Funny faces and tough, delightfully cliched voices (minus the face plaster of the later Warren Beatty box office hit) aides this comical viewpoint of a real life Boston crime that took place in the 1950's. Peter Falk leads the cast in a fabulous way, committing a crime that would have befuddled Columbo. "This robbery could be the missing link between communism and organized crime" barks J. Edgar Hoover (Sheldon Leonard), a funny statement considering the tough image of the veteran character actor and revelations about the real Hoover discovered after his exit from the post of head of the FBI.
The 1970's had a great love of nostalgia, and this has the atmosphere and lighthearted pastiche of a "Happy Days" episode, minus mom and apple pie. Falk is joined by a fabulous cast including Peter Boyle, Paul Sorvino, Allen Garfield, Warren Oates and Gena Rowlands as Falk's wife who goes gaga over a muskrat coat. The color photography has a hue to it that is very attractive to the eye. Definitely one of the best movies of 1978 (a year filled with gems) that builds in tension that gets funnier as it goes along. Falk is absolute perfection in the lead, and the direction by William Friedkin is as perfect as his Oscar winning work for "The French Connection".
The 1970's had a great love of nostalgia, and this has the atmosphere and lighthearted pastiche of a "Happy Days" episode, minus mom and apple pie. Falk is joined by a fabulous cast including Peter Boyle, Paul Sorvino, Allen Garfield, Warren Oates and Gena Rowlands as Falk's wife who goes gaga over a muskrat coat. The color photography has a hue to it that is very attractive to the eye. Definitely one of the best movies of 1978 (a year filled with gems) that builds in tension that gets funnier as it goes along. Falk is absolute perfection in the lead, and the direction by William Friedkin is as perfect as his Oscar winning work for "The French Connection".