Review of Coogan's Bluff (1968) by Errol D — 16 Jul 2005

This is the movie where Don Seigal and Clint Eastwood wrote one too many re writes of the original, chopped and changed everything and finally come up with a product as wannabe to any Dirty Harry movie as soy ice cream is to milk ice cream.

The movie is entertaining in parts , but tedious in others. Eastwood plays Asst.Sheriff Coogan sent from Arizona to New York to bring home a criminal to appear in court. The movie dwells too long on Coogan chasing after the resident police psychiatrist , almost smothering her with his never-take-no-for-an-answer cowboy pushyness.

He is pissed off with the beaureucratic delays in getting the crim out of the hospital where he is stashed up and decides to bluff his way through. He of course is ambushed at the airport by the crim's cohorts and lands up in hospital with a bump on his head. This of course steels his determination to get the crim back to Arizona despite the Police Chief warning him off.

The story is good but fails in the handling of it. Clint's acting is a bit wooden at times and the final chase through the cloisters too contrived to be taken seriously.

All in all , not one of his better movies.