The Detective

Released May 28, 1968

1 hr. 54 min.

Crime

Drama

LGBTQ+

List

100%

8 Reviews

Tomatometer

48%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

When a gay man is viciously slain, Detective Joe Leland (Frank Sinatra) is put on the case. Joe eventually tracks down the victim's roommate, who confesses to the crime and is sentenced to death; however, the outcome of the case doesn't sit well with the detective. Norma (Jacqueline Bisset), a distraught widow, visits Joe. She believes her husband's death was no accident, but the cops don't seem to care. Joe begins to investigate, and stumbles on a cover-up related to his previous case.

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Ashley H

The Detective is a decent film. It is about a police detective who investigates the murder of a gay man. Frank Sinatra and Lee Remick give good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Gordon Douglas did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the drama.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/11/23

Full Review

CodyZamboni

Movie is compelling. It's more about character and morals, rather than a police procedural, involving NYPD corruption. Sinatra is the movie, and he anchors it with his conviction. Lots of famous faces in supporting roles.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/04/23

Full Review

Phil S

Frank Sinatra was a terrific actor, when he felt like it ( The Manchurian Candidate as an example). For this film he puts in an intense performance. He investigates the murder of a homosexual man which his colleagues treat with contempt. He is a cop that is honest and probably more liberal than cops were in this era. ( Compare this attitude to a pungently homophobic turn in "Lady in Cement" ). This is a strangely compelling film and a little like the Warners "message" films of the 30s and 40s. So, if you want a gripping crime film with Frankie moving out of first gear, then this might be the one for you.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

New York City police detective Joe Leland (Frank Sinatra) is called to the home of a murder victim who has been beaten to death, head crushed and has had his genitals removed. Puzzled and disgusted, the police on call are left bemused, and Leland holds things together with his direct, no-nonsense approach. Few leads are found, other than the fact that a house-mate of the victim remains conspicuous by his absence. All the while notions about the victim's sexuality and personal interests warp the ideals of the officers assigned to the task. Leland tries to remain focused on the case while dealing with the breakdown of his marriage to wife Karen (Lee Remick). Eventually, the victim's housemate is identified as Felix Tesla (Tony Musante), and he is soon tracked down by Leland and another detective. A psychologically disturbed Tesla cracks until eventually, Leland coaxes a confession out of him. This results in extensive publicity, a promotion for Leland and the electric chair for Tesla, which distresses Leland because it is clear to him that Tesla is insane. Later, across town, a man kills himself by jumping from the rooftop of a racetrack. The case goes unnoticed until the much-younger wife of the dead man, Norma MacIver (Jacqueline Bisset), comes to Leland's office and asks him to look into it, believing something far more complex is involved... Critical reception was mostly good while Sinatra delivered one of his most intense and dedicated acting performances. The Hollywood Reporter would comment: "Sinatra has honed his laconic, hep veneer to the point of maximum credibility." Roger Ebert praised his performance and the concept of the film, stating: "It is pretty clear that Sinatra wanted 'The Detective' to be as good a movie as he could manage. It provides a clear, unsentimental look at a police investigation, and even the language reflects the way cops (and the rest of us) talk." "The Detective" is a slowpaced, uneven and slightly boring Frank Sinatra neo-noir cop drama based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Roderick Thorp. "The Detective" marked a move towards — and was billed as — a more "adult" approach to depicting the life and work of a police detective while confronting, for one of the first times in mainstream cinema, previously taboo subjects such as homosexuality. However, here´s really nothing that stands out (except explicit subject matters at the time the film was made) and nothing that really excites you. It´s a slow paced film with stereotypes and a no nonsense Frank Sinatra that seems to be a bit on autopilot. "The Detective" is not amongst Sinatra´s better films.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

delysid d

i really liked this frank sinatra movie, so what the heck? did frank sinatra make any other good movies?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/17/20

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jim b

Sinatra as a mostly-liberal (except about psychiatrists) version of Dirty Harry (with less shooting). This movie was very vile. I'm all for movies against prejudices, such as this dated one which is against the abuse homosexuals suffer, that didn't make this a good movie whatsoever. Also the stereotypes are in extremes, making this almost seem prejudiced against them in an unintentional way. For a good or great Sinatra movie, see The Man With The Golden Arm, The Manchurian Candidate, or for fun, Guys and Dolls. This was garbage.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Gordon Douglas

Director

Frank Sinatra

Detective Sgt. Joe Leland

Lee Remick

Karen Wagner Leland

Jacqueline Bisset

Norma MacIver

Ralph Meeker

Curran

Jack Klugman

Dave Schoenstein

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

The Detective contains a fine performance by Frank Sinatra, some very good scenes of police work, and not much else.

Rated: 3/4

May 21, 2005

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Featuring a compelling and notable performance from Frank Sinatra, The Detective is an enjoyable neo-noir from the late 60s reflecting realistic attitudes towards queer characters.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 14, 2020

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Unpolished in spots, but it's a major, influential stepping stone in the neo-noir movement.

Rated: 7/10

Aug 24, 2020

Full Review

Stephen Farber

Los Angeles Free Press

The Detective belongs to its writer, Abby Mann, and he has made it into the kind of "tough," "hard-hitting," "socially conscious" picture that Hollywood used to pride itself on.

Jan 30, 2020

Full Review

Manny Farber

Artforum

There's so much particularity that the film goes from bad to good to smashing and back to good in the briefest quarters.

Jun 18, 2019

Full Review

Nathanael Hood

The Retro Set

...one of the first true neo-noirs.

Rated: 7/10

Dec 28, 2018

Full Review

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Synopsis

When a gay man is viciously slain, Detective Joe Leland (Frank Sinatra) is put on the case. Joe eventually tracks down the victim's roommate, who confesses to the crime and is sentenced to death; however, the outcome of the case doesn't sit well with the detective. Norma (Jacqueline Bisset), a distraught widow, visits Joe. She believes her husband's death was no accident, but the cops don't seem to care. Joe begins to investigate, and stumbles on a cover-up related to his previous case.

Director: Gordon Douglas
Screenwriter: Abby Mann
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Arcola Pictures
Genre: Crime, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 28, 1968, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 28, 2014

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