Cops and Robbers (1973 film)
Cops and Robbers is a 1973 heist comedy crime film directed by Aram Avakian with an original screenplay by Donald E. Westlake which Westlake subsequently expanded into a novel. The film stars Cliff Gorman as Tom and Joseph Bologna as Joe.
Cops and Robbers | |
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Promotional movie poster for the film | |
Directed by | Aram Avakian |
Produced by | Elliott Kastner George Pappas |
Written by | Donald E. Westlake |
Starring | Cliff Gorman Joseph Bologna |
Music by | Michel Legrand |
Cinematography | David L. Quaid |
Edited by | Barry Malkin |
Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date | August 15, 1973 (New York City) August 17, 1973 (U.S. wide) February 25, 1974 (Sweden) March 29, 1974 (Finland) |
Running time | 89 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Plot
Tom and Joe are disillusioned New York City cops who decide to pull off one big robbery in their uniforms and retire on the proceeds. Bearer bonds are what the local Mafia boss will buy, so that's what they go for. Central Park is the location for the switch. Can they come out of it with their lives and the money?
Cast
- Cliff Gorman as Tom
- Joseph Bologna as Joe
- Delphi Lawrence as Rich Lady
- Charlene Dallas as Secretary
- John P. Ryan as Pasquale 'Patsy' Aniello
- Dolph Sweet as George
- Joe Spinell as Marty
- Shepperd Strudwick as Mr. Eastpoole
- James Ferguson as Liquor Store Clerk
- Frances Foster as Bleeding Lady
- Gayle Gorman as Mary
- Walt Gorney as Wino
- George Harris II as Harry
- Ellen Holly as Ms. Wells
- Randy Jurgensen as Randy
- Albert Henderson as Cop
Additional information
This film was also released under the following titles:
- Entimotatoi kleftes - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
- Flics et voyous - France
- Polícias e Ladrões - Portugal
- Rosvot ja jeparit - Finland
- Se ci provi... io ci sto! - Italy
- Snutar som robbar - Sweden
- Treffpunkt Central Park - West Germany
- Unos policías muy ladrones - Spain
Reception
Roger Greenspun wrote a favorable review of the film for the New York Times.[1]
Soundtrack
The score was composed and conducted by Michel Legrand. The soundtrack was released for the first time (exclusively on compact disc) in August 2009.
Track List:
- Main Title (Cops and Robbers)
- The Sellers
- Uptown
- The Buyer
- Suburbia
- Downtown
- Wall Street
- Papa Joe, The Padrone
- The Caper
- The Lush Life
- The Chase
- The Sleep Song
- The Chase (alternate version)
See also
References
- Greenspun, Roger (August 16, 1973). "Cops and Robbers (1973): Police Team Engineers Caper in 'Cops and Robbers'". The New York Times.
If anybody had told me even a week ago about a funny, exciting, semi-plausible, exceptionally intelligent caper movie, I would not have believed him. "Cops and Robbers," despite its title, and despite the slightly dumb-dumb ad campaign that is introducing it, is all those good things and more. It is uncommonly well acted. And it is the first movie in a long time to understand, rather than merely to exploit, its New York City locales.