Tue 9 Jun 2020
A Movie Review by Jonathan Lewis: THE PUSHER (1960).
Posted by Steve under Crime Films , Reviews[12] Comments
THE PUSHER. United Artists, 1960. Kathy Carlyle, Robert Lansing, Felice Orlandi, Douglas Rodgers, Sloan Simpson, Sara Amman, Jim Boles, John Astin. Screenplay by Harold Robbins, based on the novel by Ed McBain. Director Gene Milford
While it may not be polished, one thing is for certain. The Pusher has grit. Loads of it, actually. Based on Ed McBain’s eponymous novel, this crime film has the aesthetic one might expect from such a movie. Lots of on location shots of tough, crime-ridden Manhattan streets, nightclubs galore, and a particularly unsavory drug dealer who admittedly preys on the youth and vulnerable women. Although clunky at times, with pacing that never quite works, it’s an overall solid work of independent film-making and an early example of what would later be come to be known as exploitation films.
The plot follows New York police lieutenant Peter Byrne as he attempts to solve the mystery of who killed a young Puerto Rican junkie. As it turns out, his daughter has a nexus to the crime. Not only that, she’s also been hooked on heroin by the same dealer who is a suspect in the aforementioned murder. There’s also a romantic relationship at play. Byrne’s partner is engaged to be married to his daughter. And he has no idea that his beloved is an addict. A tough spot to be in.
What makes The Pusher work is not so much the plot, but the atmosphere. Lots of scenes showcase urban poverty, cold and cruel sidewalks, and an overarching sense of despair and dissolution. Although staid compared to 1970s cinema, it’s still a movie that pushes the envelope for its time. An MGM film, this is not. Had this movie been made in the 1980s, it definitely could have easily been produced by Cannon Films and starred Charles Bronson as the lead.
One final thing. The film’s villain, a heroin dealer who goes by the nickname Gonzo, is portrayed by Italian American actor Felice Orlandi. Although I wasn’t familiar with him until I saw this film, he gives an exceptionally convincing performance as a conniving street smart criminal. I had a chance to look him up and saw that he was in numerous crime films from the 1960s and 1970s, including some I have seen. Next time I watch them, I will be sure to keep an eye out for him.
June 9th, 2020 at 4:50 pm
Something somewhat unusual relative to a film I have never heard of or even about before a few minutes ago.
Robert Lansing revived his Steve Carella character a few years later for the 87th Precinct series, which I thought excellent but did not run beyond a year and 30 hour long episodes.
June 9th, 2020 at 5:10 pm
Fun Fact:
Felice Orlandi was married for more than fifty years to Alice Ghostley.
Yes, that Alice Ghostley …
June 9th, 2020 at 5:40 pm
Did this act as a pilot for the series, but released theatrically like the two 77 SUNSET STRIP films.
June 9th, 2020 at 6:29 pm
Here are some excepts from the AFI website:
“News items … note that The Pusher was to be the first in a series of films shot in New York, under the aegis of producers Harold Robbins and Raymond Scott. Miro Productions, however, is not included in the onscreen credits, nor in any other post-production reference source.
Gene Milford, a former Oscar-winning editor, made his directorial debut with The Pusher . … Contemporary sources note that the picture was filmed entirely in Manhattan. Although onscreen credits read: “Introducing Kathy Carlyle,” she previously had appeared in the 1958 film When Hell Broke Loose (see below). The Pusher was her last known film. Some modern sources list The Pusher as actor John Astin’s feature film debut, although he is not credited onscreen and not identifiable in the print viewed.
Robert Lansing revived his role as “Det. Steve Carella” for a 1961-62 NBC television series entitled 87th Precinct.
**And from the AFI page for COP HATER, some more info on other 87th Precinct adaptations:
Robert Lansing appeared as Carella in the 1960 film The Pusher , directed by Gene Milford, and in the 1961-62 NBC television series 87th Precinct , which featured Gena Rowlands as Teddy. Other feature film adaptations of the novels include Fuzz , a 1972 film directed by Richard A. Colla and starring Burt Reynolds and Raquel Welch …and two French films, Sans mobile apparent (1971), directed by Philippe Labro and starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Les liens de sang (1978), directed by Claude Chabrol and starring Donald Sutherland. Additional television adaptations include the 1995 television movie Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct: Lightnight , directed by Bruce Paltrow and starring Randy Quaid and the 1997 television movie Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct: Heatwave , directed by Douglass Barr and starring Dale Midkiff.
June 9th, 2020 at 6:38 pm
My Book! Movie!! review of COP HATER, along with comments, can be found here:
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=62230
June 9th, 2020 at 6:56 pm
Back to a prior conversation about television casting and chemistry —
Had Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, the two Bills, with a little help from Ray Collins formed the week to week regulars, 87th precinct might have, with the same script and production, turned int o a success.
And if not those people, others with similar chemistry and likability.
June 9th, 2020 at 7:44 pm
Worth noting here too, Harold Robbins does a damn good job on the script capturing the feel of the McBain book.
June 10th, 2020 at 9:47 am
From the annals of history(?):
– When these early 87th Precinct pictures were made, the Ed McBain books were still paperback originals; I’m not sure but I think the Evan Hunter connection wasn’t as widely known as it eventually became.
The movies were ‘Bs’, for double bills and drive-ins; any life they might have beyond one or two weeks in the nabes … back then, nobody gave that a thought.
– The TV series came about because Hubbell Robinson, who’d been a big wheel at CBS for years, wanted to be a producer of hit shows at NBC.
Robinson already had one show at NBC, Boris Karloff’s Thriller, which had just scraped by with a renewal.
87th Precinct was his second sale, which Robinson tied to Thriller as a sort of package deal – part of which was that the two shows ran back-to-back on Monday nights.
– In 1961-62, 87th was a ‘bubble show’: CBS had Danny Thomas and Andy Griffith, which owned the hour solidly, while ABC’s fading Surfside 6 and NBC’s 87th ran more or less evenly (they ultimately (pardon the expression) canceled each other out).
– At the time, the NBC 87th casting was seen to be about as good as such things got on weekly TV: Norman Fell in particular got raves for his Meyer Meyer (which proved to be his breakout part/ career calling card).
Check out the DVD set, and you’ll note that they added Cotton Hawes (played by Fred Beir) in the later episodes; clearly Revue and Robinson were planning for Season 2 – except that it didn’t happen (Robinson also lost Thriller, but that’s another story …).
June 10th, 2020 at 10:11 am
Thanks, Mike. It’s nice to have this information on record somewhere, even if only on a low-flying blog.
June 10th, 2020 at 10:46 am
Mike Doran’s comment is interesting and instructive, but the Norman Fell reference has so little meaning as to be none relative to the success or failure of 87th Precinct; a parallel might be if Gavin MacCleod had broken out as the star or toast of the Mary Tyler Moore show. It still would have been down the ‘tubes’ with Mary.
June 10th, 2020 at 11:34 am
One of the regulars on 87th was Gregory Walcott who managed to survive PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and had a decent career.
June 10th, 2020 at 1:30 pm
The leading lady, Sloan Simpson, in my time, was married to William O’Dwyer, Mayor of New York and later at the courtesy of Harry S. Truman, Ambassador to Mexico. The marriage ended in divorce and Sloan tried her hand at acting, prior to that she had been a fashion model, and pretty hot in that department. Personally, I liked Bill O’Dwyer, and with the exception of Giuliani, the only New York mayor I have ever cared about.