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IMDbPro

The Detective

  • 1968
  • Approved
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
4K
YOUR RATING
Frank Sinatra, Jacqueline Bisset, and Lee Remick in The Detective (1968)
Trailer for this gritty detective film
Play trailer3:16
1 Video
52 Photos
CrimeDramaThriller

Police detective Joe Leland investigates the murder of a gay man. While investigating, he discovers links to official corruption in New York City in this drama that delves into a world of se... Read allPolice detective Joe Leland investigates the murder of a gay man. While investigating, he discovers links to official corruption in New York City in this drama that delves into a world of sex and drugs.Police detective Joe Leland investigates the murder of a gay man. While investigating, he discovers links to official corruption in New York City in this drama that delves into a world of sex and drugs.

  • Director
    • Gordon Douglas
  • Writers
    • Abby Mann
    • Roderick Thorp
  • Stars
    • Frank Sinatra
    • Lee Remick
    • Ralph Meeker
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Gordon Douglas
    • Writers
      • Abby Mann
      • Roderick Thorp
    • Stars
      • Frank Sinatra
      • Lee Remick
      • Ralph Meeker
    • 65User reviews
    • 41Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The Detective
    Trailer 3:16
    Watch The Detective

    Photos52

    1 sheet movie poster
    The Detective (1968)
    The Detective (1968)
    Lee Remick in The Detective (1968)
    Frank Sinatra in The Detective (1968)
    Frank Sinatra and Lee Remick in The Detective (1968)
    Lee Remick in The Detective (1968)
    Frank Sinatra, Robert Duvall, Jack Klugman, Al Freeman Jr., Pat Henry, Horace McMahon, Patrick McVey, Ralph Meeker, and Sugar Ray Robinson in The Detective (1968)
    Frank Sinatra and Al Freeman Jr. in The Detective (1968)
    Frank Sinatra, Robert Duvall, and Peter York in The Detective (1968)
    Patrick McVey, Ralph Meeker, and Frank Raiter in The Detective (1968)
    Frank Sinatra and Robert Duvall in The Detective (1968)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Frank Sinatra
    Frank Sinatra
    • Joe Leland
    Lee Remick
    Lee Remick
    • Karen Leland
    Ralph Meeker
    Ralph Meeker
    • Curran
    Jack Klugman
    Jack Klugman
    • Dave Schoenstein
    Horace McMahon
    Horace McMahon
    • Farrell
    Lloyd Bochner
    Lloyd Bochner
    • Dr. Roberts
    William Windom
    William Windom
    • Colin MacIver
    Tony Musante
    Tony Musante
    • Felix
    Al Freeman Jr.
    Al Freeman Jr.
    • Robbie
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • Nestor
    Pat Henry
    • Mercidis
    Patrick McVey
    • Tanner
    Dixie Marquis
    • Carol Linjack
    Sugar Ray Robinson
    • Kelly
    Renée Taylor
    Renée Taylor
    • Rachael Schoenstein
    Jim Inman
    • Teddy Leikman
    • (as James Inman)
    Tom Atkins
    Tom Atkins
    • Harmon
    Jacqueline Bisset
    Jacqueline Bisset
    • Norma MacIver
    • Director
      • Gordon Douglas
    • Writers
      • Abby Mann
      • Roderick Thorp
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Frank Sinatra played Detective Joe Leland from the novel "The Detective" by Roderick Thorp. Thorp wrote a sequel ("Nothing Lasts Forever") in which Leland is trapped in a Claxxon Oil Corporation skyscraper after it's taken by German terrorists, and must rescue his daughter and grandchildren. Twenty years later the novel was filmed with some changes: the daughter became his wife, Claxxon became the Nakatomi Corporation, and Joe Leland's name was changed to John McClane. The film was released under the title Die Hard (1988). Because of a clause in Sinatra's contract for "The Detective", which gave him the right to reprise his role in a sequel, he was actually the first person offered the McClane role, even though he was 73 years old at the time. Also, coincidentally, Bruce Willis (who played McClane) made his movie debut in The First Deadly Sin (1980), walking out of a bar as Sinatra walked into it. Additionally, Lloyd Bochner played Dr. Wendell Roberts in this movie. His son, Hart Bochner, played Harry Ellis in Die Hard (1988). Finally, Jacqueline Bisset's then partner, Alexander Godunov, played a villain in Die Hard.
    • Goofs
      When Joe is depicted first visiting the beach house of Dr. Roberts, the view in the distance is of the California coast. The film takes place in and around New York City and Long Island.
    • Quotes

      Joe Leland: Somebody doesn't do something about those garbage cans, you're gonna see the god-damnedest explosion gonna tear this nation right down the middle!

    • Connections
      Featured in The Celluloid Closet (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      Laura
      Written by David Raksin

    User reviews65

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    old fashioned cop movie with decency
    An old fashioned, sometimes silly, but altogether decent and moral little film. The isolated accusation of homophobia present elsewhere in the list of reviews is not accurate. This assumption might be made from watching only the first few minutes of the film, when certain suspicions arise, but as the film develops those suspicions turn out to be quite ungrounded and in fact the Sinatra character openly defends gay characters from a homophobic cop, and so on.

    Throughout this movie the hero has actual moral integrity and refuses to abandon it, most of the time, and if he does it is not glorified. This in itself makes it worth watching just the once, given the general state of other films in the genre.
    helpful•27
    3
    • Tinos
    • Jun 4, 2004

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 28, 1968 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Detektiv
    • Filming locations
      • Yankee Stadium - E. 161st Street & River Avenue, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA(Football game attended by the Lelands)
    • Production company
      • Arcola-Millfield Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $4,490,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 54 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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