Although an extremely violent movie, THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN benefits from skillful pacing, a literate script, and fine performances by Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern. After a busload of people are slaughtered on a San Francisco street, police detective Matthau is assigned to the case. Among those killed is Matthau's partner, so now he is teamed with Dern, whose cocksure personality is the polar opposite of Matthau's. The laughing policeman, Matthau, finds less and less to guffaw about as their search for a cop killer takes them on a trip through San Francisco's gay subculture that includes the predictable chases and shootouts.
Released:
1973
Rated:
PG
Length:
111 mins