Rating: 
Summary: The nitty gritty of police work.
Review:
Director: Don Siegel
Format: Color
Studio: Universal Studios
Video Release Date: January 5, 1999
Cast: Richard Widmark ... Det. Daniel Madigan
Henry Fonda ... Commissioner Anthony X. Russell
Inger Stevens ... Julia Madigan
Harry Guardino ... Det. Rocco Bonaro
James Whitmore ... Chief Insp. Charles Kane
Susan Clark ... Tricia Bentley
Michael Dunn ... Midget Castiglione
Steve Ihnat ... Barney Benesch
Don Stroud ... Hughie
Sheree North ... Jonesy
Warren Stevens ... Capt. Ben Williams
Raymond St. Jacques ... Dr. Taylor
Bert Freed ... Chief of Detectives Lynch
Harry Bellaver ... Mickey Dunn
Frank Marth ... Lt. James Price
Lloyd Gough ... Earl Griffin
Virginia Gregg ... Esther Newman
Henry Beckman ... Philip Downes
Richard O'Brien ... Det. O'Brien
Woodrow Parfrey ... Marvin
Robert Granere ... Buster
Dallas Mitchell ... Tom Gavin
Lloyd Haynes ... Sam Woodley
Rita Lynn ... Rita Bonaro
Ray Montgomery ... Det. O'Mara
Gloria Calomee ... Policewoman Doris Hawkins
Seth Allen ... Subway dispatcher
Robert Ball ... Prisoner
Kay Turner ... Stella
Albert Henderson ... Lt. Strong
Toian Matchinga ... Rosita
Abel Fernández ... Det. Rodriguez
Paul Sorenson ... Benesh Look-Alike in Saloon
Robert Biheller ... Man
Ollie O'Toole ... Man
Al Dunlap ... Man
Pepe Hern ... Man
Scott Hale ... Ambulance driver
Sean Kennedy ... Man
Bob O'Connell ... Man
Conrad Bain ... Hotel clerk
Ed Crowley ... Man at precinct
Tom Rosqui ... Man
Diane Sayer ... Doreen
Mina MartÃnez ... Woman
Kathleen O'Malley ... Woman
Elizabeth Fleming ... Woman
Madeline Clive ... Woman
Philippa Bevans ... Mrs. Hewitt
Nina Varela ... Woman
Kate Harrington ... Woman
Al Ruban ... Kowalski
Lincoln Kilpatrick ... Patrolman Grimes
Ralph Smiley ... Captain
John McLiam ... Dunne
James Nolan ... Detective
Hal Taggart ... Dance Extra
William Bramley ... O'Brien
Ralph Brooks ... Dance Extra Originally planned to be titled "The Commissioner," Fonda thought he had the title role, but it was re-titled Madigan, Widmark's part, which miffed Fonda who had an ego problem. However, he had played five movies with Widmark, whom he liked and respected, so he swallowed his ego. But it always bothered him that he had been relegated to the second string. This is the story about policemen and their wives, friends, and colleagues. A good friend and coworker once told me that prison work involved weeks, months, and often years of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror. He was right. This movie, and most such films, show a succession of the "moments of sheer terror" pretty much to the exclusion of the boredom, because boredom does not make a good story, of course. Still, the stress and pressure are relatively constant, and that is perhaps why the divorce rate among peace officers is so high. This story graphically depicts how the policemens' marriages suffer from the stress. In that respect, it accurately depicts, I think, one slice of reality. I base my opinion on twenty years spent working in prisons--a differenct occupation, but similar in many ways. Daniel Madigan and Rosco Bonaro are detectives--partners--who, while making a bust allow the crook to get the drop on them, get their weapons, and get away. They are given 72 hours to catch him. It turns out that he has been upgraded from a suspect to a killer. The Police Commissioner, Anthony Russell (Henry Fonda) is most interested in the case and under pressure himself, maritally as well as professionally. This film was, accidentally or on purpose, a good portrayal of some of the aspects of a policeman's life, although when the dangers are so telegraphed together for the sake of the story, it does have the effect of making it a caricature of reality, rather than the true depiction of reality it purports to be. Nevertheless, I recommend the film. Joseph (Joe) Pierre
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books
Rating:
Summary: 'Madigan' is enjoyable police drama
Review: As others have noted, "Madigan" is at its best in basic cops-and-robbers mode, when Detectives Dan Madigan (Richard Widmark) and Rocco Bennaro (Harry Guardino) are pursuing insanely dangerous gunman Barney Benesch (Steve Ihnat). Director Don Siegel knows what he's doing when it comes to movement and violence, and that's more than evident here.
A subplot involving the embattled police commissioner (Henry Fonda) and his struggle with possible graft on the part of his long-time friend and captain (James Whitmore) works reasonably well. The commissioner's affair with a married woman (Susan Clark) isn't too much of a distraction, especially since Clark is nice to look at, as usual. But the subplot that doesn't work is the unhappiness of Madigan's wife (Inger Stevens). Stevens does what she can to bring the woman to life, but the script defeats her, particularly in a scene following a police ball. Production values are very high, as 1968 New York emerges vividly in the location shooting. Don Costa's score deserves to be released on CD - it's a very memorable and exciting one, especially the main title and the build-up to the climax.
Rating: 
Summary: Historical Interest Only
Review: Considering all the talent involved why is the film as disappointing as it is. Start with a script that can't decide whether it's third-rate soap opera or second-rate police drama, with enough trite sub-plots and dialogue to border on self-parody. Fleshing out the private lives behind the badges may be a workable idea, but here the many subplots detract rather than add to the overall effect. Then there are the performances. Widmark's aging Madigan appears not so much a burned-out case as an expressionless cypher, whose presence leaves the audience with nothing much to root for, and a long way from Widmark's usual intensity. Then too, whose idea was it to have the street tough Madigan go through an embarrassingly bad comedy scene with Henry Fonda that should have stayed on the cutting room floor, but somehow didn't. There's also Fonda's turn as police commissioner, a role that must have required him to swallow an ice cube first and a lemon second, because throughout, he appears too frozen to unbend and too sour to smile, a combination that results in a grimly overdone portrait of moral rectitude. (Just the thought of his character coupling with Susan Clarke is about as plausible as pairing Cher with Jerry Fallwell.) In fact, the entire cast apart from the poignant Inger Stevens, appears to be doing their scenes by the numbers, which is technically the fault of director Don Siegel. Except Siegel is a Hollywood master, who ordinarily directs with style and verve, and specializes in police-action dramas; yet here, with the exception of the shoot-out, there's none of the usual snap or polish. My guess is he took one look at the script and went for the payday, as did everyone else. I suspect too -- as another reviewer points out -- that the film's basic problem lies with the studio, Universal, which only recently had specialized in Doris Day comedy fluff. Here however it's 1966-67 -- city ghettos are on fire, change is in the air, and Hollywood is trying to play catch up. Though praised at the time, Madigan is now little more than proof of how painful the process was.
Rating: 
Summary: Clunky '60s dialogue and music
Review: I read many reviews of this 1968 Don Siegal opus and all were enthusiastic. I like Dirty Harry from Siegal, but was extrememely disappointed with this film. It feels like a pilot for Sunday Mystery Movie (of course the nudity in one of the first scenes ruled that out), and it never got better. The parallel stories of detecitve Richard Widmark trying to find a criminal who had made him look the fool, and the moral dilemnas faced by Henry Fond (the police commissioner) never come together. In fact, I never understood why these two characters were in the same film. In one scene where they meet at a black tie social affar, the dialogue and acting between the two are so uncomfortable, I actually laughed out loud. In fact, that is my big gripe with the whole movie. There seems to be so much unmotivated conflict and unexplained resolution, I was left, at best, confused. Why Henry Fonda lets one of his best friends off the hook after he learns he is "on the take" is unresolved. Why Madigan has such a temptestuous relationship with his wife (Inger Stevens) is likewise unmotivated. I just felt the scriptwriters had two or three story lines and strung them together. I know life is filled with many parallel stories and events. These just don't seem to have anything to do with each other. And if that weren't enough, Don Costa's bombastic score constantly calls attention to itself, actually distracting me from the movie. All in all, my wife and I were left flat and we did not care about any of these characters, even after the surprise ending.
Rating:
Summary: Clunky '60s dialogue and music
Review: I read many reviews of this 1968 Don Siegal opus and all were enthusiastic. I like Dirty Harry from Siegal, but was extrememely disappointed with this film. It feels like a pilot for Sunday Mystery Movie (of course the nudity in one of the first scenes ruled that out), and it never got better. The parallel stories of detecitve Richard Widmark trying to find a criminal who had made him look the fool, and the moral dilemnas faced by Henry Fond (the police commissioner) never come together. In fact, I never understood why these two characters were in the same film. In one scene where they meet at a black tie social affar, the dialogue and acting between the two are so uncomfortable, I actually laughed out loud. In fact, that is my big gripe with the whole movie. There seems to be so much unmotivated conflict and unexplained resolution, I was left, at best, confused. Why Henry Fonda lets one of his best friends off the hook after he learns he is "on the take" is unresolved. Why Madigan has such a temptestuous relationship with his wife (Inger Stevens) is likewise unmotivated. I just felt the scriptwriters had two or three story lines and strung them together. I know life is filled with many parallel stories and events. These just don't seem to have anything to do with each other. And if that weren't enough, Don Costa's bombastic score constantly calls attention to itself, actually distracting me from the movie. All in all, my wife and I were left flat and we did not care about any of these characters, even after the surprise ending.
Rating:
Summary: Madigan is classic cheese again
Review: Madigan rocks! I don't know why Widescreen Review rated this beautiful DVD so low on their 5 scale, since they're usually pretty accurate. But I'd give it at least a 3.5 or 4 for image and a 3.5 or 4 for sound. (I give it an overall 4 instead of 5 on Amazon.com only because of the lack of an audio commentary. I would have loved to hear Mr. Widmark's take on the film.) Well, what can one say about Madigan, a fine collection of classic kitch de jour from the good old Universal Studio tour of vintage cheese? You can't beat a lovely limberger lineup like Hank (The Swarm) Fonda, Richard (Kiss Of Death) Widmark, Harry (Houseboat) Guardino, Inger (Farmer's Daughter) Stevens, James (Them) Whitmore, Michael (Wild, Wild West) Dunn, Susan (Babe) Clark, Warren (Twilight Zone-Star Trek) Stevens, Steve (sleazeball) Ihnat, Don (the pimp) Stroud, and Sheree (party girl) North. It rarely gets any better than this, and that includes the music's hard-driving, juiced up horns and sprinting violins sounding off every few minutes. And since Madigan isn't director Don Siegel's (1912-1991) only cheese cult masterpiece, I'll close with a list of his main fromage fan favorites: The Big Steal (1949)
Riot In Cell Block 11 (1954)
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)
Crime In The Streets (1956)
Baby Face Nelson (1957)
Madigan (1968)
Dirty Harry (1971)
Charley Varrick (1973)
The Shootist (1976) In short, Siegel was regal.
Rating:
Summary: 60's police drama...
Review: New York City detectives Madigan (Richard Widmark) and Bonaro (Harry Guardino), mess up making a routine arrest, allowing a murderer (Steve Ihnat) to escape. This sets the stage for a look at the activities of the NYPD over a three-day period, while the two detectives try to recapture their man. "Madigan" follows two loosely connected story lines, one the pursuit of the fugitive, and the second involves the activities of the Police Commissioner (PC), played by a prim Henry Fonda. This separation of focus, keeps the movie from reaching it's full potential, as the story elements related to the PC are banal and distract from the chase. There is almost no personal interaction between Madigan and the Commissoner to connect the two stories, and keep the movie's focus tight. While the detectives follow leads to the killer, the PC deals with corruption, accusations of misconduct, and his own moral hypocrisy. The film does boast a top-notch cast, including Inger Stevens, James Whitmore, Michael Dunn, Don Stroud, Susan Clark and Sheree North. Ihnat is particularly effective as the vicious killer on the run. Stevens is luscious as Madigan's attention starved wife. And Clark is the Commissioner's adulterous young mistress. "Love", Hollywood style is wonderfully realistic, matching the young with the old. Widmark (54) is paired with Stevens (34), and Fonda (63) with Clark (28). "Madigan" is dated, and may not be well received by today's audience. What was gritty action back then, is tame by today's standards. But if you are into the late 60's, you will probably enjoy the many familiar faces found here. Brought to you by the same people who did the NBC Mystery Theater, and programs like Colombo, McCloud, McMillian, and Banacek.
Rating:
Summary: 60's police drama...
Review: New York City detectives Madigan (Richard Widmark) and Bonaro (Harry Guardino), mess up making a routine arrest, allowing a murderer (Steve Ihnat) to escape. This sets the stage for a look at the activities of the NYPD over a three-day period, while the two detectives try to recapture their man. "Madigan" follows two loosely connected story lines, one the pursuit of the fugitive, and the second involves the activities of the Police Commissioner (PC), played by a prim Henry Fonda. This separation of focus, keeps the movie from reaching it's full potential, as the story elements related to the PC are banal and distract from the chase. There is almost no personal interaction between Madigan and the Commissoner to connect the two stories, and keep the movie's focus tight. While the detectives follow leads to the killer, the PC deals with corruption, accusations of misconduct, and his own moral hypocrisy. The film does boast a top-notch cast, including Inger Stevens, James Whitmore, Michael Dunn, Don Stroud, Susan Clark and Sheree North. Ihnat is particularly effective as the vicious killer on the run. Stevens is luscious as Madigan's attention starved wife. And Clark is the Commissioner's adulterous young mistress. "Love", Hollywood style is wonderfully realistic, matching the young with the old. Widmark (54) is paired with Stevens (34), and Fonda (63) with Clark (28). "Madigan" is dated, and may not be well received by today's audience. What was gritty action back then, is tame by today's standards. But if you are into the late 60's, you will probably enjoy the many familiar faces found here. Brought to you by the same people who did the NBC Mystery Theater, and programs like Colombo, McCloud, McMillian, and Banacek.
Rating:
Summary: Journeyman Cop Movie.
Review: One can only wonder what might have been made of a pretty good story with a great cast and director if it had been made somewhere other than the Universal factory which churned out more garbage over the decades than practically any other studio. Constrained by the loosening but not yet free film-making environment of 1968, Don Siegel keeps the film moving at a brisk pace while alternating his story from the efforts of two detectives (Richard Widmark & Harry Guardino) with 48 hrs to redeem themselves after losing the drop-on and their guns to a suspect, and the political and personal problems of the NY Police Commissioner (Henry Fonda). This view of the street cops who can and will bend the rules and the politics and stresses at the top of the beauracracy was fresh in 1968, but have been done to death since with the result that Madigan seems tame and dated now. While a little tougher in depiction for its time, and aided by location shooting and a tad more sexual explicitness, the movie is quaintly on that cusp between the sanitized early 60's and the explosion of explicit sex and violence in film that was yet to come. It bends the stereotypes but it doesn't break them. Still and all, Don Siegel was a director that could move a story, and no film with Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, James Whitmore and Inger Stevens is without interest or merit. I was still entertained and found the characters & story very watchable, but I could only wish for a different studio and a later time that would have allowed for a grittier and more honest film. Nonetheless, it was a solid effort and had something to say about the dilemmas and conflicts of loyalty and honesty and doing the right thing. A good film at 3-1/2 stars that with this cast & story, might have been much better.
Rating: 
Summary: GOLD STANDARD FOR ITS TIME
Review: Richard Dougherty's THE COMMISSIONER, upon which MADIGAN, is based was one of the first works of fiction to accurately portray cops problems away from the station house. MADIGAN, one of the best films of 1968, is true to that part of the book and Don Siegel implants his own brand of genius on the rest. MADIGAN shows a not too distant era when there were blood-and-guts hat wearing detectives who worked their own angles to solve their cases. The portrayls by Widmark and Guardino are lasting and solid to the core. For it's time, MADIGAN was a gold standard in police procedurals. The NYC landscape bolstered by the Don Costa soundtrack is stunning.
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