Written by / 4/29/2016 / 1 Comment / , , , , , , , ,

JOHN WAYNE GETS DIRTY HARRY WITH A BULLITT IN 'MCQ'

year: 1974 cast: John Wayne, Diana Muldaur, Eddie Albert, Clu Gulager, Roger E. Mosely, Al Lettieri, Julie Adams
Sounding like an upbeat version of a jazzy New Orleans funeral march or a car honking to a clunky yet catchy rhythm, McQ’s main theme takes our hero, the title character played by John Wayne, through a string of mysterious and dangerous elements that starts out reminiscent of cop thrillers DIRTY HARRY and BULLITT but winds up very Film Noir, beginning with an unnamed gunman slaying several victims throughout the pre-dawn city streets, we soon realize he’s the partner of a veteran cop named McQ.

When that killer’s quickly shot down, McQ has to investigate… not knowing his partner had pulled off the murders beforehand… going from an ex wife, a former lover, a reluctant ratting pimp and a notorious drug dealer to get clues, mostly red herrings which lead him (the first time round) absolutely nowhere.
McQ takes out the trash
After he beats up Al Lettieri’s Santiago, the usual suspect with an aggressive lawyer and tons of connections, McQ drops his badge and winds up piggybacking on a private investigator/gumshoe’s license to learn things sans his burdening police moniker. Here’s where the action picks up as McQ becomes a target from hit men, drug dealers and even the police: the latter most likely responsible for a bundle of stolen cocaine.

John Wayne, despite his advanced age, is perfect in the grizzly role. Supposedly having watched Don Siegel’s DIRTY HARRY with envy, and wishing he could play that part – or get a role like it – The Duke did his first of two (followed by BRANNIGAN) police flicks: it’s fun seeing the usually straight-laced actor wearing a halo with horns, rolling up a dollar bill for a druggie waitress to get high or frantically driving his “green hornet” hotrod to wah-wah peddle 1970’s funk… all leading to a beachside car chase choreographed by stuntman/future action guru Hal Needham.
McQ takes aim in the final car chase
Director John Sturges was, like Wayne, best known for making Westerns, a genre McQ borrows from with the maverick loner verses an eclectic string of feisty (and often sneaky) antagonists, each with their own lethal agenda, sometimes even coming out of the woodwork with guns blazing.

But with the cool looking MAC-10 submachine gun and a snaky trail pitting one man against shadowy odds, this is really a modern Noir thriller providing a chance to see the American icon grittier, and often more vulnerable, than ever before: at least in a modern setting.
The Duke standing tall and taking no crap
McQ tries getting answers from Al Lettieri's seedy Santiago
McQ gets info from Roger E. Mosely as a slick pimp
Looks a lot like BULLITT
Clu Gulager as a fellow (or not so fellow) cop
MOVE RATING: ***1/2
Share This Post :
Tags : , , , , , , , ,

1 comment:

  1. As a huge John Wayne fan glad to see you review this movie. Now I'm going to have to go out and get this. I know I saw this but it's been a minute. Wayne with a MAC-10 and suppressor - a beautiful sight.

    Great review sir.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

All Time Popular

Featured Post

RALPH BAKSHI BLAXPLOITATION-ANIMATION OF 'COONSKIN'

Title: COONSKIN aka STREET FIGHT Director: Ralph Bakshi Year: 1975 Rating: **1/2 After HEAVY TRAFFIC where cult director Ralph Bakshi inser...

WWW.CULTFILMFREAKS.COM

WWW.CULTFILMFREAKS.COM
Movie Reviews, Interviews, Articles and Pop Culture from White Heat to Blue City

RIP ACTOR KEN HUTCHISON

TOTAL HITS

Popular Trending

FOUNDED BY JAMES M. TATE

FOUNDED BY JAMES M. TATE
RANDOM QUOTE: "When I'm paid, I always see the job through." Lee Van Cleef in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

FILM NOIR & NEO NOIR CRIME

FAVORITES SHORTLIST

1)OTLEY 2)HELL IS A CITY 3)ROBBERY 4)THE FEARMAKERS 5)CANYON PASSAGE 6)VIOLENT SATURDAY 7)HOT CARS 8)JUNGLE STREET 9)THE CROWDED SKY 10)THE ROARING TWENTIES 11) ANATOMY OF A MURDER 12)WHITE LIGHTNING 13)SWEENEY TWO 14)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 15)HARDCORE 16)THE BREAK 17)WHITE HEAT 18)AL CAPONE 19)HIDDEN FEAR 20)FALLEN ANGEL 21)SHARKS' TREASURE 22)THE ASPHALT JUNGLE 23)ASH WEDNESDAY 24)THE SYSTEM 25)AIR PATROL 26)THE STONE KILLER 27)SANDS OF THE KALAHARI 28)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 29)IMPASSE 30)THE MAN FROM LARAMIE FAVORITE ACTORS 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)STANLEY BAKER 4)MARLON BRANDO 5)JACK NICHOLSON 6) CHARLES BRONSON 7)BURT REYNOLDS 8)WILLIAM LUCAS 9)TOM COURTENAY 10)GENE HACKMAN DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)VAL GUEST 4)STANLEY KUBRICK 5)OTTO PREMINGER 6)ORSON WELLES 7)JOHN GUILLERMAN 8)JOHN LANDIS 9)JOHN CARPENTER 10)MICHAEL WINNER

BRITISH NEW WAVE CINEMA

RARITIES AND EXPLOITATION

HAMMER HORROR & THRILLER

Popular This Month

CHARLES BRONSON CINEMA

CINEMA OF DANA ANDREWS

WESTERN GENRE REVIEWS

PEAKING INTO THE SIXTIES

KICKING IN THE EIGHTIES

TALES AND REFLECTIONS

REVVING THE SEVENTIES

Most Popular Last Year