Movie Type: Action Thriller, Police Detective Film
Themes: Culture Clash, Rogue Cops
Main Cast: John Wayne, Richard Attenborough, Judy Geeson, Mel Ferrer, John Vernon
Release Year: 1975
Country: UK
Run Time: 111 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
This offbeat John Wayne vehicle casts the Duke as Detective Jim Brannigan, an Irish-American detective at large in London. After the requisite culture-clash routines, it's down to business as Brannigan teams with Scotland Yard official Commander Swann (Richard Attenborough) to corral a crook who has absconded to England to avoid extradition. Judy Geeson co-stars as Jennifer Thatcher, a cute lady constable who spends most over her time fending off Brannigan's inbred chauvinism. Brannigan was co-written by Christopher Trumbo, the son of former blacklistee Dalton Trumbo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
This police procedural, which stands alongside the more exciting McQ as John Wayne's answer to the Dirty Harry-inspired wave of 1970s cop movies, is solid but unexceptional action fare. Brannigan often feels like an exercise in missed opportunities due to its unambitious script: the crime-boss-gets-kidnapped premise robs the film of the opportunity to give Wayne a single memorable villain to square off against, and the lovely and inspired choice of an English setting is ultimately wasted because the story never taps into this setting in any kind of resonant way. Despite this general lack of inspiration, Brannigan still manages to offer some modest rewards to the action aficionado thanks to its thorough sense of craftsmanship. Director Douglas Hickox gives the film an agreeably professional sense of gloss and is aided in his efforts by a jazzy, rousing Dominic Frontiere score. More importantly, the cast gives the film a much-needed sense of personality: Wayne is his usual raffishly charming self as the gruff titular cop and Richard Attenborough does a nice job of holding the screen with him as his English policeman foil. All in all, the low-key appeal of Brannigan might be lost on those not impressed by John Wayne's charisma, but it is worth a look for his fans and viewers who appreciate old-fashioned action films. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Emma Porteous - Costume Designer, Ted Sturgis - First Assistant Director, Douglas Hickox - Director, Malcolm Cooke - Editor, Michael Wayne - Executive Producer, Dominic Frontiere - Composer (Music Score), Ted Marshall - Production Designer, Gerry Fisher - Cinematographer, Arthur Gardner - Producer, Jules Levy - Producer, Josie MacAvin - Set Designer, Simon Kaye - Sound/Sound Designer, Michael Butler - Screen Story, Christopher Trumbo - Screen Story, Michael Butler - Screenwriter, William P. McGivern - Screenwriter, William W. Norton - Screenwriter, Christopher Trumbo - Screenwriter
After turning down the role of Dirty Harry,[1] and seeing the subsequent success of the film Wayne made two police thrillers in quick succession. After McQ he made this "cop out of water" film in the same vein as Clint Eastwood'sCoogan's Bluff.
Tough Chicago cop Jim Brannigan (Wayne) is sent to London to extradite a notorious American gangster, Ben Larkin (Vernon). Brannigan is assigned a local officer, Jennifer (Judy Geeson), to help while he is in London. Before he can collect Larkin, Larkin is kidnapped, by Mel Fields (Mel Ferrer), and Brannigan spends the rest of the film running around London in search of Larkin. Whilst struggling to adapt to the British way of life, and the restrained style of policing, he employs techniques not usually seen in Britain. In the meantime, a contract has been put out on Brannigan's life by Larkin to prevent him from being extradited to the United States. The contract is picked up by Gorman (Daniel Pilon).
Commander Swann (Attenborough), in charge of helping Brannigan get Larkin to America, is a stuffy, upper-class, Metropolitan Police Commander who's not afraid to get his hands dirty. There is continual conflict between Brannigan and Swan about Brannigan's carrying, and use of, his handgun.
The film is notable for its well-executed action sequences, including a spectacular car chase through Battersea's Shaftesbury Estate, Wandsworth and Central London featuring Brannigan jumping a yellow Ford Capri coupe across the half raised Tower Bridge. One sequence features shots of the interior and exterior of London's famous Royal Automobile Club, which has changed little since the shooting of the film.
Conversely, the film's opening sequence and first several minutes display Chicago roadways, riverside buildings, and an early O'Hare Terminal 1 that have all been replaced. For example, a squad car is seen making the former turn on Upper Lake Shore Drive where East Wacker Drive now exists. The 300 block of North Canal Street, where Brannigan conducts an investigation using "enhanced interrogation techniques", rappidly developed between this film, Doctor Detroit, and Raw Deal.
After a Chicago Police officer was depicted in a less than flattering light in an episode of the 1957-1960 television series, M Squad, then-Mayor Richard J. Daley thereafter discouraged motion picture and television location filming in the city for the rest of his administration and its aftermath. Brannigan is one of the few films approved and granted police assistance during the two-deacade era.
Interestingly, some of the music featured was cut up to form the jingle backings for the Euroscope Marketing "Single Jingles" series for DJ's.
References
^ Dowell, Pat. - "John Wayne, Man and Myth". - (book review of: John Wayne, American by Randy Roberts and James S. Olson). - Washington Post. - September 25, 1995. - Retrieved: 2008-08-05
