Serpico (1973 Sidney Lumet)

I wasn't intending we should watch SERPICO at all, rather was pitching The New World as usual, with Charade or Casablanca on hand too, but it was one of those 'on the hard disc' moments. (Shortly after this I mentioned The New World once too often and am now forbidden to utter those words again.)

Peter Maas wrote the book, Waldo Salt (Midnight Cowboy, Coming Home) and Norman Wexler (Joe) the screen play. We seem to be watching a lot of New York films lately, which is fine. Unravelling of Serpico's life for being honest cop is Kafkaesque; at that time when American cinema was really doing something (can't imagine anything like this now).

Al Pacino (who actually starts to look like a pirate at one point), John Randolph, Tony Roberts, F Murray Abraham (uncred.) Thought I saw Ed O'Neill (Married with Children) as cop though apparently not.

ph. is Arthur J. Ornitz again, editing by Dede Allen, assisted by Richard Marks.