Eastwood demeanor makes you realize just how hokey Dennis Weaver played the McCloud character in the TV series - while 'Coogan' inspired the series, the series certainly didn't outshine it. This one is a fun romp, and like all in the genre, not to be taken too seriously. Highly recommended.

Yorkers he encounters. He arrives at the district Police Station to pick up his fugitive and take him home, but His task is not as cut and dried as he had hoped when he meets bad tempered but good natured veteran Cop McElroy Lee J Cobb who tells Coogan that his prisoner James Ringerman played menacingly by Don Stroud , has already taken a 'trip' of a different nature and is in the Prison Ward at Belview Hospital.Coogan's set back means that he has to stay in New York longer than he had planned or hoped . but compensation takes the form of parole officer Julie Roth Susan Clark . After Wining & Dining her, goes back to her place. His intended night of passion never gets off the ground as she is interrupted by a business call. After his first night in New York, Coogan is determined that it is to be his last and 'Bluffs' his way in to the Prison Ward at Belview in the hopes of engineering Ringerman's release into his custody. he not only encounters Ringerman but also his spaced out girlfriend Linny Raven. His impulsive ruse pays off, and he and his prisoner head off to the Pan-Am building and their awaiting Arizona bound flight. However, Raven has arranged a welcoming party for Coogan and after the 'oldest trick in the book' type of ambush, Coogan is lying unconscious on the airport floor, and Ringerman is once again at large.Ringerman now has the upper hand, knowing that Coogan's desert tracking skills are useless in the Concrete Jungle of 1968 New York but undeterred, Coogan sets about making his enquiries despite a stern warning not to interfere by McElroy. He is arrested for impersonating a police officer and McElroy takes the liberty of arranging Coogan's prompt and immediate return to Arizona. Coogan's plans remain unchanged and he will not leave New York alone. He resumes his relationship with Roth, and while she's out of the room takes a snoop at her parole files and finds the parole record of Raven. His nosiness reaps rewards, and his leg-work takes him to the physcodelic Pigeon Toed Orange Peel Club, where he once again encounters Raven. He ruthlessly seduces her in the hopes that his lovemaking will make her betray Ringermans whereabouts, but Raven is as manipulative as she is beautiful and she leads Coogan to a pool hall and yet another ambush. This time Coogan gives his attackers as good as he gets, yet still manages to get the ass whippin' of a lifetime. He escapes the pool hall just in time before McElroy and his squad break down the door. Coogan returns to Raven's Apartment only this time he persuades her by using 'less romantic' methods.Fearing for her life, she finally leads Coogan straight to Ringerman and the final confrontation.Eastwood's performance as the fish out of water cop is magnificent and is a great bridge between Clint the cowboy and Clint the modern day action hero as it is essentially an amalgamation of the two. The script calls for Clint to be ruthless, violent and menacing as all his previous roles had, but this movie showed a different side to Eastwood, hitherto unseen since his rise to stardom half a decade before. Coogans Bluff required Eastwood to be Romantic, and charming and witty, in fact the character of Coogan is blessed with a wry almost dead-pan dark sense of humour displayed in some of his classic one liners.Taxi Driver: that'll be $2.95 including the luggage. Coogan: Here's 3 dollars including the tip.or reprising this encounter with a hotel owner.Hotel Owner: That'll be £7 Coogan: The sign says 5 Hotel Owner: 7 without luggage Coogan shows his briefcase That ain't luggage. Coogan: There's a cab drive in this town that'll give you an argument.Siegel's Direction is as always impeccable and the fight at Pushy's Pool Hall, is one of the best choreographed action sequences ever put to film.Eastwood is also seen performing some of his own stunts as is evident during the motorcycle chase when you see his face in close-up. Lalo Schifrin, a very busy man in 1968 , gives us one of his best scores and his 'pidgeon toed orange peel' song epitomised the period perfectly.This film also gives us a good look at New York and to use a Clint Cliché, shows us the good, the bad and the darn right ugly of what the Big Apple has or in many cases did have to offer. and shows us New York when it was an evolving city, when the 50's and Early 60's style of Car design, clothing fashions and moral attitudes were slowly being replaced by their more basic and simple counterparts of the 70's.10 out of 10 if not for Clint's witty dialogue alone

the fact that it may offend some feminist sensibilities. And it is not particularly politically correct to chain an American Indian to a post while you go inside enjoy a lady.Hard to believe that this film is almost forty years old!

Eastwood's understated acting is not my thing, but it makes sense for this particular role-he's in a different culture than where he's raised, he obviously has little to say but gets the point across.One more fact. When i first saw the movie, i thought that it was made as a ripoff of "Midnight Cowboy", which it resembles in many ways-especially in the general structure and mood of the film, but later i realized that it was put out one year earlier! So i guess you can see it as preceding MC, which is a good movie too of course.

"Coogen's Bluff". I came across this film only knowing that it starred Eastwood and that's about it. But to my surprise it had more to it than Eastwood's strong persona, but it was engaging and clever entertainment by director Don Siegel. What it generates is a violent and hard-hitting police story that has superb attention to detail and is particularly well crafted. There's so many things going for it that you may or may not notice all the small hints that the film possesses on the clash of two different cultures city vs. western and the protagonist being dragged into the wicked and dirty side of the hippie drug circuit. This is when he learns that he is out of his league and that he has to adapt to this city way off life to get his man, sometimes with dire consequences because he grows slowly attached to it. Add in some psychedelic overtones and a spaced out feel to evoke the carefree era. The whole setup is naturally staged and doesn't feel forced. Siegel seems to have a knack of creating a gritty mood, but also capturing the life of the unique surroundings, from the Arizona deserts excellent opening sequence to the harsh city life. This was helped by fluid camera-work with its high shots and smooth pans that are well staged. The location photography and dashing settings are two of the strong points of this production. Another is the rousing score that mixes some western tang into the equation. Throw in edgy and sharp dialogue, with also scathing humour and an abundance of Texas gags against our protagonist. Siegel's paces the film perfectly and generates tension in some well-designed action scenes, one being the bike chase scene through the park. Though, this film isn't overtly filled with just action and violence. It's an amusing watch with a set-up that has more to it! Eastwood gives an iconic cool-as-ice performance as the Texas, ah I mean Arizona deputy sheriff who adapts his hunting techniques for the big city and who's quick with a sharp reply. Lee J. Cobb is good as the arrogant Det. Lt. McElroy, NYPD who has no time for Coogan or his antics. Susan Clark plays Julie Roth a probation officer and possibly Coogan's love interest. A superb Don Stroud weaselly plays James Ringerman the criminal who Coogan's after and Tisha Sterling plays Ringerman's hippie girlfriend. There's also a small role by a feisty Betty Field as Mrs. Ellen Ringerman.Actually, it's hard to find one thing that I didn't actually like about the film. Highly recommended!

exciting as "Dirty Harry," and the fish out of water theme ala "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" helps to excuse some of the more unpleasant aspects of the character's law and order at any cost mentality, but "Coogan's Bluff" has an abundance of smart-a** humor to make it memorable. Eastwood is very effectively cast, and it is to his credit that he was willing to play such an unlikable and offensive SOB at this relatively early stage of his big-screen career. Can you imagine Gregory Peck in this role?

Killers" this was produced with TV in mind and released to cinemas when the quality of the piece became apparent. I think this might explain why it has taken so long for a 1.85 transfer to be released and why the quality of the DVD is so poor, full frame prints look fine. Also the use of what looks like pre-standing sets gives it a low budget TV feel. With "Play Misty for me" Clint became a director and Siegel appeared as an actor thus the partnership was ended, the pupil became the master. Clints style as a director owes much to Siegel and he still has the economy which was a hallmark of Siegels work. Another partnership that began in this film was with actor Albert Popwell who went on to appear with Clint in the first four Dirty Harry movies,portraying a different role in each film. So as an Eastwood or a Siegel fan this is a must see pivotal movie and contains much of their trade mark craft even on a low budget. Don Stroud is as ever a bonus as is Susan Clark.