Serpico - 1973
Many of his fellow officers considered him the most dangerous man alive - An honest cop.
Director(s)
Sidney Lumet
Writer(s)
Peter Maas (book)
Waldo Salt (screenplay) and
Norman Wexler (screenplay)
Producer(s)
Martin Bregman producer
Dino De Laurentiis executive producer
Roger M. Rothstein associate producer
Cast
Al Pacino - Officer Frank Serpico
John Randolph - Chief Sidney Green
Jack Kehoe - Tom Keough
Biff McGuire - Capt. Insp. McClain
Barbara Eda-Young - Laurie
Cornelia Sharpe - Leslie Lane
Tony Roberts - Bob Blair
John Medici - Pasquale
Allan Rich - Dist. Atty. Herman Tauber
Norman Ornellas - Don Rubello
Edward Grover - Insp. Lombardo (as Ed Grover)
Albert Henderson - Peluce
Hank Garrett - Malone
Damien Leake - Joey
Joseph Bova - Potts (as Joe Bova)
Gene Gross - Capt. Tolkin
John Stewart - Waterman
Woodie King Jr. - Larry
James Tolkan - Lt. Steiger (as James Tolkin)
Ed Crowley - Barto
Bernard Barrow - Insp. Roy Palmer
Sal Carollo - Mr. Serpico
Mildred Clinton - Mrs. Serpico
Nathan George - Lt. Nate Smith
Gus Fleming - Dr. Metz
Richard Foronjy - Rudy Corsaro
Alan North - Brown
Lewis J. Stadlen - Jerry Berman
John McQuade - Insp. Kellogg
Ted Beniades - Al Sarno
John Lehne - Insp. Gilbert
M. Emmet Walsh - Chief Gallagher
George Ede - Deputy Chief Insp. Daley
Charles White - Commissioner Delaney
F. Murray Abraham - Detective partner (uncredited)
Don Billett - Detective threatening Serpico (uncredited)
Raleigh Bond - (uncredited)
John Brandon - Police lieutenant (uncredited)
James Bulleit - Det. Styles (uncredited)
Roy Cheverie - Cop (uncredited)
Sam Coppola - Cop (uncredited)
René Enríquez - Cervantes teacher (uncredited)
Frank Gio - Police lieutenant (uncredited)
Trent Gough - Cop (uncredited)
Paul E. Guskin - Police Academy classmate (uncredited)
Judd Hirsch - Cop (uncredited)
Richard Kuss - Detective (uncredited)
Tony Lo Bianco - Cop (uncredited)
George Loros - Det. Glover (uncredited)
Kenneth McMillan - Charlie (uncredited)
Stephen Pearlman - Desk sergeant (uncredited)
Tim Pelt - Black hood (uncredited)
William Pelt - Black hood (uncredited)
Jaime Sánchez - Cop (uncredited)
Franklin Scott - Black prisoner (uncredited)
Tom Signorelli - Bookmaker (uncredited)
Tracey Walter - Street Urchin (uncredited)
Mary Louise Weller - Girl (uncredited)
Review by Jack Gatanella
Serpico (1973)
The first real power-house performance by Pacino, thirty years down the line still one of his finest,
Sidney Lumet proved himself to be a highly competent and effective director/storyteller for the true story of New York Officer Frank Serpico, who became famous after appearing to testify before the NAPA Commission about payoffs and corruption in the Police Department. At the time, it was unheard of, and it gained Peter Maars attention to write the book, which thus got transferred to the screen as so. But what makes Serpico such a riveting and eye catching picture today are the little things about it, little details in specific scenes and locations that help ring Serpico's emotions far more than true- it's just there. Even more amazing on the part of the actual filming of the movie is that it was at the time filmed backwards (started with the beard, then the mustache, then clean-shaven).
Al Pacino, right off of the first part of the Godfather trilogy, took this role with all the fire and compassion that he had in him. He sees in Serpico not just an honest cop wanting some balance and honor in his work, yet also a man, who can get as joyful and humorous as he can act subtle, furious, and thoughtful. This will always remain one of his stand-out roles after all the Scarfaces and Scent of a Woman pictures he can do because he, as well as Lumet, know how to approach such a saga. Plenty of great, compelling set pieces, and even sweet ones (like when he first buys the sheepdog as a puppy). A+
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