THE STONE KILLER

Bronson plays Torrey, a mean cop with an itchy trigger finger, as witnessed in the great opening scene where he blasts a purse snatcher off the side of a fire escape. Torrey's been doing this alot lately, he's mowed down about a dozen petty crooks in the last few months. the media is hounding the police, so Torrey is sent to LA for awhile. Torrey kicks it in LA for a couple of months, but comes back to New York while escorting an informant. the informant is shot almost as soon as they step off the plane and Torrey wants to know why. it all gets sorta jumble after this. much like the Italian cop films to follow, the plot almost always takes a back seat to action, which isn't a bad thing mind you.

Michael Winner, who also directed Bronson in Death Wish, composes his shots in lots of nice low angles and from wierd pov's, and doesn't skimp on the violent action either-one stand out scene has a recently escaped hood getting sprayed with machine gun fire, the over-filled squibs splatting on the camera lens. another has a man hit by a car, then the car smashes though a store window.

Martin Balsam, the poor man's Ernest Borgnine, has a rather insignifigant role as an aging, paranoid mafia don who keeps saying "Capo di tutti capi" over and over again in a bad Italian accent. both Norman Fell (Mr. Roper) and John Ritter (Jack Tripper) have smallish parts as well. this begs the question, is it just a coincidence that both landed roles on the same popular 70's sitcom, or did someone see The Stone Killer and think they would be good for the roles? the world may never know.

one of Bronson's better action flicks, filled with lots of violent action.


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