Dirty Harry

Dirty Harry
Film poster by Bill Gold
Directed by	Don Siegel
Produced by	Don Siegel Robert Daley
Written by	Screenplay: Harry Julian Fink R.M. Fink Dean Riesner Story: Harry Julian Fink R.M. Fink Uncredited: John Milius Terrence Malick
Starring	Clint Eastwood Andy Robinson Harry Guardino Reni Santoni John Vernon
Music by	Lalo Schifrin
Cinematography	Bruce Surtees
Editing by	Carl Pingitore
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	December 22, 1971 (1971-12-22)
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$4,000,000
Gross revenue	$35,976,000
Followed by	Magnum Force

Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime film produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan.

Dirty Harry was a critical and commercial success and set the style for a whole genre of police films. The film was followed by four sequels: Magnum Force in 1973, The Enforcer in 1976, Sudden Impact in 1983 (directed by Eastwood himself), and The Dead Pool in 1988.

In 2008, Dirty Harry was selected by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.

[edit] Plot

A sadistic serial killer who calls himself "Scorpio" (Andy Robinson) murders a young woman in a San Francisco rooftop swimming pool, using a high-powered .30-06 hunting rifle from the top of 555 California Street. SFPD Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) finds a ransom message promising his next victims will be "a Catholic priest or a nigger" if the city does not pay $100,000. The chief of police and the Mayor (John Vernon) assign the inspector to the case.

Callahan notices a bank robbery in progress. After a violent shoot-out between himself and the robbers the inspector—alone with his .44 Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver—challenges one of the robbers, who lies wounded on the ground near a loaded 12 gauge Winchester Model 1912 shotgun:

I know what you're thinking — "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood)

The robber surrenders; Callahan's gun was, in fact, empty.

Callahan is assigned a rookie partner, Chico Gonzalez (Reni Santoni). The veteran officer notes that his partners always get injured or worse so he needs someone experienced, but has no choice.

A police helicopter foils Scorpio while he is targeting a black man in a park, but the killer escapes and later kills a young black boy from another rooftop. The police believes the killer will next pursue a Catholic priest. They set up teams on rooftops throughout the city but leave the North Beach rooftop Scorpio used in his disrupted murder attempt clear, and provide as volunteer target a priest at the Sts. Peter and Paul Church. Callahan and Gonzalez wait for Scorpio on an adjacent rooftop. When Scorpio appears a shootout ensues but he escapes, killing an officer.

Scorpio kidnaps, rapes, and buries alive a teenage girl Ann Marie Deacon (Debralee Scott), then contacts the city and demands twice his previous ransom before the girl's air runs out. The mayor decides to pay, and tells Callahan to deliver the money with no tricks. Without permission, the inspector wears a wire and tapes a knife alongside his shin. Scorpio sends Callahan to various payphones throughout the city to separate the inspector from any backup, but his partner follows him.

The chase ends at the enormous cross at Mount Davidson. Scorpio instructs Callahan to drop his gun and the money, viciously beats the inspector, and plans to both let the girl die and kill the inspector. Gonzalez arrives and saves his partner but is shot; Callahan stabs Scorpio in the leg with his knife, but the killer escapes without the money. Gonzalez survives his wound, but later tells Callahan he will resign from the force.

Scorpio being tortured by Callahan on the field of Kezar Stadium

The doctor who treated Scorpio tells Callahan and his new partner, Frank DiGiorgio, that he has seen Scorpio in nearby Kezar Stadium. Running out of time, the officers search the killer's room without a warrant. Callahan hears Scorpio fleeing and chases him, shooting the killer in his previously stabbed leg. When Scorpio refuses to reveal the location of the girl and instead asks for a lawyer, Callahan tortures the killer by standing on the leg. The police exhume the dead girl from a hill overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

Because Callahan broke into his home illegally and tortured him to obtain a confession, Scorpio is released without charge. As Scorpio's rifle was seized improperly, it cannot be used as evidence and the District Attorney decides that he cannot be charged with any of the other murders. An outraged Callahan follows Scorpio on his own time. The killer pays a thug to give him (Scorpio) a severe, but controlled beating, then claims that the inspector is responsible. The police chief orders Callahan to stop following Scorpio, despite his protest that he did not beat the killer.

Scorpio (Andrew Robinson) holds a boy hostage before being shot by Callahan in the arm.

Scorpio assaults a liquor store owner, takes the store owner's Walther P-38 pistol, and kidnaps a school bus load of children. He demands another ransom and a jet to take him out of the country. The mayor again insists on paying but Callahan refuses to deliver the money this time, instead pursuing Scorpio without authorization. The inspector jumps onto the top of the bus from a railroad trestle. The killer stops the bus and runs into a nearby rock quarry, where he has a gun battle with Callahan. Scorpio retreats until he takes a young boy as a hostage.

The inspector pretends to be willing to surrender then shoots the killer in the shoulder. The boy escapes and Callahan stands over Scorpio, gun drawn. The inspector reprises his "Do you feel lucky, punk?" speech. Unlike the bank robber, Scorpio tries his luck and, laughing maniacally, reaches for his gun. The inspector shoots him in the chest, propelling Scorpio into the water. As Callahan watches the dead body float on the surface, he takes out his inspector's badge, hurls it into the water, and walks away.

[edit] Cast

• Clint Eastwood as Insp. Harry Callahan
• Andrew Robinson (credited as Andy Robinson) as the "Scorpio Killer"
• Harry Guardino as Lt. Al Bressler
• Reni Santoni as Insp. Chico Gonzalez
• John Larch as Police Chief
• John Mitchum as Insp. Frank DiGeorgio
• John Vernon as The Mayor
• Ruth Kobart as Bus Driver
• Woodrow Parfrey as Jaffe
• Lois Foraker as Hot Mary
• Jim Smither as Rothko
• William Patterson as Bannerman
• Craig Kelly as Reineke
• Albert Popwell as Bank Robber

[edit] Production

[edit] Development

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009)

According to Mark Whitman's book, The Films of Clint Eastwood, the original draft for the script was titled "Dead Right" by Harry Julian and Rita Fink. It was set in New York City, not San Francisco, California, and ended with a police sniper instead of Callahan taking out Scorpio. Another earlier version of the story was set in Seattle, Washington. Four more drafts of the script were written. John Milius wrote a draft of the film inspired by Akira Kurosawa's studies in lone-gun detectives. Quite a bit of Milius' script remains in the finished film, including Harry's mystique and his "Do I feel lucky?" monologue. Terrence Malick wrote a draft of the film in which Scorpio was a vigilante who killed wealthy criminals who had escaped justice. Malick's ideas formed the basis for the sequel, Magnum Force.

When producer Jennings Lang initially could not find an actor to take the role of Callahan, he sold the film rights to ABC Television. Although ABC wanted to turn it into a television film, the amount of violence in the script was deemed too excessive for television, so the rights were sold to Warner.^[1]

Initially, Warner Bros. wanted either Sydney Pollack or Irvin Kershner to direct. Kershner was eventually hired when Frank Sinatra was attached to the title role. But when Sinatra eventually left the film, so did Kershner. Eastwood pushed for Don Siegel when he was cast in the film.^[2]

The character Dirty Harry is allegedly based on real life San Francisco police inspector Dave Toschi, one of the investigators of the Zodiac murders. Writer John Milius has also mentioned being influenced by a friend of his, a Long Beach police officer who dealt with criminals in a rather summary fashion. According to Milius, his friend "rarely brought people back" but was, contrastingly, extremely gentle with animals.

Scorpio, the film's antagonist, was based on the real-life Zodiac Killer, who was on the loose in the San Francisco Bay Area at the time. In a later novelization of the film, Scorpio was referred to as "Charles Davis," an escaped Canadian mental patient who murdered his grandparents while still a teenager.

[edit] Casting

Although Dirty Harry is arguably Clint Eastwood's signature role, he was not a top contender for the part. Originally the character of Harry Calahan was written as a man in his mid to late 50's. Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Burt Lancaster, and Frank Sinatra were all offered the role. Sinatra actually accepted the role, however he had broken his wrist during the filming of The Manchurian Candidate eight years previously, and during contract negotiations, he found the large handgun too unwieldy. Additionally, his father had recently died, and Sinatra decided he wanted to do some lighter material. After Sinatra left the project, the producers started to consider younger actors for the role. Marlon Brando was considered for the role, but was never formally approached. Both Steve McQueen and Paul Newman turned down the role. Believing the character was too "right-wing" for him,^[2] Newman suggested that the film would be a good vehicle for Eastwood. One of Eastwood's stipulations for accepting the role was the change of locale to San Francisco. Eastwood has claimed that he took the role of Harry Callahan because of the character's obsessive concern with the victims of violent crime. Eastwood felt that the issue of victims' rights was being overshadowed by the political atmosphere of the time.

Audie Murphy was first approached to play the Scorpio Killer, but he died in a plane crash before his decision on the offer could be made. The part eventually went to a relatively unknown actor, Andy Robinson. Siegel told Robinson that he cast him in the role of the Scorpio killer because he wanted someone "with a face like a choirboy." Robinson's portrayal was so memorable that after the film was released he reportedly received several death threats and was forced to get an unlisted telephone number. In real life, Robinson is a pacifist who despises guns. In the early days of principal photography, Robinson would flinch violently every time he fired. Director Don Siegel was forced to shut down production for a time and sent Robinson to a school to learn to fire a gun convincingly.^[3] Nonetheless, he still blinks when he shoots. Robinson also reportedly was squeamish about filming the scene where he verbally and physically abuses several schoolchildren. When Kershner and Sinatra were still attached to the project, James Caan was under consideration for the role of Scorpio.

[edit] Principal photography

Eastwood performed the stunt in which he jumps on to the roof of the hijacked school bus from a bridge, without a stunt double. His face is clearly visible throughout the shot. Eastwood also directed the suicide-jumper scene.

The line, "My, that's a big one," spoken by Scorpio when Callahan removes his gun, was an ad-lib by Andrew Robinson. The crew broke down in laughter as a result of the double entendre and the scene had to be re-shot, but the line stayed.

The final scene, in which Callahan throws his badge into the water, is an homage to a similar scene from 1952's High Noon.^[4] Eastwood initially did not want to toss the badge, believing it indicated that Callahan was quitting the police department. Siegel argued that tossing the badge was instead Callahan's indication of casting away the inefficiency of the police force's rules and bureaucracy.^[4] Although Eastwood was able to convince Siegel not to have Callahan toss the badge, when the scene was filmed, Eastwood changed his mind and went with the current ending.^[4]

[edit] Filming locations

The first scene of the film includes a memorial, located in the Hall of Justice in San Francisco

In San Francisco, California:

• 555 California Street
• California Hall, 625 Polk Street (until recently, the California Culinary Academy)
• San Francisco City Hall
• Hall of Justice - 850 Bryant Street
• Forest Hill Station
• Hilton San Francisco Financial District, 750 Kearny Street - rooftop swimming pool in opening scenes
• Kezar Stadium - Frederick Street, Golden Gate Park
• Dolores Park, Mission District
• Mount Davidson
• Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Washington Square, 666 Filbert Street
• Washington Square, North Beach
• Big Al's, 556 Broadway St.
• Roaring 20's strip club, 552 Broadway
• North Beach, San Francisco

Other locations:

• Larkspur Landing — scene of Callahan and Scorpio's showdown, known as the Hutchinson's Rock Quarry when filmed
• Greenbrae, California
• Mill Valley, California
• Universal Studios Hollywood — San Francisco Street (Hot dog café / Bank robbery sequence)

[edit] Music

The soundtrack for Dirty Harry was created by composer Lalo Schifrin, who had previously collaborated with director Don Siegel in the production of Coogan's Bluff and The Beguiled, both also starring Clint Eastwood. Schifrin fused a wide variety of influences, including classical music, jazz, psychedelic rock, along with Edda Dell'Orso-style vocals, into a score that "could best be described as acid jazz some 25 years before that genre began." According to one reviewer, the Dirty Harry soundtrack's influence "is paramount, heard daily in movies, on television, and in modern jazz and rock music."^[5][6]

[edit] Release

[edit] Critical reception

Dirty Harry was well received by critics and is regarded as one of the best films of 1971.^[7][8][9] The film holds a 95% approval rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.^[10] The film was nominated at the Edgar Allan Poe Awards for Best Motion Picture.^[11] In 2008, Dirty Harry was selected by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.^[12] It was placed similarly on The Best 1000 Movies Ever Made list by The New York Times.^[13] In January 2010, Total Film included the film on its list of The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.^[14]

[edit] Box office performance

The benefit world premiere of Dirty Harry was held at Loews Theater on Market Street (San Francisco), on 22 December 1971.^[15] The film made a total of $35,976,000 in the U.S. theatrical release,^[16] making it a major financial success in comparison with its modest $4 million budget.^[17]

[edit] Home media

Warner Home Video owns rights to the Dirty Harry series. Dirty Harry (1971) has been remastered for DVD three times — in 1998, 2001 and 2008. It has been repurposed for several DVD box sets. Dirty Harry made its high-definition debut with the 2008 Blu-ray Disc. The commentator on the 2008 DVD is Clint Eastwood biographer Richard Schickel.^[18]

[edit] Legacy

Dirty Harry received recognition from the American Film Institute. The film was ranked #41 on 100 Years…100 Thrills, a list of America's most heart-pounding movies.^[19] Harry Callahan was selected as the 17th greatest movie hero on 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains.^[20] The movie's infamous quote "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" was ranked 51st on 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes.^[21] Dirty Harry was also on the ballot for several other AFI's 100 series lists including 100 Years... 100 Movies,^[22] 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition),^[23] and 100 Years of Film Scores.^[24]

[edit] Real life copycat crime & killers

The movie inspired a real life crime.^[25] In October 1972, soon after the release of the movie in Australia, two armed men kidnapped a teacher and 6 school children in Victoria, Australia. They demanded a $1 million ransom. The state government agreed to pay but the children managed to escape and the kidnappers were subsequently jailed. Coincidently, one of the men's last name was Eastwood.^[26]

[edit] Influence

Clint Eastwood's iconic portrayal of the blunt, cynical, unorthodox detective who is seemingly in perpetual trouble with his incompetent bosses, set the style for a number of his later roles and, indeed, a whole genre of cop films. The film resonated with an American public that had become weary and frustrated with the increasing violent urban crime that was characteristic of the time. The box-office success of Dirty Harry led to the production of four sequels.

The film caused controversy when it was released, sparking debate over issues ranging from police brutality to victims' rights and the nature of law enforcement. Film critic Roger Ebert, while praising the film's technical merits, denounced the film for its "fascist moral position."^[27] A section of the Philippine police force ordered a print of the film for use as a training film.^[28][29] The motif of a cop who cares more for justice than rules was one subsequently imitated by a number of other films. The film can also be counted as the seminal influence on the Italian tough-cop films, Poliziotteschi, which dominated the 1970s and that were critically praised in Europe and the U.S. as well.

Dirty Harry helped popularize the Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver, chambered for the powerful .44 Magnum cartridge. The film initiated an increase in sales of the powerful handgun, which continues to be popular some thirty-five years after the film's release.^{[citation needed]} The .44 Magnum ranked second in a 2008 20th Century Fox poll of the most popular film weapons, after only the lightsaber of Star Wars fame. The poll surveyed approximately two thousand film fans.^[30]

[edit] In popular culture

• Gorillaz songs "Dirty Harry" and "Clint Eastwood" are both cultural references to this movie.
• One "detective" character in the Warhammer Fantasy novel Beasts in Velvet written by Kim Newman is called "Harald Kleindienst", nickname "Filthy Harald", an obvious pun on "Dirty Harry". A contemporary drawing of this character in White Dwarf (UK) 140 also closely resembles Eastwood.
• In the film Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen picks up a handgun in a weapon shop in Texas, and states "I am like movie star Dirty Harold, Make a'my day, Jew", making a reference to Eastwood's character the popular catchphrase of Sudden Impact, the fourth film in the Dirty Harry series.^{[original research?]}
• In the 2007 film Zodiac, Dirty Harry can be seen being played at a movie theatre in the midst of the Zodiac murders.
• In the 2004 crime thriller film A History of Violence the main villain says to the hero "We should leave before he goes all dirty-harry on us."
• In the episode "Patriot Act" of Justice League Unlimited, Vigilante and Shining Knight had an argument about a character Clint Eastwood played in a movie. It's most likely about the film Dirty Harry.
• The 1988 buddy cop film Red Heat main character Art Ridžić played by James Belushi says to his partner "Come on everybody knows the magnum 44 is the big boy in the black. Why do you think Dirty Harry uses it?"
• The 1993 comedy film National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 Emilio Estevez parodies at the opening scene in the convenience store moments after shooting the robbers saying "I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking 'did he fire 173 times or 174? Well, do you feel lucky, punk?'"
• The Yuri's Revenge expansion of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 features an Allied campaign mission where the commander can enlist the service of one "Flint Westwood" to assist in the recapture of Los Angeles (which includes Hollywood); he not only sports a very similar accent as Eastwood but also is armed with a powerful handgun that makes short works of enemy infantry units.
• In the fourth season of "Dexter," there is an episode titled "Dirty Harry."
• In the 1988 comedy movie, The Naked Gun, the scene where the main character says "Well, when I see five weirdos, dressed in togas, stabbing a man in the middle of the park in full view of a hundred people, I shoot the bastards, that's *my* policy!" is a direct parody of a similar scene in this movie.

[edit] See also

• Clint Eastwood in the 1970s

[edit] References

• Eliot, Marc (2009). American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood. Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-307-33688-0. 

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Dirty Harry

• Official DVD Site
• Internet Movie Database
• Allmovie
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Box Office Mojo
• The Dirtiest fan site
• Research guide to filming locations seen in Dirty Harry

Quicklinks:

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