Contract on Cherry Street (1977)

Touches You

How sad is this?

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

In the 1970s, the TV networks put a lot of money into creating their own collection of original films. The rationale was that they were about as cheap as a series pilot (indeed some, like "Marcus Nelson Murders" did become exactly that -- for "Kojak"; "The Night Stalker/Strangler" for the Kolchak series), and did not entail open-ended commitments like a series would.This flick is certainly at the high-end of these (the low-end was things like "The Hard Ride" - - motorcycle-gang members with machine guns in Vietnam, in a low budget, low brow version of "Missing in Action"; the immortal "Killdozer"). Frank Sinatra shows his acting chops again (nearly for the last time, from here on there was only one episode of Magnum PI to be proud of), surrounded by the usual suspects of series TV and made-for-TV-movies (notably Harry Guardino, good as always.) The soundtrack is certainly movie-quality (as were most of this era's TV-movies.)The movie suffers from having an enforced length -- 145 minutes to fill a 3-hour timeslot -- and thus there is painfully unnecessary padding of scenes and dialog, and long traveling shots with the obligatory shoe-leather-sound-effects. But there's a cracking good 90-100 minute movie in here.

Was this movie ever released on a DVD or even VHS? I'd love to get a copy. I liked it better than "The Detective". I'd enjoy hearing from any body who may know. I thought Frank and Harry Guardino were terrific together. Then again, I have a bunch of friends or were and are in the NYPD. He's gritty (Sinatra) and the plot was "metaphoric" cause we all know there are no vigilante's with badges, right. Nevertheless, being a NYC product I really enjoyed the flick. Perfect? No. But what flick is? I know, the original "Twelve Angry Men". I might add some 60+ year old NYPD Detectives might surprise you with their physical "outwardness". All in all, I'd love to locate a copy of the movie. Thank you in advance.

Talk about ego! In this movie, 5'8" 62-year old Frank Sinatra knocks around mob thugs and sends them home crying. Which for a film aiming for a realistic gritty tone, makes it hard to take seriously. Sinatra forms a special cop team to crack down on car thefts in New York City; the team is basically Michael Nouri as the idealistic kid, Henry Silva as the voice of reason (not something Silva was known for playing) and Harry Guardino as a vengeance crazed cop. Somehow, the dedicated team causes a gang war to erupt among the mob families and for a 1970's TV movie, there is a lot more violence than I would expect. The movie gets more and more out of control until Sinatra's mad dash to save the city at the end. Sinatra breaks so many rules, it is really hard to see how he would be able to stay out of jail, much less remain on the job. But hey, this is Sinatra's world and he makes the rules.

Thoroughly average TV film has Sinatra and fellow cops resorting to murder of gangsters to alleve their frustrations.Early on I thought this would be an above average time, but it soon descends into the routine. Its main problem is that it's inconsistent in its pacing. Plus it is ridiculously overlong.Only recommended to Sinatra fans; personally I got tired of viewing his tough cop bit.