This thriller with John Wayne wanted to compete with Inspector Harry but missed the mark

1975 year. Inspector Harry and its sequel Magnum Force with Clint Eastwood hit the US box office and A Vigilante in the City with Charles Bronson recently confirmed the trend. It is in this context that director Douglas Hickox (the author of Blood Slasher Theater) stands and hires another western star, John Wayne, to portray the rogue gunman.

John Wayne never gives up

Wayne turned down the Dirty Harry role in 1971 and always resented it. Hickox’s film gives him a chance, a little belatedly, to make up for it. The film is called Brannigan and tells the story of Chicago police officer Jim Brannigan (Wayne), who is responsible for escorting an American criminal arrested in London to the United States. But before he arrives, the prisoner is kidnapped and his captors demand a huge ransom. The local police try to collect the money, but Brannigan goes to the field to investigate.

The plot is somewhat reminiscent of Sheriff in New York with Clint Eastwood, who already played a policeman immersed in an unfamiliar environment (here an American in London) and Inspector Harry, a policeman who confronted others with muscular methods. Less cruel methods. John Wayne’s 67 years at the time of filming adds an “age excuse” to these methods, Brannigan also plays to a “me, my time” side that Eastwood couldn’t in Dirty Harry.

A policeman like we don’t make anymore

Rather, Brannigan’s concern is his failure to provide solid entertainment. Despite his enduring charisma, Wayne struggles to follow in the footsteps of Eastwood and Bronson and delivers a universal performance.

The script’s lack of stakes is also a detriment, as the kidnapping of a proven criminal doesn’t let you know he’ll actually pull it off, and Brannigan’s quest then becomes a bit futile. There’s still the pleasure of seeing John Wayne walking through London’s famous landmarks, which is pretty rare, but fans of Inspector Harry and the vigilante in the city will need more.

Despite decent box office results at the time of its release, Brannigan remains the preserve of “Duke” fans today, but it’s an interesting testament to the fact that fashion sometimes follows too quickly in Hollywood and forgets that sometimes it needs to. Too much soul to make a very good film.