Cop Hater (1958)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Recently picking up the 1958 British Film Noir Chase a Crooked Shadow,I began looking for another Noir from '58 that I could watch it in a double bill with. Knowing Ed McBain for his classic novels and work with Hitchcock,I was intrigued to find a McBain Film Noir adaptation,which led to me hating cops!The plot:As the streets of New York get dried out during a long Summer,a stranger kills two police officers. Taking the murders personally, the 87th Precinct put two of their best cops on the case: Steve Carelli and Mike Maguire. Whilst the police officers struggle to pick up a lead, news reporter Hank Miller begins to hear gangs full of cop haters.View on the film:Set during long hot Summer nights, director William Berke & cinematographer J. Burgi Contner give their cop killer an evil under the sun atmosphere,with scorching hot white lights and dirty clothes signalling the burning hot Film Noir desire the cops have to grab the killer. While keep things strictly by the room, Berke finds side-streets for stylish quirks,from a deaf girlfriend to a gang of hip juvenile delinquency.Taking notes from McBain's first 87th Precinct novel,the screenplay by Henry Kane aims for the three cop killings to fire up the passions of their fellow officers. Killing the officers before they have been given any real depth, Kane's attempt to build a feeling of Film Noir urgency runs dry,due to it lacking any sign of the novel characterization/depth that was on offer to the police and the gangs. Oddly being named Steve Carelli instead of Carella, Robert Loggia gives a very good performance as the tough-talking Carelli,who wants to stop the hate on cops.

"Cop Hater" is an amazing film. After all, it's a cheap production from Allied Artists featuring complete unknowns at the time---and yet it's one of the best cop films I have seen. The film excels in realism, excitement and great twists--and it's a wonderful film for lovers of noir and those wanting to see future film and TV stars long before they were stars. In the film, you see lots of familiar faces from the 60s, 70s and beyond--such as Ralph Loggia, Gerald O'Laughlin (a VERY familiar face in cop shows), Vince Gardinia, Jerry Orbach and Glenn Cannon (the DA on "Hawaii Five-O"). I can't recommend this film strongly enough.Because of the title, it's not at all surprising that the film begins with the murder of a cop. This guy is off duty and shot repeatedly in the head with a .45--making the man very, very dead. Who did it and why? There just don't seem to be any leads. Then, when another cop is killed with the same .45, there is the same problem--there just aren't any leads. And, when a third cop is killed, it still isn't a lot clearer. How are they going to solve a crime that just seems so random?! I could say a lot more about the plot, but don't want to give any of it away--just see the movie yourself.The film is filled with great, realistic acting, wonderful and tough dialog and nice detail when it comes to forensics. It is just written masterfully and it came as a nice surprise. Why the film isn't more famous could only be because it slipped in under the radar when it appeared--with no big names and a paltry budget, it just didn't get noticed. Well, well worth your time.By the way, there is a deaf character. While she doesn't use a lot of sign language, what she does use I was able to understand--meaning they were real signs. I hated hearing words like 'dummy' in regard to her, but appreciated having a deaf character and one they tried to get right.

Very interesting, well done look at the late 1950's in NY, on the streets, in the precinct house. What is so amazing is that you really can tell which actors will end up stars or at least significant players. Charisma is very real and evident here. Robert Loggia is a revelation. I've never seen him so young and yet he is very macho and attractive. The camera loves him and I'll bet that a lot of viewers do as well. A boyish Jerry Orbach is certainly an eye full as well. Recommended as a very interesting exploration of the past that is now just receding beyond easy recollection. Cannot say that the female performers are as memorable but then, one can't have everything but this dishes up quite a lot and the author certainly deserves his subsequent career.

****SPOILERS**** Graphically brutal movie for a film released in the 1950's about a cop killer on the loose with the entire city police department mobilized to track him down. When two policemen are shot and killed in two days who happened to be partners at the same police precinct for no apparent reason, other then being policemen, the word is out on the street that whoever knows anything about those murders better talk. Or else the full heat of the police force will come down on them. After checking out every hood and punk gang member in the city the police department came to the conclusion that whoever committed those killings did it only out of his personal hatred of policemen and are looking for a cop hating psycho. What they don't know is that the person behind these murders is a lot closer to them then they think.Det. Carelli and Maguire, Robert Loggia and Gerald S. O'Loughlin, are assigned to the case but unknown to them one of the detectives is the real reason behind this slew of killings. Later Det. Maguire gets gunned downed in the street and his partner, Det. Carelli, starts to put together what he knows of the case. Det. Carelli comes up with an unbelievable theory to who's doing these killings from his talking to Det. Maguire and his wife Alice, Shirley Ballard. Going through the motions looking for the killer Det. Carelli is at the bar one night with reporter Hank Miller,Gene Miller. Who's meddlesome actions with this story about a cop killer to get his big scoop almost cost the life of a cop who was mistaken for him. Thats when Miller tried to get a story out of a local teenage gang member by threatening him and his gang with unwanted media exposure. Det. Carelli drunk and not thinking tells Miller what he thinks is going on with the police killings and who's behind them. Miller irresponsibly prints the story that tips off the killer. Miller also foolishly prints the address of Det. Carelli's fiancée the pretty but hearing-impaired Teddy Franklin, Ellen Parker. Busting into her apartment the cop killer Marcer, Hal Riddle, finds Teddy alone and waits for Det. Carelli to show up and murder him. Alerting Carelli when Teddy sees the door light go on, thats the way she can tell if someone is ringing since Teddy can't hear. Det.Carelli surprises Macer and after having it out with him beats a confession out of Mercer not only to his killing the three cops but who was really behind and had him do those killings. This is in 1958 before the Supreme Court's passing of the 1966 Miranda decision. For a person to be read his rights and be presented with a lawyer before he says anything. Fine big city police drama that plays like an episode of "Naked City" but is far far more realistic as well as brutal without being filmed in city of New York, the name New York City is never mentioned in the film. Even though "Cop Hater" does look like it was filmed there.