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The Detective

Released May 28, 1968 1h 54m Crime Drama LGBTQ+ List
100% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 48% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
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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The Detective

Critics Reviews

View All (8) Critics Reviews
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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Liam D Frank Sinatra gives a good performance and it has some interesting elements but for a cop drama it’s very slow and kinda homophobic Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/07/24 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews
The Detective

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Movie Info

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
Producer
Aaron Rosenberg
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
Runtime
1h 54m
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