In 1980 Paula Prentiss returned to good form after a five-year absence from the screen, with this affectionate version of Joseph Wambaugh's novel. Less concerned with physical action, this is a romantic comedy that deals with the inner world of police detectives. In a way, The Black Marble is the second installment of a trilogy about people in uniform, started with The Onion Field and finished with Taps, all three films directed by Harold Becker, photographed by Owen Roizman and edited by Maury Winetrobe. Roizman used splendidly the Panavision format, while Maurice Jarre contributed a beautiful score. Robert Foxworth, Harry Dean Stanton, Barbara Babcock and John Hancock all gave very good performances. A nice cameo by James Woods.
Review of The Black Marble
