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Report to the Commissioner

Play trailer Poster for Report to the Commissioner PG Released Feb 5, 1975 1h 52m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
55% Tomatometer 40 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Patty Butler (Susan Blakely) is a New York City police detective working undercover to investigate a Times Square drug-trafficking ring run by a street-smart crook named Stick Henderson (Tony King). When a naive rookie cop, Bo Lockley (Michael Moriarty), begins to investigate Patty, the incident ends with Patty shot dead. After Patty's death, Bo's corrupt superiors attempt to cover up the incident, and Bo is forced into an uneasy alliance with Stick Henderson.

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Report to the Commissioner

Report to the Commissioner

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Critics Consensus

Report to the Commissioner presents some compelling performances and atmospherically gritty cinematography, but its central story of police corruption becomes overwrought and contrived.

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Critics Reviews

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Clyde Gilmour Toronto Star Plausibility suffers, and so does the whole movie, in Report to the Commissioner, an overwrought police melodrama. Mar 12, 2025 Full Review Joe Pollack St. Louis Post-Dispatch The plot line has more holes than a fish net. Mar 12, 2025 Full Review Desmond Ryan Philadelphia Inquirer This rendition of James Mills' best seller is just not very credible. Mar 12, 2025 Full Review Ronald E. Butler Tulsa World "Report to the Commissioner" is a cynical, depressing police drama that fortunately is also suspenseful, well directed... interesting and augmented by the naturalism of its atmosphere and detail. Mar 12, 2025 Full Review George Anderson Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Report to the Commissioner" is a good, absorbing film. Mar 12, 2025 Full Review Joe Baltake Philadelphia Daily News Like its hero, the PG-rated movie is so misguided, scatterbrained and whifty that it easily qualifies as the Lulu-Movie-of-the-Year. Mar 12, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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acsdoug D The story is good enough, but what i really appreciated was the feelings of nostalgia the film invoked. Everything about Report to the Commissioner screams the 1970s: from New York City at its nadir to the soundtrack to the hairstyles and costumes. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/27/24 Full Review Steve D Bleak but never interesting. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/10/23 Full Review Z M Turgid, boring, Times Square looks awful like the movie. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 11/16/22 Full Review delysid d this movie is one of my favorites Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/06/22 Full Review Audience Member Great movie a bit aged but ahead of it time Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member The torn-from-the-headlines type story (along with being written by Oscar winning screenwriters Abby Mann and Ernest Tidyman) made me think this might be something along the lines of "Serpico" or "Prince of the City." However, this film dips into melodrama and looses realism at several points, which makes it more along the lines of "Across 110th Street," which isn't a bad thing but it's not exactly Oscar mateiral. The story involves Michael Moriarty as a rookie detective put on a tasked with finding a runway girl who's really an undercover cop who he's unknowlings just provding a cover for. When he proves too good of a detective and actually finds the girl, things go downhill from there, leading to cover-ups and beauacratic nightmares. The film get points for a terrific gritty feel and great use of the NYC locations. There's also a good score by the great Elmer Bernstein. And it never huts to have a cast of 70s cop film regulars, including Yaphet Kotto, Hector Elizondo, Bob Balaban, William Devane, Vic Tayback and Richard Gere in his first film. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Report to the Commissioner

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Cast & Crew

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Milton Katselas

Director

Michael Moriarty

Bo Lockley

Yaphet Kotto

Richard "Crunch" Blackstone

Susan Blakely

Patty Butler

Héctor Elizondo

Captain D'Angelo

Tony King

Thomas "Stick" Henderson

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Report to the Commissioner

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Movie Info

Synopsis Patty Butler (Susan Blakely) is a New York City police detective working undercover to investigate a Times Square drug-trafficking ring run by a street-smart crook named Stick Henderson (Tony King). When a naive rookie cop, Bo Lockley (Michael Moriarty), begins to investigate Patty, the incident ends with Patty shot dead. After Patty's death, Bo's corrupt superiors attempt to cover up the incident, and Bo is forced into an uneasy alliance with Stick Henderson.
Director
Milton Katselas
Producer
M.J. Frankovich
Screenwriter
Abby Mann, Ernest Tidyman
Rating
PG
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 5, 1975, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 29, 2016
Runtime
1h 52m
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