Deadly Hero

Deadly Hero
Original 1976 movie poster
Directed by	Ivan Nagy
Produced by	Thomas J. McGrath
Written by	George Wislocki Don Petersen[1]
Starring	Don Murray Diahn Williams James Earl Jones Lilia Skala Conchata Ferrell
Music by	Brad Fiedel Tommy Mandel
Cinematography	Andrzej Bartkowiak
Editing by	Susan Steinberg
Distributed by	AVCO Embassy Pictures
Release date(s)	1976
Running time	102 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

Deadly Hero is a 1976 thriller movie starring Don Murray, Diahn Williams, James Earl Jones, Lilia Skala, Treat Williams, and directed by Ivan Nagy from a screenplay by George Wislocki and Don Petersen. Released in May 1976 with an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, the film was distributed by AVCO Embassy Pictures. This film is Treat Williams' film debut. Deadly Hero opened to mixed, mostly negative reviews by critics and was seen as a commercial failure.

Plot

Officer Lacy (played by Don Murray) is an 18-year veteran of the New York Police Department who finds himself demoted from detective back to patrol duty for his violent tendencies and trigger-happy behavior.^[2][3] Responding to a call on Manhattan's West Side, he finds a young musician named Sally (Diahn Williams) has been harassed and brutally attacked by a mugger named Rabbit (James Earl Jones).^[4][5] Rabbit has Sally at knifepoint in a hostage standoff but is persuaded to release her and surrender by Officer Lacy. Lacy kills the disarmed Rabbit anyway. A grateful Sally is convinced by Lacy to lie to detectives to make Lacy seem like a hero. She later changes her mind and tells the truth about the shooting. This drives Lacy to try to silence Sally with escalating threats and violence before his career is ruined and he's tried for murder.^[6]

Cast

• Don Murray ... Lacy^[7]
• Diahn Williams ... Sally
• James Earl Jones ... Rabbit
• Lilia Skala ... Mrs. Broderick
• Conchata Ferrell ... Slugger Ann
• George S. Irving ... Reilly
• Ron Weyand ... Captain Stark
• Treat Williams ... Billings
• Dick Anthony Williams ... D. A. Winston

The cast also includes performances by Josh Mostel as "Victor", Rutanya Alda as "Apple Mary", Charles Siebert as "Baker", plus Beverly Johnson, Chu Chu Malave, Danny DeVito, and an uncredited Deborah Harry as a singer.^[8] Deadly Hero is Treat Williams' first motion picture appearance.^[8][9]

Production info

Deadly Hero was directed by Ivan Nagy from a screenplay by George Wislocki and Don Petersen.^[1][2] The film was produced by Thomas J. McGrath and distributed by AVCO Embassy Pictures. The film's cinematographer was Andrzej Bartkowiak, with editing by Susan Steinberg, music by Brad Fiedel and Tommy Mandel, and art direction by Alan Herman. Deadly Hero was filmed entirely on location in New York City.^[4] The 102-minute film was released as Rated R (Restricted) from the Motion Picture Association of America.^[5]

Reception

Critical reaction

Gene Siskel wrote in the Chicago Tribune that the film is "a small triumph" but qualifying that praise by noting, "Of course, expecting nothing helps."^[10] A reviewer for the Cineman Syndicate felt that "moments of suspense" helped elevate the "thin script and moody photography".^[3] A.H. Weiler of The New York Times described Deadly Hero as a "fairly derivative Manhattan melodrama" with the supporting cast "wasted in brief, broad portrayals".^[2] Los Angeles Times reviewer Linda Gross called the film "gritty" and "intriguing" but ultimately found it "predictable and pessimistic".^[11] Modern critics have been kinder with VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever describing it as both "gripping" and "chilling" while rating the film three (out of a possible four) bones.^[9]

Popular reaction

A commercial failure, George Anderson wrote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the violent film "suffered sudden death at the box office."^[12]

Home video

Deadly Hero was released on VHS in 1985 by Embassy Home Entertainment. The movie was released to the DVD format on August 7, 2007, by Trinity Home Entertainment but as of December 2010^[update] is out of print.^[13]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Guslow, Mel (May 3, 1988). "Don Petersen, 70, Playwright and Screenwriter". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F4091EFD3A5A0C708CDDAC0894D0494D81. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Weiler, A.H. (October 16, 1976). "Screen: 'Deadly Hero,' a Manhattan Melodrama". The New York Times: p. 13. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=9E01E0D6133FE23BA15755C1A9669D946790D6CF. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Mini Movie Reviews: Deadly Hero". Bangor Daily News. Cineman Syndicate: p. ME2. November 5, 1976. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zqkzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yjgHAAAAIBAJ&pg=5047,2411008&dq=deadly-hero&hl=en. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Variety Staff (May 1976). "Film Reviews: Deadly Hero". Daily Variety. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117790292?refcatid=31. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Deadly Hero (1976)". TCM Movie Database. Turner Classic Movies. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=72573. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
6. ^ "Television: Saturday Evening". Lakeland Ledger: p. 5B. November 19, 1977. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q11OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_PoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3750,5508492&dq=deadly-hero&hl=en. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
7. ^ Wilson, Earl (March 16, 1976). "He thought he'd die when spotted in line". The Miami News: p. 3B. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jdQzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hOoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2502,2393442&dq=deadly-hero&hl=en. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
8. ^ ^{a b} Maltin, Leonard (September 1992). Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide 1993. New York, NY: Signet Books. p. 285. ISBN 0-451-17381-3. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "Bad Charleston Charlie". VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 1996. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 327. ISBN 0-7876-0626-X. 
10. ^ Siskel, Gene (May 5, 1976). "Six films with no Oscar hopes--or much of anything else". Chicago Tribune: p. C4. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/617473802.html?dids=617473802:617473802&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
11. ^ Gross, Linda (December 8, 1977). "A Cop Cracks Up in 'Deadly Hero'". Los Angeles Times: p. H46. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/650239382.html?dids=650239382:650239382&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
12. ^ Anderson, George (January 11, 1977). "Some Coming Attractions That Never Came". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: p. 6. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uUwNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Um0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6701,914503&dq=deadly-hero&hl=en. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
13. ^ "Deadly Hero (1976)". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TM1CLK. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 

External links

• Deadly Hero at the Internet Movie Database
• Deadly Hero at AllRovi
• Deadly Hero at Rotten Tomatoes