McQ

Plot synopsis:
About an hour before dawn just outside Seattle in 1973, a man dons sunglasses and fits a silencer to a pistol. He then drives into the city and eventually to a corner where a policeman sees his car and approaches - and is promptly shot dead by the man. He then drives to a police impound lot where another officer, Wally Johnson, is parking a car; the killer shoots him dead. The killer then drives to a corner coffee shop; as he washes his hands his police badge briefly appears, indicating he is a dirty cop. The shop proprietor greets him, for he is Stan Boyle, a detective sergeant. While the proprietor goes to the kitchen, Boyle sees a car pull up outside; he goes to the car and gives the driver a carrying case with the murder weapon inside - but as he returns to his own car the driver shoots him down with a shotgun then escapes.Boyle's partner is Lon McQ, a lieutenant, and after being noisily awakened by his telephone on his dockside houseboat, McQ learns from police Sergeant J.C. Davis of the shootings. McQ deduces the shootings to be the work of Manuel Santiago, a businessman who fronts for massive shipments of narcotics from Canada. McQ's suspicion about Santiago is hardened when he is fired on near his car by a hitman who he shoots dead and identifies as Patty Samuels.McQ visits the hospital where Boyle is in critical condition and comforts Boyle's wife Lois. He asks her about the previous night where they were attending a show and Stan got a phone call to leave. After his questioning he drives to police headquarters where his superior, Captain Ed Kosterman, has rounded up street radicals he believes may be responsible for the shootings; here he greets city councilman Franklin Toms, who is close to him as well as the Boyles.McQ greets Kosterman in the station commisary and Ed orders McQ not to harass Santiago, pointedly reminding him of a previous case where a hood was brutally assaulted by McQ and the police had to deal with backlash from several lawyers. McQ blows him off and drives to Santiago's harborside business where he photographs him greeting a suspicious type just before he drives to a downtown diner. It is there that a news broadcast reveals that Stan Boyle has died of his shotgun injuries; when Santiago goes to the restroom and uses a payphone to inform someone of Boyle's death, McQ jumps him and rams him head-first into the mirror then punches him unconscious and dumps him in the trough.For this McQ is taken off duty and assigned to a desk until further notice by police brass, but instead of taking this punishment McQ angrilly quits the force, though he gives J.C. Davis the roll of film on Santiago and tells him to get an identification on the suspect with Santiago. Days later following Boyle's funeral Lois comes by McQ's houseboat where he comforts her and she suggests they get in his "Green Hornet," a splashy Pontiac, and just drive away.Later McQ shows up at the office of Pinky Farrell, a private detective, and asks to join him; he wants to investigate Boyle's murder and Santiago's supposed role in it and not be held up by the police umbrella. Farrell reluctantly agrees to register McQ, and at police headquarters J.C. gives him the photos he took, identifying the man with Santiago as Freddie LaSalle, a hitman from St. Louis. McQ later borrows $5,000 from his ex-wife Elaine, who still holds Lon in her heart and remembers the fear for his life that drove her away.That night at a Seattle Supersonics game Lon confronts Rosey, an informant who wants nothing to do with him anymore since he's not on the force; Lon shows him a newspaper with some of the $5,000, and Rosey tells him that Santiago has brought in three hitmen for a drug heist. Lon then greets Myra, a waitress who was an informant of Boyle and may have been closer to him that just that; she is an addict and Lon gives her a line for her to inhale; she agrees to tell him that she knows about Santiago's hit team and that they intend to steal from the police.Lon follows a state police detail transferring several million dollars worth of powder to an incineration plant, but Santiago's hit team, disguised as part of a laundry service, jumps them and steals the power, but have to fire on Lon as he pursues them to their laundry truck. Lon chases them in his Pontiac and catches up to and corners a laundry truck, but it turns out to be a different one.Kosterman is doubly furious at Lon for the shootout and for not imforming the police beforehand as well as at Franklin Toms, who defends Lon to Kosterman. Kosterman revokes Lon's gun permit before leading a sweep of Santiago's house and business to find the powder; Lon for his part purchases another gun anyway, then is told by his friend Jack, the gun shop owner, about a new submachine weapon, the Ingram, a 9 mm weapon that fires 20 rounds per second. Lon is so impressed with the Ingram after test firing it on a trashcan of water he borrows the weapon and half a dozen magazines of ammo. He then drives to Lois' house for a drink before getting a phone call from J.C. Davis that the police search turned up nothing. Lon, though, knows better, and that Santiago has driven the junk around before stashing it where the police already searched - his office.Yet it blows up in Lon's face when he finds the powder in Santiago's office but is cornered by his gunmen and then learns from the furious Santiago that the powder he stole is in fact harmless sugar. Clearly the drugs were switched with sugar by certain officials, and now Lon realizes Santiago never was involved in the killing of Boyle or the other two officers. Santiago, with nothing to fear from Lon, lets him go, but first beats him up as revenge.Lon now suspects Kosterman may be involved, but gets more shocking news when he confronts his informant Rosey and Rosey reveals that Boyle himself was a dirty cop. Lon initially doesn't believe it, but after seeing Myra she herself is shot to death by a gunman who thinks she knows something. Lon himself is then attacked when two trucks crush his Pontiac between them. Lon is questioned about the attempt on his life by J.C., who reveals where the wrecked car is being held.Lon now realizes something about his car, and when he sneaks into the impound yard both to retrieve the Ingram weapon and to search the car he finds traces of cocaine - the cocaine switched with sugar earlier. Now Lon realizes his friend was indeed dirty - some time earlier he'd loaned Stan his car for a day, and this was how Stan switched the sugar and cocaine - but the police now suspect he himself is involved, so he must hotwire a car to escape, then finds Lois, who is packing to visit her folks upstate; Lon drives with her and reveals that her husband was dirty - but that others close to him are involved, all leading to a confrontation involving Santiago and a lengthy high speed pursuit along a stretch of beach.

Tags: comedy, suspenseful, neo noir, murder, violence, humor, revenge

Review:
However having made a string or westerns in succession John Wayne was eager to broaden his horizons and undertake a new project, the project was to be a contemporary detective drama titled 'McQ'.McQ is set in Seattle and follows Lon McQ (Duke) in his pursuit of the gangsters whom murdered his friend and colleague Stan Boyle.
As the quest intensifies McQ uncovers the motive behind his friends killing and uncovers corruption that stems right to the top of the police hierarchy.While the movie was slammed by critics and some anti Wayne elements its impossible to deny that John Wayne is well cast in this movie as a tough cop who is something of an outsider in a world of changing values.
The Duke gives a fine performance with some good supporting players most notably Eddie Albert, Al Lettieri, Colleen Dewhurst and Diana Muldaur There are some well-staged action scenes including two high-speed car chases and an exciting climatic shootout.
One notable if somewhat improbable action scene involves two lorries playing a large-scale version of dodgems with McQ's car that would have been very akin to a scene from a James Bond movie.The movie delves into several interesting areas including corruption, family breakdowns and the shadowy underworld of drugs, one brilliantly directed and acted scene involves McQ exchanging drugs for vital information about an imminent drugs heist, this scene illustrates just how complex the drug underworld actually is and the chemistry between McQ and Myra is very evident.The overall tone of the movie is notably grim and gritty and while the movie would have benefited from a larger budget, tighter direction and greater character development, nevertheless McQ was an undeniable hit at the box office and is a worthy entry into John Wayne's impressive portfolio..
It is great to sit and watch an action movie with so many great starts of the past (Wayne, Eddie Albert, Diana Muldaur, Colleen Dewhurst, Clu Gulager, and a young Roger E.
And the story was interesting (from the start to the end) and gripping, and the remaining actors well-cast and excellent.With John Wayne now gone for more than 30 years, it's particularly nostalgic and enjoyable to watch one of his movies you haven't seen before.This may not quite be a 10* flick, if one were rating in a contemporary fashion.
I've always felt that John Wayne did his two police films McQ and Brannigan for a combination of reasons.
In fact the whole point of Rio Lobo is Wayne putting his whole life on hold to find a couple of guys who betrayed him and their country during the Civil War. So McQ is definitely in line with both of those films.In the supporting cast my favorite is Al Lettieri the drug kingpin of Seattle.
Awakened fully-clothed on his boat, groggy policeman John Wayne (as Lon "McQ" McHugh) learns one of the cops killed was his partner.
It would have been better to see him similarly co-star, in a modern drama...Wayne does get to kick a "hippie" early in the running time; to boot, the lad has a full head of natural, fuzzy hair.***** McQ (1974-01-04) John Sturges ~ John Wayne, Diana Muldaur, Eddie Albert, Colleen Dewhurst.
While not exactly a sequel, he plays a very similar role but the writing, locale and acting is just a whole lot better--and aside from THE SHOOTIST, is probably the best film of the final decade of Wayne's career..
John Wayne was very good as a near-retirement cop, but this movie definitely has a 1970's feel.
It is not a classic since the story is a lot less inventive as the aforementioned films, but it is pretty cool to see John Wayne as a cop - he is no less tough then when sporting six shooters and riding a horse.
Inevitably, the film would have prospered more if Wayne was a bit younger, but he is still good as the lead pretty much as he always has been in previous roles.Also, there are several car chases - all are very different.
I think it took some guts on John Wayne's part to do these kind of roles late in his career, roles like "McQ" and "Brannigan" instead of playing it safe and giving his long term fans more of what they expected of Wayne(The War film or Western) I felt Wayne pulled off the role quite well even at his advanced age!
Of course he would of been great as "Dirty Harry" but I'm glad Wayne met the modern times with films like this and "Brannigan".
Real great fun to watch John Wayne plays 'Dirty Harry'!.
I recently watched the reruns of two action movies, McQ & Brannigan, both starring John Wayne, on cable TV.
John Wayne even got a beautiful side-kick in the movie, Detective Sergeant Jennifer Thatcher, played by Judy Geeson.In McQ, I was very surprised to see John Wayne in an intimate scene involving a junkie informer played by a fine actress (Colleen Dewhurst) in an understated role.
Where it fails is in the wasting of three talented actresses Diana Muldaur, underused, Colleen Dewhurst, although she comes across the most strongly it is more the power of her personality and presence than anything she's given to work with in a throwaway part, and Julie Adams, she and Wayne have a good rapport in their one scene and you have a feeling there is more to their story but then she is gone from the film..
I didn't see any of this; McQ was just John Wayne putting on a business suit (as the reviewer in Time said, "Seems like putting Cary Grant in bib overalls"), strapping on an exotic weapon, and sliding behind the wheel of a Trans Am to go kick drug-dealer butt.
Just a cop movie with an old guy playing young.As I got older--and saw McQ uncut on WTBS or KSTW--I began to appreciate both the film and its star even more.
. .Wayne is at his most comfortable, maybe his best work since In Harm's Way. The crime drama itself plays out nicely, with clues being offered out at just the right pace, Seattle and the Olympic Penninsula are beautifully sun-washed and crisp-looking, and Wayne's costars give real weight to the movie--Colleen Dewhurst, Eddie Albert, Diana Muldaur, and David Huddleston, to name a few.
The role of this film was originally offered to Clint Eastwood as the role of Dirty Harry was originally offered to John Wayne.
The car chases are quite good (although the Pontiac Trans-Am is referred to as an AMC Hornet), and ultimately, I would say that this is a satisfying and intriguing film, and one of the first mainstream movies to deal with police corruption..
But this incongruity is the most interesting thing about this tired, cliched "corrupt cops and drugs" yarn, with its obligatory car chases and violence.There is one scene though that shows how good an actor the Duke had become, and how well he may have responded to better material.
John Wayne as a police detective in Seattle, investigating a friend's murder while uncovering corrupt drug smuggling activities within the police department.
I enjoyed this movie, was especially fun to watch since I got to see over 1/2 of it being filmed and met and got Mr. John Wayne's autograph.
John Sturges (Bad Day at Black Rock, The Great Escape) directs Big John Wayne for the first time and the result is "McQ", an action packed detective thriller that ranks among the best of the 1970's genre.
Boyle's former partner Lieutenant Lon 'McQ' McHugh (John Wayne) believes it to be drug lord Manny Santiago.
McQ is somewhat of a change of pace for John Wayne, as he trades in his horse for a Trans Am and plays a Seattle cop looking for the men who gunned down his partner.
There are a couple of good chase scenes, which while obviously borrowing from Bullitt and The French Connection, still add quite a bit to the movie as a whole.Overall, while McQ may not be as good as say, Dirty Harry, it's still a good movie which provides a different type of role for one of Hollywood's most legendary actors..
Seattle cop Lon McQ (aging Wayne , he was 66 when he played a cop for the first time) investigates the murder of his best friend , Stan Boyle (William Bryant) , and the corruption within the police department .
John Wayne starred in this film , along with Brannigan (1975) , because he missed out on starring in Dirty Harry (1971).
Stirring film in which there are nail-biting action scenes , intrigue , blasts , suspenseful set pieces and a big star as well as an excellent plethora of secondaries such as : Eddie Albert , Colleen Dewhurst , Clu Gulager , David Huddleston , Al Lettieri , Roger E.
Oh yeah!Wayne was old here for the role but was such a macho stud he pulled it off!Wayne showed his liberal side in this movie and I loved it!Because of this,this movie was very unfairly put down.It was almost as good as Dirty Harry,definitely better than all the other Dirty Harry sequels and better than Bulitt.Conservatives and narrow minded fools were prejudiced and afraid of this change of direction Wayne took so they rejected this movie not based on it's quality but based on it's style.Wayne was blasting the bad guys with his rapid high power weapon here almost a decade before Rambo!The acting was top notch,the music was da bomb and the action was not too condescending.I always knew the 1970's Wayne was the best Wayne.This movie confirms it.If he made this when he was 20 years younger,he would have put McQueen and Eastwood to shame.There were those critics who said that Wayne was imitating Eastwood.First of all,the role of Dirty Harry was first offered to Wayne before Eastwood,and second,it can be claimed that Eastwood imitated McQeen's Bulitt character,although it is not mentioned in that case.McQ is a classic detective movie and should be given it's due respect.......
John Wayne plays McQ, a Seattle cop.
As the plot leads him into the seedy underworld, (what 70's cop film doesn't) he quits the police force and becomes a private eye in order to catch and bring the killers to justice.This is by no means a great John Wayne action picture.
very interesting to watch a movie where i know where most of the places are...McQ gets his car smashed between 2 log trucks behind the theater that i used to go to as a kid - the D&R - and the beach that the car chase was filmed on is (was) one of the best clam beaches in the state, and Colleen Dewhursts house (long since demolished) was on State Street.
John Wayne was perhaps slightly too old for the part, however, I thought he did a pretty good job as the Dirty Harry type cop who wants to know why is partner was killed.
John Wayne was not one of them.There is something to be said for any movie that has the Duke running down the street, Ingram in hand, to bad 70's "wakka-chikka" music.
This can be looked as a version of ''Dirty Harry'', with John Wayne instead of Clint Eastwood, and directed by John Sturges instead of Don Siegel.Here renegade Cop Lon McQ (Wayne) tries to avenge the death of a friend trying also to investigate and uncover the corruption of the Seattle police department, even against his chief (Albert), that even suspends McQ from service.The only negative comment about the cast is that John Wayne, that was 67 at the time, was too old to play a cop in the ''Dirty Harry'' style, but the other cast members are all famous faces of those years' TV and movies, like Eddie Albert as Kosterman, McQ's superior that hates his un-ortodox methods and in the end believes him, Julie Adams in a small supporting role as Elaine, the wife of McQ's dead friend, Colleen Dewursth as McQ's former wife, Diana Muldaur as Lois, the girl who helps McQ in his investigations, and Al Lettieri as Santiago, the Mexican drug smuggler.By the way, it's an interesting crime movie of the 1970s and it's suitable for everyone, I give this 8 out of 10.
The Duke is just not very believable as a 67-year-old cop doing a Bullit/French Connection-style car chase.Do you feel lucky?
A rather standard police actioner from the 1970's, with John Wayne playing a policeman who is angered when his best friend on the police force is murdered (not knowing at the time the friend was corrupt), and quits the force when his superiors refuse to let him go after the drug dealers he believes responsible.The story was okay, and the villains certainly were good, but John Wayne was in his sixties and obviously too old for the role.
All this takes place just after the opening credits have stopped rolling and will have the audience scratching their chins this might be a very interesting crime thriller If it was for the opening hook that people watch films for then MCQ is an unquestionable success but they don't - They go to the cinema to see stars so what you think of this movie is entirely down to what you think of John Wayne .
Certainly Elmer Bernstien's bombastic score seems well suited to a movie with John Wayne and to be fair it's a lot better than THE GREEN BERETS , another film that was interesting for the wrong reasons.
Regretting turning down Dirty Harry a few years earlier, John Wayne tries to make his own "cop who plays by his own rules" movie with this Swingin' Seventies thriller directed by John Sturges.
Wayne plays McQ, a Firebird-driving tough-as-nails detective who investigates the killing of his friend and uncovers corruption in the police department.
McQ is no better or worse than most of 70's cop movies, and it's crafty pace and looks have a lot to do with two veteran professionals, John Sturges directing, and John Wayne's portrayal of action roles, that he does strictly by the numbers.If you're a fan of police & thieves genre crime movies of the 70's, you won't be disappointed with this showcase for the Duke, and may even enjoy it.
to play his first 'policeman' role in the legendary career.Not out of his league by any means, the Duke definitely fills the bitter seen it all lost my partners kill some drug dealers genre cop of the early 1970's.Not so much a rip-off of 'Dirty Harry' as a different take on the idea.
As it so happens, Stan is a close friend of another Seattle police officer by the name of "Detective Lon 'McQ' McHugh" (John Wayne) who immediately wants assigned to the case to find the killer.
Not The Duke's best movie, but still entertaining for any hardcore John Wayne fan.
Wayne and Sturges moved to new genre for a change and at least to me in high style indeed,McQ delivery in every single scene,Duke embody perfectly a tough cop,can be matched an older Dirty Harry which some desperately attempt imply???
Overall, "McQ" is an unremarkable movie--competent but nothing special, despite strong performances from John Wayne, Al Lettieri and Colleen Dewhurst.
It never occurs to him that he's done essentially the same thing!You can tell that Wayne, director John Sturges, and writer Lawrence Roman were trying for a "maverick, rule-breaking cop" in the Dirty Harry tradition...but none of them seem to realize that McQ crosses the line from "maverick" to "corrupt.".
First, John Wayne always gets criticized for copying Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry with both of his "cop" films, McQ and Brannigan.
All those guys were definitely in the Duke's age bracket, and I think they were what Duke had on his mind when he decided to make a detective movie, not Eastwood.The second thing I've always noticed is what no one has mentioned here so far (and I'm a bit surprised nobody has mentioned it), that even if you count films like The Long Voyage Home and The Cowboys, McQ may very well be the most depressing movie John Wayne ever made.
After his officer best friend is killed, McQ (Wayne) is told by his boss (Eddie Albert) to forget about the murder and let the police investigate.
Sound familiar?This ponderous, heavy-handed film tries to turn John Wayne into Dirty Harry, and it doesn't even come close.
"McQ" seems to takes its inspiration from movies like "Bullitt" and "Dirty Harry", which were big hits around that time.
In this one, the plot is pretty similar to "Dirty Harry", and the fact that Wayne's main character is named McQ could possibly be an in-joke, intended to liken him to Steve McQueen (McQueen; McQ; get it??), who starred as Bullitt.Honest, tough Seattle cop Lon McQ (John Wayne) investigates the death of his partner Stan Boyle (William Bryant) and two other police officers.
Angry and betrayed, McQ sets out to bring down the corrupt cops and drug dealers whose greedy operation caused the death of his colleagues.This is one of Wayne's poorest films, even though it's refreshing to see him in a different sort of movie.
If you want to see John Wayne in something different from his usual fare, then "McQ" might appeal to you but everyone else will probably come from the film feeling rather disappointed..
Western television star Clu Gulager is on hand, too, in a first-class cast that includes "McCloud's" girlfriend Diana Muldaur, perennial tough guy villain Al Lettieri, Colleen Dewhurst, Julie Adams, and portly David Huddleston.The complex plot opens with McQ's long-time partner Stan Boyle (William Bryant of "The Guns of Will Sonnet") who puts three bullets each into two uniformed cops during the early morning breakfast hours.
let's get a drink," is John Wayne's last line as Lon McQ, title character in his stab at the BULLITT/DIRTY HARRY market.