Tonight's Movie: Madigan (1968) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Richard Widmark stars in the title role as MADIGAN (1968), recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

Dan Madigan is a rough-edged New York detective who is known to skirt the edges of appropriate conduct, but he's also appreciated -- by everyone but his neglected wife (Inger Stevens) -- for his dedication to his job.

Unfortunately Madigan and his partner Rocco Bonaro (Harry Guardino) aren't cautious enough when they attempt to arrest Barney Benesch (Steve Ihnat), not realizing he's wanted for murder; Benesch pulls a fast one, takes the detectives' guns, and gets away.

Police Commissioner Anthony Russell (Henry Fonda) is none too pleased and gives the detectives an ultimatum to find Benesch in 72 hours. The very upright chief has additional problems on his mind, including the fact that it appears his old friend, Chief Inspector Charles Kane (James Whitmore), has been caught on tape providing a favor to a crook.

The Commissioner, however, is not as above reproach as he appears to the public; behind the scenes, he's having an affair with a married woman (Susan Clark).

As Madigan and Bonaro close in on Benesch, Benesch uses Madigan's gun to shoot two patrol cops, ratcheting up the urgency to bring him in without further loss of life.

I've been trying to catch more of director Don Siegel's films; last year I liked both THE KILLERS (1964) and ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ (1979) at the TCM Classic Film Festival, and I also rewatched the excellent CHARLEY VARRICK (1973) a few weeks ago thanks to Kino releasing it on Blu-ray as well. COOGAN'S BLUFF (1968) starring Clint Eastwood, released the same year as MADIGAN, is in my "watch" stack.

I enjoyed my first viewing of MADIGAN quite well, finding it an engrossing 101 minutes. The film does a good job balancing scenes of routine police work, personal and professional melodrama, and action. I found it an evocative depiction of life in a New York where crime seems to be edging a bit out of control; much of the film was actually shot in Los Angeles, but it's not as apparent that the locations were "cheated" as it is in some other films.

Neither of the lead characters is perfect, though they're generally good men trying to do tough jobs. Madigan isn't above taking freebies to ease living on a cop's budget, and he's not always understanding that his dedication to his job means many lonely hours for his wife; moreover, the entire problem with Benesch's escape begins due to too-casual, sloppy police work.

Widmark manages to retain audience sympathy while also being downright annoying at times given his blind spots. He's not a quitter, and when it comes time for the ultimate confrontation with Benesch, a heart-pounding close-range shootout, he insists on taking the lead in the most dangerous position.

The buttoned-up, seemingly cold Russell likewise wants to hold his department to the highest standards, then must wrestle with whether to excuse his friend from those same standards and find a way to loosen up, given extenuating circumstances. Unfortunately, when it comes to his personal romantic life, Russell's standards fly out the window. Fonda does a good job with a character whose stonelike demeanor covers up roiling tension underneath.

The healthiest character in the film is probably Bonaro, a happily married family man who makes more of an effort to check in and keep tabs on what's happening at home, reassuring his wife of his interest in her and their kids.

The film is colored with a variety of types played by pros like Sheree North, Michael Dunn, Virginia Gregg, Lloyd Gough, Warren Stevens, Don Stroud, and Woodrow Parfrey.

The movie was filmed in Techniscope by Russell Metty.

In 1972-'73 Widmark revived the character for half a dozen films in the NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie series. I'd be curious to see those.

The Kino Lorber Blu-ray is a very nice-looking widescreen print with excellent sound.

Extras include TV spots, the trailer, two additional trailers for films available from Kino Lorber, and a commentary track by film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.