Coogan's Bluff

Rating:
Summary: On the side of the law . . .
Review: The year 1968 was a busy one for Clint Eastwood, as Hang em High, Where Eagles Dare and Coogan's Bluff, all hit the big screen. Coogan's Bluff marks the first collaboration between Eastwood and director Don Siegel. The pair would team up in five other films, including Dirty Harry.

Deputy Sheriff Coogan (Eastwood) is an Arizona lawman sent to New York City to bring back extradited prisoner James Ringerman. A routine matter becomes complicated when Coogan is ambushed, and Ringerman escapes custody, leaving the chagrined lawman with bump on the head, and a burning desire to recapture him. Lee J. Cobb delivers a blustery performance as Lt. McElroy, the NYPD detective in charge of the case, exasperated by the out of towner's failure to follow established protocols. Employing the methods that served him well in Arizona, Coogan adapts to life in the big city as he tracks the fugitive, with a disturbed McElroy following in his wake. While not terribly deep, this is a very entertaining tale of pursuit set in the psychedelic 60's. Urban life is portrayed none too warmly, as city dwellers seem to prey on each other. The look at the clash of cultures is interesting, though brute force seems to work wherever you are. Eastwood became a star in spaghetti westerns, and while still playing a cowboy of sorts, he begins his transition to the cop roles that would become a standard for him in the 70's.

The supporting cast is terrific. Don Stroud is ideally suited to the role of Ringerman, and his performance is nearly flawless. You really want to slug the guy. Susan Clark is very good as a somewhat idealistic probation officer, smitten with the ways of the man from out west. Trisha Sterling's quirky off beat performance as Ringerman's spaced out girlfriend, "Linny Raven" is also well done. Sterling is the daughter of actress Ann Sothern. Also appearing in his first Eastwood film is Albert Popwell, the actor probably most well known for being asked at gunpoint if he "felt lucky" in Dirty Harry.

Thought of as a precursor to the TV program McCloud, Coogan's Bluff is grittier, and has a shorter time frame that compresses the action and raises the level of tension as it focuses on pursuit. The Eastwood/Siegel collaboration gets off to good start in the Big Apple. This is the also the first Eastwood film to feature a score by composer Lalo Schifrin. Highlights are his rousing opening theme, and the wacky Pigeon-Toed Orange Peel nightclub number. Ah yes, do you remember the 60's?


Rating:
Summary: Great Movie!
Review: This movie showcases Eastwood's progression from the Spaghetti westerns of the 1960's to Dirty Harry in the 1970's. Eastwood is the classic, un-politically correct (very refreshing) anti-hippie hero in this movie. Great action and great one liners ("You better drop that blade, or you won't believe what happens next, even while it's happening).

Rating:
Summary: COOGONS BLUFF
Review: VERY GOOD I LIKE EVERY THING FROM EASTWOOD

Rating:
Summary: COOGONS BLUFF
Review: VERY GOOD I LIKE EVERY THING FROM EASTWOOD