The Lineup

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Bruce M Very effective, tight thriller from director Don Siegel. Direction and cinematography are first-rate, as is Eli Wallach as the sociopathic hood. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/31/25 Full Review Allan C Fantastic West Coast noir from Don Siegel! The Lineup (1958) **** Movie version of a TV series I'd never heard of, but I watched this film because I'm trying to watch every Don Siegel movie I've missed. Outside of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and his Elvis western, I really haven't seen many of his earlier studio films and have mostly seen his classic films of the '60s and '70s, such as DIRTY HARRY, CHARLEY VARRICK, or ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ. In this film, two detectives are on the trail of a psychotic criminal, Eli Wallach, who's leaving a trail of bodies in his wake as he tries to find a missing shipment of heroin before his boss kills him. Along for the ride with Wallach are his two stoolies, Richard Jaeckel and Robert Keith. Siegel is a master of action, and the chases and shootouts in this film do not disappoint. Siegel essentially invented the model action film with COOGAN'S BLUFF and DIRTY HARRY, but you can seeds of that tougher edge and more modern of sensibility here in THE LINEUP. Siegel also makes great use of the San Francisco setting, making extensive use of practical locations around the city he'd return to years later for DIRTY HARRY. It's also a tight little script by Stirling Silliphant, who, years later, would win an Academy Award for IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT. Where the film loses its way is when it lapses into Dragnet-like police procedural, but outside of that, I'd never have guessed this was based on a TV series.  AI CAPSULE REVIEW: The Lineup is a lean, mean slice of West Coast noir, elevated by Don Siegel’s sharp direction, Eli Wallach’s chilling performance, and some killer San Francisco location work. Despite a few procedural detours, it’s a gripping, ahead-of-its-time crime thriller that hints at Siegel’s later action mastery. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/20/25 Full Review nick s Surprisingly gritty and with more action than typical movies of this era. The antagonist was great. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/15/23 Full Review Bill B The first half is pretty stiff, like an episode of Dragnet. But it picks up after that and ends up with a satisfying finale. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Great scenes of late 1950's San Francisco, including the Sutro Baths before it burned down. excellent performances by Wallach as Dancer, a cold blooded killer, and Robert Keith as the participant/narrator who tells us about his psycho killer comrade. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member A few years before director Don Siegel did his classic take on Hemingway's The Killers which followed two hit men on a contract hit he did this movie with a similar plot. Robert Keith and Eli Wallach really aren't hit men in The Lineup. They are a hired collection men tracking down drugs unknowingly transported into America by innocent citizens. Siegel's direction, even with the low budget constraints, is impressive and Wallach's interpretation of a psychopath is worthy of him getting star billing even though he's in the movie for half of its running time. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Lineup

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