CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Asad Almond A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

HotToastyRag I thought I was in for another Tony Rome when I rented The Detective: a silly, 1960s screwball detective comedy that made incessant sex jokes to celebrate the end of the Hays Code. Boy, was I wrong! The Detective is a very heavy drama, and while it absolutely takes advantage of the drop of the Hollywood censors, it does so very tastefully. There's nothing funny about this movie, and unlike many 60s movies, it's not dated.Frank Sinatra plays the title character, and the plot alternates between his work life and his home life, showing his strain as he juggles being a detective with being a man. He falls into a whirlwind romance with beautiful Lee Remick, and the love scenes are steamy without being obscene, a combination that helps keep the movie classy.The film discusses touchy issues like murder, the death penalty, homosexuality, nymphomania, and police confession tactics. Frank Sinatra gives a wonderfully conflicted performance; on one hand, he objects to using inhumane tactics on murder suspects, and on the other, he treats his wife disrespectfully when he comes home. "I came here to ball—ain't that what you do best?" he shouts during an argument. On the third hand, does she perhaps deserve this treatment? Watch The Detective to find out! It's entertaining and the acting is very good. I recommend it! DLM Warning: There's one scene where someone jumps from the top of a building and the camera spins out of control during the fall. It's about halfway through the movie, so keep on the lookout.

Tweekums Sergeant Joe Leland is a tough New York homicide detective with an impressive clean up rate and a reputation for rubbing the wrong people the wrong way. His latest case involves the murder of a homosexual man who had been left naked and mutilated in his apartment. He is under pressure for a quick result as he is told his promotion will be virtually guaranteed if he solves the case quickly. He is unimpressed by the way fellow officers treat members of the gay community and it isn't long before his more softly-softly approach gains a confession… even though he isn't certain of his guilt. The man is convicted and executed and newly promoted Lt Leland moves on with his life. Then a woman comes into his station asking him to reopen the investigation of her husband's death; it was judged a suicide but she is sure he would never have killed himself. As he investigates he discovers that the man had been helping some very powerful people get rich at the expense of some of the city's most needy people; something that puts him in danger and would certainly provide a motive for murder. The actual story behind the man's death is actually more shocking and forces Joe to examine his future on the force. Intertwined with these mysteries we see, partially through flashbacks, how Joe met and eventually became estranged from his wife.When I started watching this film I expected something fairly light, perhaps because it was in a triple pack with the two 'Tony Rome' films, but it is surprisingly gritty for a film of its time. The film highlights the attitudes towards homosexuality at the time and, through our protagonist's attitudes, shows that the film makers did not agree with such attitudes. The police are shown to behave in a shocking manner… at one point a suspect is questioned while naked as an upcoming detective saw a documentary showing the Nazis using the technique! The cases were interesting but the way they were linked came as a bit of a surprise and was ultimately a bit forced. Frank Sinatra was on great form as Joe Leland and the rest of the cast, which includes plenty of familiar actors, does an impressive job too. Overall I'd certainly recommend this; there is some material that modern viewers may find offensive but this is clearly shown as a bad thing rather than something viewers should accept as okay.

Scott LeBrun Frank Sinatra is Detective Joe Leland, a weary but honest, principled man who ultimately must deal with big time corruption and big time ignorance. He is assigned the case of murder victim Teddy Leikman (James Inman), the homosexual son of one of NYC's movers and shakers. Soon enough, he's working another case, that of a successful accountant, Colin MacIver (William Windom) who fell to his death at a racetrack.We in the audience suspect that these two cases are going to be connected somehow, yet we still are riveted as we watch Joe work the clues. Meanwhile, the film also functions as a moody character study, as Joe is shown in his work environment and must deal with a frustrated young wife, Karen (a radiant Lee Remick) who has a hard time remaining faithful.Frank does well in the lead role, and gives us a multi layered portrayal of a man who must deal with very bigoted colleagues who feel nothing but contempt and hatred towards gays. He feels the pressure of having to come up with results, and wonders if he hasn't fallen victim to whatever prejudices he may be harbouring."The Detective" is filmed in very competent if not stylish fashion by director Gordon Douglas ("Them!"), and has the benefit of being shot in the Panavision aspect ratio. So it always looks good. The extremely strong supporting cast helps matters a lot: Ralph Meeker, Jack Klugman, Al Freeman Jr., and Robert Duvall as Joes' fellow detectives, Horace McMahon as his superior, a memorable Tony Musante as an agitated suspect, Lloyd Bochner as a psychiatrist, and the lovely ladies Ms. Remick and Jacqueline Bisset (as the accountants' widow). A baby faced Tom Atkins makes his screen debut as a patrolman whose peers read him the riot act for an impulsive action. Look also for George Plimpton and Joe Santos among the reporters.In its time, this would have been a fairly daring examination of homophobia, whatever problems it may cause, and the victims it may create.Based on a novel by Roderick Thorp, who'd also penned "Nothing Lasts Forever", the basis for the action classic "Die Hard".Eight out of 10.

edwagreen Excellent film with Frank Sinatra as a police officer with a conscience and a heart. This picture is riveting in that it exposes a city and its police department for corruption and anti-gay bias.Lee Remick is the enigma in this gritty film. She plays Sinatra's wife, an orphan who became a psychology professor, but yet has some pretty severe emotional hang-ups.The Police Department honors its own when they produce. It seems as if the Department couldn't care less how the results are retrieved.The film also offers a strong criticism of the death penalty. Emotional factors of the defendant were ignored here and a tragedy resulted.The picture ties in the killing of an innocent man and corruption of city officials very well. The fear of being labeled a homosexual is still another theme in this remarkable film.