A 1972 adaptation of Joseph Wambaugh's novel directed by Richard Fleischer (Fantastic Voyage/The Narrow Margin). Wambaugh, the preeminent crime writer of his era (I would also recommend his film version of the excellent The Onion Field from 1978, I think) details the ups & downs & extremely episodic nature of policemen & their time on the force following a rookie, played by Stacy Keach, & the old pro, played by George C. Scott. Through various escapades we learn the nitty gritty of the LA boys in blue as they deal w/an assortment of cases (much like Adam 12 did in the 60's on TV) as cops are on patrol & calls come in for them to deal with. No big bad guy or overriding crime is dealt w/here since the focus is on character rather plot. We see Keach's marriage falter (his wife played by Jane Alexander) as his stated intention to continue his career through law school is curtailed when he finds he's developing a genuine taste for the job while Scott, a single guy (we presume he's divorced or his wife has passed) is about to retire & go live w/his daughter & kids in Florida. Through it all, we see the toll the job takes on the men we've come to rely & respect as they're shown to be human after all as limned by screenwriter Stirling Silliphant. A great supporting cast fill out the proceedings like Clifton James, James B. Sikking, Scott Wilson (Herschel from The Walking Dead), the late, great Ed Lauter, William Atherton (from Ghostbusters), Erik Estrada (from CHIPS who I think was dubbed over whenever he spoke Spanish since he claims he never learned the language growing up) & Dolph Sweet (from Gimme a Break) as cops while perps are played by Isabel Sanford (from The Jeffersons playing a hooker here), Roger E. Mosley (from Magnum PI) & Pepe Serna.
Review of The New Centurions
