Madigan **** (1968, Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Harry Guardino, Inger Stevens, James Whitmore, Susan Clark, Steve Ihnat, Don Stroud, Sheree North) – Classic Movie Review 2564

Director Don Siegel’s exciting 1968 police thriller Madigan stars the 57-year-old Richard Widmark, who gives a most compelling star turn as the tough New York City detective of the title, who sets out with his cop partner Detective Rocco Bonaro (Harry Guardino) to track down a deranged killer, Barney Benesch (Steve Ihnat).

Everything is either right or wrong for Detective Daniel Madigan and there is nothing in between. When Madigan and Bonaro lose their guns to fugitive Benesch, they are given just one weekend to bring him to justice.

In an excellent, hard-working cast, Henry Fonda co-stars as Anthony X. Russell, The Commissioner of the source novel’s title, and Inger Stevens plays Madigan’s troubled wife, Julia.

Michael Dunn, James Whitmore, Susan Clark, Don Stroud, Sheree North, Warren Stevens, Bert Freed, Harry Bellaver, Frank Marth and Raymond St Jacques co-star.

Madigan is a consistently fascinating, high-powered movie with lots of nuances in the script, kinetic direction and first-rate performances. The semi-documentary-style thriller, filmed where it happens, provides a step-by-step guide to the intricacies of a police investigation in 1968 and the effect that the horrors of the street can have on the personal lives of the cops involved. The final gunfight is a spectacular conclusion to a great thriller.

The distinguished screenplay by Howard Rodman and Abraham Polonsky is based on the novel The Commissioner by Richard Dougherty. It is co-writer Polonsky’s first screen credit since his shameful HUAC blacklisting as a Communist in 1951.

Also in the cast are Bert Freed, Harry Bellaver, Frank Marth, Lloyd Gough, Virginia Gregg, Henry Beckman, Richard O’Brien, Woodrow Parfrey, Robert Granere, Dallas Mitchell, Lloyd Haynes, Rita Lynn, Gloria Calomee, Ray Montgomery, Seth Alllen, Robert Ball, Kay Turner, Albert Henderson, Toian Matchinga, Abel Fernandez and Paul Sorenson.

A disappointingly short-lived feature-length TV series (alas only six) of Madigan followed, again with Widmark, in 1972-73 and he played a similar character in a 1973 TV movie, Brock’s Last Case.

Richard Widmark in Madigan (1968).

Madigan is directed by Don Siegel [Donald Siegel], runs 100 minutes, is made and released by Universal Pictures, is written by Howard Rodman [Henri Simoun] and Abraham Polonsky, based on the novel The Commissioner by Richard Dougherty, is shot in Technicolor by Russell Metty, is produced by Frank P Rosenberg, is scored by Don Costa and is designed by Alexander Golitzen.

Widmark made his debut in the 1947 film noir Kiss of Death, for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination as the killer Tommy Udo.

Stockholm-born beauty Inger Stevens [Inger Stensland] committed suicide by overdose on 30 April 1970, at only 35.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2564

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