“The Killers” (1964)
Two men, Charlie (Lee Marvin) and Lee (Clu Galager) walk into a school for the blind and brutally execute a teacher, Johnny North (John Cassavetes). It’s an incredibly arresting opening, arguably the peak of the film, but that doesn’t mean that for the rest of the running time — as Charlie and Lee go to Miami to investigate why Johnny didn’t run from them (instead calmly accepting his fate), and discover the story behind a multi-million dollar heist involving criminal Jack Browning (Ronald Reagan) and moll Sheila (Angie Dickinson) — that Siegel is treading water. Adapted as loosely as imaginable from Ernest Hemingway‘s short story, and oft-compared to the 1946 version (which Siegel was meant to direct, but was fired from), the film wasn’t very well-received at the time, particularly by NBC executives, who’d commissioned it as the first made-for-TV movie, but were forced to shift it to theaters due to the violence. But it now stands as a forward-looking film in its existential, garish, sunny take on the noir movie, seemingly influencing everything from “Point Blank” to “Pulp Fiction” (the relationship between Marvin and Gulager is an acknowledged inspiration for the one between John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in Tarantino’s film). It’s rough around the edges and it’s certainly less subtle than Robert Siodmak‘s version, but both are available as part of the same Criterion Collection package, and watching them together makes it clear that they’re both minor classics of the genre.
“Madigan” (1968)
Cop movies became something of a staple for Siegel, from “Coogan’s Bluff” to his most famous film, “Dirty Harry.” But arguably his best is “Madigan,” which at the time rescued the helmer from a string of flops, but has been overshadowed since. Following two cops, Madigan (Richard Widmark) and Whitmore (Harry Guardino) as they try to track down the killer who’s stolen their guns, as their commissioner (Henry Fonda) wrestles with police corruption, brutality and his own personal life, it’s a taut, realistic thriller that anticipates both the buddy cop movie and the procedurals of Sidney Lumet. It is somewhat disjointed: Fonda’s storylines always feel like they’re from a different movie than Widmark & Guardino’s investigations. But they’re each individually compelling, with strong performances, and Siegel’s grounded style works perfectly; this is the template of every cop show that followed since, essentially. Indeed, Madigan returned (**SPOILER**having been killed off at the end of the film**END SPOILER**) in a 1972 TV series of the same name, with Richard Widmark reprising his role. Unfortunately, it lasted a mere six episodes.
