Coogan's Bluff (1968) (2025)

(1968)

PLOT | COMMENTS | AUDIO | TRIVIA | CAST | CREDITS | PURCHASE

"Clint Eastwood gives New York 24 hrs...to get out of town!"

The film opens with Arizona deputy Walt Coogan (Eastwood) on the trail of an Indian fugitive; on catching him, he handcuffs him outside the house of a married woman with whom he is having an affair; but his sheriff catches him in the bath, and as a punishment for his cruelty to his prisoner he is sent to New York to escort back James Ringerman (Don Stroud), who is wanted in Arizona. However, when he arrives in the city he is told by Sheriff McElroy (Lee J. Cobb) that Ringerman cannot be transported yet, since he is suffering from an overdose of LSD. Annoyed at having to stay longer than he'd intended in New York, Coogan passes the time by flirting with probation officer Julie Roth (Susan Clark).

After spending a night in a very seedy hotel, Coogan gets impatient with the red tape, and so goes to Bellevue hospital and bluffs the staff into releasing Ringerman into his custody. Ringerman's girlfriend Linny Raven (Tisha Sterling) overhears Coogan's travel plans, and so arranges a reception committee for Coogan at the heliport. Coogan is hurt badly and winds up in hospital, with Ringerman on the loose with Coogan's gun. When he discharges himself, he is ordered by McElroy to return to Arizona; Julie invites him to dinner, and it transpires that Linny Raven is one of Julie's probation cases, and when she is in the kitchen Coogan raids her filing cabinet and finds out Linny's address. Coogan finds Linny in the Pigeon-Toed Orange Peel club, and goes back to her apartment with her, where he first seduces her and then gets her to lead him to Ringerman.

She takes him to a pool room, where he gets into a fierce fight with a number of Ringerman's gang. Although outnumbered, Coogan puts up a very strong fight before being beaten up, saved by the arrival of the police. Coogan leaves before they arrive, however, and goes back to Linny Raven's apartment, where he hits and threatens her until she takes him to where Ringerman is hiding. She leads him to the Cloisters, where Ringerman shoots at him before fleeing on his motorbike. Coogan requisitions another bike, and there follows a gripping high-speed chase through the park, which ends with Coogan leaping from his bike onto Ringerman's, knocking him off. When Ringerman has recovered, Coogan takes him again to the heliport, where McElroy returns to him his distinctive hat which he lost in the pool room fight; Julie is also there to see him off.

Coogan's Bluff provided a stepping stone into the present day for Clint Eastwood. The character he plays is not totally removed from the Man With No Name, but he is placed in an alien environment; he is about half-way between his Western persona and the character of Harry Callahan, which he would take up a couple of years later. The fish-out-of-water scenario is an effective one, and Clint portrays very effectively Coogan's bemusement at the differences of the big city. Like Harry Callahan, Coogan has a problem with red tape and authority, and like nearly all of the characters Clint has portrayed, there are definite character flaws, which make him more believable and accessible to the common man.

The film also marked Clint's first work with director Don Siegel, a man who was to prove very influential to Clint's directorial style. Already Clint was very interested in the directorial process: he passed on tips to Siegel that he had learned from watching Sergio Leone at work, and he also got involved by helping to choreograph and film the pool room fight, a superb piece of action cinema.

Listen as Clint Eastwood speaks candidly about his thoughts on this film.

• Ten drafts of the script were written before everyone involved could agree on one.
• Clint was annoyed that he was not allowed to perform all the stunts in the bike chase.
• Watch out for the background projections in the Pigeon-Toed Orange Peel club: one of the images is from Tarantula, in which Clint had a bit-part.
• Albert Popwell, who plays "Wonderful Digby", later appeared in several of the Dirty Harry films.
• Director Don Siegel appears in a cameo as a man in a lift.
• The film inspired the TV series McCloud.

Walt Coogan
Lt. McElroy
Julie
Linny Raven
Ringerman
Ellen Ringerman
Sheriff McCrea
Sgt. Jackson
Running Bear
Pushie
Taxi Driver
Big Red
Mrs. Fowler
Young Hood
Bellboy
Omega
Wonderful Digby
Madison Avenue Man
Desk Sergeant
Room Clerk
Manager
Prison Hospital Guard
Good Eyes
Ferguson
Go-Go dancer
Millie
Mrs. Amador
Elevator passengers

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Clint Eastwood
Lee J. Cobb
Susan Clark
Tisha Sterling
Don Stroud
Betty Field
Tom Tully
James Edwards
Rudy Diaz
David Doyle
Louis Zorich
Meg Myles
Marjorie Bennett
Seymour Cassel
John Coe
Skip Battyn
Albert Popwell
Conrad Bain
Albert Henderson
James McCallion
Syl Lamont
Jess Osuna
Jerry Summers
James W. Gavin
Marya Henriques
Melodie Johnson
Antonia Rey
Don Siegel
Kristoffer Tabori

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Richard E. Lyons
Don Siegel
Herman Miller
Dean Riesner
Howard Rodman
Herman Miller
Bud Thackery
Sam E. Waxman
Lalo Schifrin

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