Badge 373 is a 1973 American neo noir crime thriller film inspired, as was The French Connection, by the life and career of Eddie Egan, here called "Eddie Ryan". The film, which has a screenplay by journalist Pete Hamill, was produced and directed by Howard W. Koch, and stars Robert Duvall as Ryan, with Verna Bloom, Henry Darrow and Eddie Egan himself as a police lieutenant.
The film was not successful, either at the box office or with the critics.
Plot
Eddie Ryan (Robert Duvall), a tough, no-nonsense, abrasive and racist Irish NYPD cop, has to turn in his badge after scuffling with a Puerto Rican suspect who then falls to his death from a rooftop, but that doesn't stop him from heading out on a one-man crusade to find out who killed his partner of three years, Gigi Caputo (Louis Cosentino), all the while neglecting his new live-in girlfriend, Maureen (Verna Bloom). Ryan's search leads him to Puerto Rican drug kingpin Sweet Willie (Henry Darrow), and a shipment of guns for Puerto Rican independentistas.
Cast
Robert Duvall as Eddie Ryan
Verna Bloom as Maureen
Henry Darrow as William Salazar a.k.a. Sweet William
Eddie Egan as Lt. Scanlon
Felipe Luciano as Ruben
Tina Cristiani as Mrs. Caputo
Marina Durell as Rita Garcia
Chico Martinez as Frankie Diaz
Jose Duval as Ferrer
Louis Cosentino as Gigi Caputo
Luis Avalos as Chico
Nubia Olivero as Mrs. Diaz
Sam Schacht as Assistant D.A. Edward F. Carey as The Commissioner "Big" Lee as Junkie in casino Duane Morris as Gay in casino John Marriott as Superintendent Joe Veiga as Manuel (Botica [sic] Proprietor) Mark Tendler as Harbor Lights bouncer Robert Weil as Hans Rose Ann Scamardella as Herself Pete Hamill as Reporter Larry Appelbaum as Copo at toll booth John McCurry as Bus driver Bob Farley as Patrolman Tracey Walter as Delivery boy John Scanlon, Jimmy Archer, Ric Mancini, Mike O'Dowd as Tugboat crew Robert Miano, Pompie Pomposello, Hector Troy as Sweet William's hoods Miguel Alejandro, Harry Collazo, Damian Colon as Ruben's gang Johnny Pacheco & his Orchestra as Band at Carorrojeno's Orestes Matacena as Drug Dealer Jimmy Walker as Drunk on stairs
Cast notes: Journalist Pete Hamill, who wrote the screenplay, has a bit part as a reporter named Pete, in the sequence of Gigi's wake, while WABC-TV anchorwoman Rose Ann Scamardella, later the inspiration for Gilda Radner's Saturday Night Live character "Roseanne Roseannadanna", plays herself in a cameo appearance. Dominican salsa bandleader and cofounder/musical director of Fania Records Johnny Pacheco & his Orchestra makes a cameo appearance in the opening nightclub sequence.
Production
Badge 373 was shot on location on the streets of New York City. At one point, in what film writer Jeff Stafford calls a deliberate attempt to recall the car-chase scene from The French Connection, which was also based on the exploits of Eddie Egan, Robert Duvall as police detective Eddie Ryan attempts to chase down suspects in their car by hijacking a city bus, the 14th Street crosstown. The chase does not follow actual Manhattan geography, and passes locations including the West 125th viaduct and a meatpacking plant, and a branch of the record store King Karol at 460 West 42nd Street. Locations for other scenes include the Manhattan Bridge, with the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in the background, and the FDR Drive, with the United Nations headquarters visible.
On August 10, 1973, Paramount Pictures rejected a demand by the Puerto Rican Action Coalition to withdraw the film for what the coalition called the movie's racism.
Crew
Director: Howard Koch
Producer: Howard Koch
Screenplay: Pete Hamill
Music composed and conducted by: J.J. Jackson
Director of photography: Arthur J. Ornitz
Editor: John Woodcock
Associate producer: Lawrence Appelbaum
Assistant to the producer: Irwin Yablans
Inspired by the exploits of: Eddie Egan
Art director: Philip Rosenberg
Costumes: Frank Thompson
Second unit director: Michael Moore
Production manager: Jim DiGangi
1st assistant director: Michael P. Petrone
2nd assistant directors: Robert Grand, Gerrold T. Brandt, Jr. Technical advisor: Eddie Egan Script supervisor: Roberta Hodes Casting: Bernie Styles Set decorator: Edward Stewart Set dresser: Gary Brink Hair stylist: Vern Caruso Property master: Al Griswold Costumer: George Newman Special effects: Conrad Brink Sound recording: Dennis Maitland Re-recording: John Wilkinson