Surpringly Woke Frank Sinatra detective film. Frank is a 3rd generation New York City cop, very talented he once solved three unrelated murders in one week, his Captian thinks he could be chief one day. However he's a compromise averse moralist, taking issues with the forces handling of both civil rights demonstrators and an investigation into the violent death of the gay son of a prominate department store owner. His moralism also adds complication to his marriage with a gorgeous young sociology professor played by Lee Remick.
There's good character study stuff here and what seems like a fairly realistic depiction of big city police work. However the film feels too often unfocused and slow, the central criminal conspiracy sub-par. Middling direction by Gordon Douglas includes a flashback structure that is confusingly handled. Screenplay by Hollywood crusading liberal Abby Mann, at the time best known for writting Stanley Krammer social issue pictures like 'Judgment at Nurmberg' and 'A Child is Waiting'. **1/2
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