Madigan

Madigan
  • Release date: 29 Mar 1968
  • Release year: 1968
  • Runtime: 101 minutes
  • Country: United States
  • Keywords: manhunt, murder of a police officer, detective, police commissioner, new york city, fugitive, police procedural, new york police department, neo noir, anti hero
Plot:
NYPD Detective Daniel Madigan has received many citations over his career, but has worked on the border of ethical behavior, such as readily accepting favors for being NYPD, although he has never been on the take. That behavior has never sat well with straight arrow Police Commissioner Anthony Russell, who was once Madigan's precinct Commanding Officer (CO). Madigan's job in its entirety bothers his wife Julia in the danger and effort required of him especially for the meager financial compensation. In return, Madigan often turns to former girlfriend Jonesy, a nightclub singer, as a sympathetic ear, she who is still in love with him. One Friday morning, Madigan and his partner Detective Rocco Bonaro, on their own initiative in having intel on his whereabouts, decide to apprehend Barney Benesch who a Brooklyn precinct wants for questioning. Their morning goes awry as they not only let Benesch escape in their attempt to apprehend him on an error of their own doing, but with their firearms. Things get even worse for them when a department-wide memo subsequently circulates that Benesch is wanted for murder. In an "or else", Russell, through their CO, gives Madigan and Bonaro seventy-two hours to apprehend Benesch, which if it extends deep into the weekend will affect Madigan's marriage in Julia wanting her husband on her arm at the Saturday night Captains' Dinner and Ball. Beyond Madigan and Bonaro, Russell has his own trifecta of problems: dealing with a complaint from minister Dr. Taylor against the NYPD of racial brutality against his son solely for being black; examining his own ethics in having an affair with a married woman, Tricia Bentley; and discovering that his friend and trusted colleague, Chief Inspector Charles Kane, is involved in the cover-up of criminal activity.
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