would be even more noteworthy film. Now it has nothing too important to offer during its finale, and so the finale becomes little unnecessary, in my opinion.

As an action film, this is pretty exciting and shot with talent. The action scenes are often fast and full of gunpowder and fire, so director Post can surely direct with skill. The film is pretty brutal and violent at times, and this again shows the fact that films this gritty and violent are not made in Hollywood nowadays, at least not too often. Magnum Force is much more easier and "positive" film than its predecessor, and that's why it hasn't got so many things to offer and give. This is pure action film where the first film was also many other things, too, like social commentary and talking about things many would not want to talk about. Magnum Force gets 7/10, but fortunately still has its positive things and even little bit of the power that made Dirty Harry so immortal.