The Laughing Policeman

source: The Laughing Policeman

Trailer—The Laughing Policeman

The Laughing Policeman

High octane cast in a drawn out police investigation, will definitely test the patience of some. This is not, I repeat not, your typical renegade cop pursuing justice outside the law. What "The Laughing Policeman" is, is a methodical investigation of a mass slaying on a San Francisco bus. With no witness help, starting from scratch, Walter Matthau plays his hunches, which often go nowhere, but eventually things begin to crystalize. His new partner, Bruce Dern is mostly just along for the ride, until he eventually becomes an important part of Matthau's investigation. The acting is solid, with support from the likes of Anthony Zerbe, Paul Koslo, and Lou Gossett. Those who don't need instant action will be rewarded by the logic, others will find things rather tedious. - MERK

I had trouble following what exactly was going on in this mixed up crime caper. Lots of cursing, screaming, and angst by the police as they go about tracking down a mad shooter in the streets of San Francisco was mostly what went on. I never figured out why the psycho went on his rampage, why the policeman laughed so much, or why I sat through the whole confusing picture.

The Laughing Policeman is a mystery novel by Swedish writers Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, originally published in Sweden in 1968 as Den skrattande polisen. It was the fourth of ten novels featuring Detective Martin Beck. If I may quote Mr. Roger Ebert, incidentally the most popular critic of all time: ¨The Laughing Policeman" is an awfully good police movie: taut, off-key, filled with laconic performances. It provides the special delight we get from gradually unraveling a complicated case. It's almost the kind of movie, indeed, to blast loose a detective-novel fan from Ross Macdonald. Instead of depending on sex and violence for its appeal (although it does contain them), it fascinates us with the way a criminal is finally tracked down.¨

I happened upon this movie the other night by accident, and I loved it. I got hooked early on by the way the police in this film are portrayed as real human beings, with real foibles and weaknesses and prejudices. Definitely worth a viewing for anyone who knows anything about movies.

I was in the navy at the time and I had just came back from Treasure Island and was coming through the bus terminal and I watched them make this movie. I was there for the when the opening scene where the Chinese guy was playing the pinball machine and ran to catch the bus. I also saw the SWAT scene be filmed. But on top of that it was a good movie and Bruce Dern was excellent. I would recommend this movie to anyone who just wants a good fun movie to watch. I did find it funny where the Mission St Bus finally ended up too. I loved San Francisco and still do to this day. Hollywood just don't make them like this anymore. It brings back good memories.

"The Laughing Police" is probably greatest cop movie to come out of the 1970s. It may be the greatest cop ever. There is nothing in this movie that doesn't work. The movie looks great. The story is tight and suspenseful. It's filled with great characters. The members of the cast were no dummies. They took full advantage of a sharp script and the expert direction from Stuart Rosenberg. As a result, they all give terrific performances, especially Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern. Matthau and Dern have never been better. There's one great scene after another in this movie. "The Laughing Policeman" is one of my favorite movies. I put in in my Top 40.

Not as bad as the other comments would suggest, "The Laughing Policeman" is a police procedural mystery that lacks the spark of great thriller genre films. What this does have is some very good acting, especially from the lead players, and a decent script with interesting characters. The plot does get a little convoluted near the end and the action is inspired by better films, but it is worth a watch. I'd give it a mild recomendation.