The Laughing Policeman
This movie is so real it makes every other movie in this town look like a movie.
1973 | 112m | English
Popularity: 2 (history)
| Director: | Stuart Rosenberg |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Thomas Rickman, Stuart Rosenberg, Per Wahlöö, Maj Sjöwall |
| Staring: |
| When a gunman opens fire on a crowded city bus in San Francisco, Detective Dave Evans is killed, along with the man he'd been following in relation to a murder. Evans' partner, Sgt. Jake Martin, becomes obsessed with solving the case. | |
| Release Date: | Dec 20, 1973 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Stuart Rosenberg |
| Writer: | Thomas Rickman, Stuart Rosenberg, Per Wahlöö, Maj Sjöwall |
| Genres: | Drama, Crime, Thriller |
| Keywords | san francisco, california, mass murder, murder, killer |
| Production Companies | 20th Century Fox |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 01, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
![The Laughing Policeman (1973) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]](/extra_thumbs/4YTlRpqh1TE.jpg)
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Walter Matthau | Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD |
| Bruce Dern | Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD |
| Louis Gossett Jr. | Insp. James Larrimore SFPD |
| Albert Paulsen | Henry Camerero |
| Anthony Zerbe | Lt. Nat Steiner SFPD |
| Val Avery | Insp. John Pappas SFPD |
| Cathy Lee Crosby | Kay Butler |
| Mario Gallo | Bobby Mow, Snitch |
| Joanna Cassidy | Monica, Beth's Roomate |
| Frances Lee McCain | Prostitute |
| Clifton James | Officer Jim Maloney SFPD Bomb Squad |
| Paul Koslo | Duane Haygood |
| Matt Clark | Coronor |
| William Hansen | Mr. Schwermer, Bus Vicitm |
| Shirley Ballard | Grace Martin |
| Elaine Collins | Go-Go Dancer |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Joyce Selznick | Casting |
| Thomas Rickman | Screenplay |
| David M. Walsh | Director of Photography |
| Bob Wyman | Editor |
| Doug von Koss | Set Decoration |
| Stuart Rosenberg | Screenplay, Director |
| Per Wahlöö | Novel |
| Maj Sjöwall | Novel |
| Charles Fox | Original Music Composer |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Stuart Rosenberg | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 6 |
| 2024 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 5 |
| 2024 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 5 |
| 2024 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 5 |
| 2024 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 5 |
| 2024 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 4 |
| 2024 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 4 |
| 2024 | 11 | 9 | 29 | 4 |
| 2024 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
| 2025 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Trending Position
From the early-70's zenith of crime and police-centered films, 'The Laughing Policeman' deserves credit, respect and recognition as a fine, gritty, accurate work that shows the way real officers interact and go through their work-days and solve crimes. Walter Matthau, mostly known for his astute com ... edic touch, is excellent, as is Bruce Dern, who's promoted to an uneasy partnership with Matthau, when the latter's partner, who was on vacation yet took an unsolved case home with him, is at the wrong place at the wrong time, part of a brutal mass murder on board a bus. The well-directed script shows how alienated a good policeman is from his family, how hated he is by most of the community, and the blind alleys and dead ends he has to go through in order to solve the case, and have it hold up in a court of law. It's 'Dirty Harry' or the 'French Connection' films done honestly, not as a fever dream of wish fulfillment from the policeman's perspective (though I must admit I love those too!)...