The Laughing Policeman - Bust A Gut

[@LarryGonzalez00]

Now you're talking. This genre of films is my favorite and I just watched an ace review of the gold standard. You're so right about Matthau. As much as I enjoy his comedic work, it was films like Face in the Crowd and Fail Safe that first made me a fan. Hearing that story about Dern's billing makes Walter that much cooler. Thanks Tony.

[@tonybush555]

Matthau was one of the funniest character actors Hollywood were ever lucky enough to have in their movies. Possibly, one of the most underestimated dramatic performers also. Whatever he was in he engaged the same acute and instinctive sensitivity that made his work special. TLP is his best screen performance, I think. Thanks for commenting, Larry. T.

[@chrisgrove7829]

Excellent review. These’d characters are real and more flawed than probably in Dirty Harry, and I thought that one did a great job of talking about San Francisco, during that era:)

[@tonybush555]

It certainly depicts a social/cultural melting pot with a keen eye. Thanks, Chris. T.

[@thatguyfromcetialphaV]

The introduction had me laughing my arse off

[@tonybush555]

Although a lot of the time it might not seem like it, to paraphrase John Connolly's Charlie Parker, I try not to disappoint. Thanks for commenting, thatguy. T.

[@tomsenior7405]

Nice one Tony, Cheers. Another grand old performance from Matthau, rewarded with your usual excellent Matthau-esque style of delivery . Matthau's trick was to play his comedy deadpan, whereas he played his serious roles deadpan. Thank you for all your hard work in bringing these episodes together. Bloody lovely

[@tonybush555]

You're more than welcome, Tom, it was a pleasure putting this one together. Many thanks. T.

[@tomsenior7405]

@@tonybush555 I was genuinely touched by your gesture of letting me know this ep was coming up. I found it impressive that you remembered a comment I made months back. That kind of commitment to your fans must demand super-powers on your part. Fair play to you. Immediately after I recently rewatched 'Laughing', I watched 'A New Leaf' again. Matthau plays the same cynical sod who seems incapable of interacting with Hoomans. Thanks again Tony. Cheers

[@tonybush555]

@@tomsenior7405 As happens quite consistently, someone mentions a film and it's already on my very (very) long list of potential review subjects. Three years in and I've barely scratched the surface. That can often trigger my focus on it. It's true when I say that I do this in the main to indulge myself and if no one watched I would still be doing it. But, if people are good enough to spend time watching and commenting then I feel it only right and fair I try to respond to that in some way - even if it amounts to little more than acknowledging a comment made. As the channel is niche and small, it's manageable in that respect - well, just about. Cheers, Tom. T.

[@stanleyneu]

Great review I have seen this movie several times and enjoy it. Walter Matthau was a great dramatic actor.

[@tonybush555]

Thank you, Stanley. Appreciated. T.

[@biddlestone]

Mr Ebert liked this one too!

[@tonybush555]

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[@moose6509]

Never seen this, so I´ll have to fix that. I´ll also have to rewatch the Laurel & Hardy masterpiece, The Piano : - )

[@tonybush555]

Yeah, yeah, I know. I'd finished the whole video, gearing up to publish it, listened to it one more time and thought "Why the hell did I call it The Piano? It's the f**cking Music Box! I know this!" So, either I correct it by re-recording and re-editing narration (long option) or slap some corrective text on the screen and just render the video again (short option). What can I tell you? Laziness prevailed. Besides, it's my birthday this month and I've set myself something of a challenge to - well, celebrate is the wrong word. I stopped celebrating birthdays decades ago. Mark the occasion, maybe. All I can say is it's a bit time-consuming and I must crack on if it's going to work. Oh, and it will involve the channel in a significant way. Cheers, Moose. T.

[@moose6509]

@tonybush555 Sounds intriguing, can't wait. Yes, I stopped celebrating birthdays long ago too. I believe it was mine a couple of weeks back. Thanks for all you do Tony.

[@backrowbrighton]

Really enjoyed the video Tony. The seventies were something of a golden age for the grounded in reality police flick. I've never seen this film but have been aware of it. I've checked and it was released in the UK under the title 'An Investigation of Murder', this was obviously done to avoid confusion with that comic song. It certainly has a great cast including that incredibly reliable acting warhorse Anthony Zerbe.

[@tonybush555]

Confusingly, it was another of those films like Karel Reisz's Who'll Stop The Rain that labored under two titles depending on time and geography. I certainly prefer the almost cruel irony of "The Laughing Policeman" that befits it way better. Thanks for commenting, Peter. T.

[@CaminoAir]

That alternate UK title is one of the worst I've come across. Makes this film sound like it could be one of the Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple movies.....although now I think of it, that famous Ron Goodwin Miss Marple theme would be interesting if dubbed over 'The Laughing Policeman'.

[@tonybush555]

@@CaminoAir Yeah makes you wonder how long it took them to come up with it. Not, long, I would imagine. "We got this film to distribute called The Laughing Policeman. I'm concerned that the great British public will confuse it with the Charles Penrose song from 1922!" "What's the film about?" "An investigation of murder." "Well, call it that, then."

[@johnsnadden4173]

On its original cinema release in Australia it was titled Investigation of a Murder. I think it was the same in UK, also. Whatever the title, it's a top-notch 1970's crime pic.

[@tonybush555]

Thank you for commenting, John. T.

[@mrpugster]

Another fantastic review, thank you so much Tony. I'm so far behind but I did give The Long Good Friday a watch yesterday based on your recommendation - wow. You bring these forgotten works of art back into the film mundane present, showing how great story-telling used to be.

[@tonybush555]

Thanks Mr Pugster. T.

[@AbrasiousProductions]

Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern?! T.. you never fail to excite me with introductions to films that so appeal to me, thanks mate👍❤

[@action1976]

I remember when this fim was shown on television, but it was under the UK title An Investigation of Murder. Which to be fair probably makes more sense than Per Wahloo's original tirle of the laughing policeman. That being said, it is another great film and great review. Have you done William Friedkin's Sorcerer a remake of Henri George Clouzot's 1953 film Wages of Fear. Both masterpieces, in my opinion.

[@tonybush555]

I certainly have, action1976. Sorcerer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5mcopxuh9prY5Y

[@AbrasiousProductions]

forgive me Tony but this film looks so brilliant, I may have to put off finishing this review until I've finished the film itself but just know as soon as I've watched it in a month or year or whatever time, I'll come directly back to this video✌

[@ClintEastwood74]

I thought this was a great police procedural film, they worked the case and interviewed witnesses and found the culprit. I found your channel after watching the Ulzana’s Raid video. I’ve also seen most of the films you’ve reviewed.

[@tonybush555]

Good to know. Thanks for commenting, ClintEastwood74. T.

[@graemewilson7975]

Another cracking review. I'm not convinced I've seen this but will make an attempt to remedy that. U mentioned Matthau relationship with diva Streisand (more of an aside) he reputedly told her on the set of Hello dolly that 'i have more talent in a fart' whether true or not it kinda gives you idea of what Matthau was like. I was unaware of the dern casting story , Matthau was always great straight actor -his arrogance in (character) in failsafe is phenomenal and even though hello dolly a crap movie , he and strangely Micheal Crawford scenes are best in it Anyway enough digression. Great review again look forward to next keep safe

[@tonybush555]

If you give it a watch, Graeme, let me know your thoughts. Thanks as always for commenting. T.

[@AbrasiousProductions]

I've heard this title before but I know virtually nothing about the plot nor the film itself, looks quite intriguing though, putting it on my calorific list👍

[@tonybush555]

Worth putting on the menu, Streed. Cheers. T.

[@robbush6822]

I've never seen this one. I just ordered the Blu-ray on eBay. It's out of print.

[@tonybush555]

Be interested to hear your thoughts, Rob. Many thanks. T.

[@tomsenior7405]

Thanks!

[@tonybush555]

Thank you for your kind generosity, Tom. I appreciate it. T.

[@thomaslee5204]

Nice video. Have you ever seen Vanishing Point? I watched it the other day, I reckon it would fit right in on this channel.

[@tonybush555]

I have indeed, Thomas Lee, and it's on my radar for some time in the future. Thanks for commenting. T.

[@MrRich1810]

Thanks

[@tonybush555]

Grateful thanks for your generosity, Richard. I'm indebted to you. T.

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

Have you seen The Kill List mate? A mad horror film

[@tonybush555]

Yes I have, Wayne. A savage and disturbing combination of crime thriller and the folk-horror genre. I used to have a lot of time for Ben Wheatley, a very atypical talent in this day and age to say the least. Then he went and made The Meg 2: The Trench. Almost impossible to credit that the same man responsible for Down Terrace, High Rise, A Field In England and Sightseers made that. Maybe it's true we all sell out in the end.

[@vitorafmonteiro]

There were a lot of people who cared in gays in 1973, and many who cared on it even 10 years later, I think the chalant-ness of it here is more a San Francisco local colour, that by then the normies were used to the "alphabet people" scene and was part of the local tradition now. (The difference a couple of years make, by the turn to the 1980s there was both a straight backlash and a LGBTI+ fight back around the time of Harvey Milk's murder in the city....) And I'm pretty sure plenty of people care on it now, we just mostly treat them as the off the reservation nuts they are, and so most of the noise which isn't made by their noisy vicious minority is made by normies screaming at each other accusing others of queerphobia or aggressively deffending themselves of the accusations. As meme goes, we truly live in a society... That aside, dramatic Matthau is always great, and Joan Cassidy... couldn't be better unless she were an unusualy attractive señorita, in Tony's words in a couple of western spaghetti videos (a type I'm glad we both share). If you insist so much, I'll call you sexist, T., feel free to call me that back just for the lulz.

[@AbrasiousProductions]

as someone who's regrettably apart of a generation I so despise, the usage of the term "masterpiece" is even more flanderized around me, I'm on a film critiquing platform called "Letterboxd" and you have no idea how many times I run into people saying that modern drivel like Barbie (2023) is a "masterpiece" or creepy pedophilic dreck like Call Me Back Your Name (2017) is also a "masterpiece" I'm well aware of the poor usage of this word so I only deem films with that moniker if they are deserving of it, genuine works of art such as Shaun Of The Dead (2004) The Labyrinth (1986) Figures In A Landscape (1970) my point's been made

[@tonybush555]

Yeah, you've picked up on what I'm getting at. I'm as guilty as the next person and I'm conscious that I feel I overuse the term which runs the risk of devaluing it and the subject. What I've done here is cite The Laughing Policeman as "director Stuart Rosenberg's masterpiece," meaning in comparison with his other films and from a creative directorial perspective. Rather than declaring it "a masterpiece" in global terms. I think I might need to work harder at contextualising things without resorting to including "in my opinion" before everything I say or pronouncement I make. Or, I might just be overthinking it. I haven't seen Barbie, it's not my type of thing, I have no interest in it, but I really struggle to understand what qualities it possesses that would define it as a masterpiece. Maybe someone who has seen it and thinks that way could tell me at some point. I've said it before and I'll say it again, for a young person of your generation, you are pretty unique, Streed. And I mean that in a positive complimentary way. Regards. T.

[@AbrasiousProductions]

@@tonybush555 it always makes my heart sing when you tell me I'm unique, it feels good to be the diamond in a sea of rocks, we may be different ages but I see a lot of myself in you and you probably see some of yourself in me :)

[@graemewilson7975]

Labyrinth A strange unique kids movie not just for kids

[@AbrasiousProductions]

@@graemewilson7975 I've loved that film since I was about 5-6 years old, I believe I own 2 copies on DVD