McQ

McQ
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John Sturges
Produced by	Arthur Gardner Jules V. Levy
Written by	Lawrence Roman
Starring	John Wayne Eddie Albert Diana Muldaur Colleen Dewhurst Clu Gulager
Music by	Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography	Harry Stradling Jr.
Editing by	William H. Ziegler
Studio	Batjac Productions
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	February 6, 1974
Running time	111 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

McQ is a 1974 crime drama starring John Wayne, Eddie Albert, Diana Muldaur, and Colleen Dewhurst. The film made extensive use of actual Seattle locations. The beach scenes were filmed on the Pacific coast at Moclips.

The film features a young Roger E. Mosley as a police informer, Clu Gulager of The Hidden, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 and The Return of the Living Dead as a corrupt police detective, Colleen Dewhurst as a cocaine addict and Al Lettieri as the most visible villain of the film, the drug king Santiago, in one of Lettieri's final roles.

Wayne had been passed over for the lead in Dirty Harry a few years prior to this film.^[1] The producers of that film chose Seattle as its location in an earlier version of the script; it was later changed to San Francisco when Clint Eastwood became connected with the project. The film has a dramatic car chase, with Wayne in a green 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 'Green Hornet', influenced by Steve McQueen in Bullitt.^[2]

One of Wayne's more famous lines from this movie was after the character of Lon McQ was trapped inside of his car after it was crushed between two large trucks, he states to one of the reporting officers: "I'm up to my butt in gas."

Plot

It is just before dawn in Seattle. A man dons dark glasses and gloves and loads a 9 mm. silenced automatic handgun. He then drives into town where he shoots a policeman (Seattle Police Officer Philip Forsell) on his beat, then drives to a police impound yard and shoots the officer on duty. He then waits at a luncheonette; as he washes his hands he momentarily flashes his police badge, for it is Detective Sgt. Stan Boyle (William Bryant) of the Seattle PD. When a car pulls up Boyle gives the driver a satchel containing the 9 mm. and proceeds to his own car - but is shot in the back.

The police department, headed by Captain Edward Kosterman (Eddie Albert), believe the shootings are the work of street militants and Kosterman orders an immediate dragnet. Detective Lt. Lon McHugh (Wayne), however, barely escapes an attempt on his own life by professional hitman Patty Samuels, which convinces him that local shipping magnate Manny Santiago (Al Lettieri), a known drug dealer, is responsible; McQ is doubly driven because Stan Boyle was his longtime partner and close friend. Despite a warning from Kosterman, McQ, after seeing Boyle's wife Lois (Diana Muldaur), tails Santiago; when he sees a news report that Boyle has died of his injuries, he rages after Santiago and beats him viciously in a mens room.

Confined to desk duty by the department, McQ angrily resigns, despite pleading from his friend, local politician Franklyn Toms (Clu Gulager). Continuing to investigate the case privately through a partnership with local PI "Pinky" Farrell (David Huddleston), McQ learns that Santiago has assembled a team to steal confiscated heroin from the police department. He pursues Santiago's men but they escape. After getting a far harsher warning from the increasingly exasperated Kosterman, McQ acquires for himself an Ingram submachine gun.

But when he presses his investigation, McQ uncovers corruption within the department when he learns from Santiago himself that the drugs he stole turn out to be powdered sugar - and that Santiago was not responsible for Stan Boyle's death. McQ's investigation then leads to the shooting of one of his sources, bartender Myra (Colleen Dewhurst), and an attempt on McQ's life where his car is crushed between two huge trucks. McQ escapes, but when he reexamines the wreckage he finally discovers who is behind the killings of Boyle and two other officers, and also who is behind the theft of drugs from the police, leading to a climactic chase and shootout along a beach with Santiago and his men.

Cast

• John Wayne ... Det. Lt. Lon "McQ" McHugh
• Eddie Albert ... Capt. Ed Kosterman
• Diana Muldaur ... Lois Boyle
• Colleen Dewhurst ... Myra
• Clu Gulager ... Sgt. Franklin Toms
• David Huddleston ... Edward M. 'Pinky' Farrow
• Jim Watkins ... J.C. Davis
• Al Lettieri ... Manny Santiago
• Julie Adams ... Elaine Forrester
• Roger E. Mosley ... Rosey
• William Bryant ... Sgt. Stan Boyle
• Richard Kelton ... Radical

Notes

1. ^ Dowell, Pat. - "John Wayne, Man and Myth". - (book review of: John Wayne, American by Randy Roberts and James S. Olson). - Washington Post. - September 25, 1995. - Retrieved: 2008-08-05
2. ^ Clark, Mike - "Behind the scenes with John Wayne". - USA Today. - May 22, 2007. - Retrieved: 2008-08-05

See also

• List of American films of 1974
• Brannigan
• John Wayne filmography (1961–1976)

External links

• John Wayne McQ Driving Tour of Seattle on YouTube
• McQ at the Internet Movie Database
• McQ at AllRovi