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Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni, John Vernon, Andy Robinson ... see more see more... , John Larch , Maurice Argent , Joy Carlin , Tony Dario , Diane Darnell , Diana Davidson , Jo De Winter , Vince Deadrick Jr. , Charles Dorsett , Lyn Edgington , George Fargo , Joe Finnegan , Lois Foraker , Max Gail , John Garber , David Gilliam , Robert H. Harris , Raymond Johnson , Craig Kelly , Ruth Kobart , Richard Lawson , Mae Mercer , John Mitchum , Kathleen O'Malley , Woodrow Parfrey , William Paterson , Angela Paton , Albert Popwell , Ernest Robinson , Debra Scott , Kristoffer Tabori , Melody Thomas , Scott Hale , Victor Paul , Josef Sommer , Leslie Fong , Dean Webber , Al Dunlap , Christopher Pray , Charles A. Murphy , Eddie Garrett , Stu Klitsner , Ann Noland , John Tracy , James Nolan , Andrew Robinson

"You've got to ask yourself a question: 'do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" Dirty Harry provoked a critical uproar in 1971 for its "fascist" message about the power of one, as it also elevated Clin... read more read more...t Eastwood to superstar status through his most enduring screen persona. Harry Callahan (Eastwood, in a role meant for Frank Sinatra) is a sardonic, hard-working San Francisco cop who can't finish his lunch without having to foil a bank robbery with his 44 Magnum, "the most powerful handgun in the world." When hippie-esque psycho Scorpio (Andy Robinson) goes on a killing spree, Harry and new partner Chico (Reni Santoni) are assigned to hunt him down, but not before the Mayor (John Vernon) and Lt. Bressler (Harry Guardino) admonish Callahan about his heavy-handed tactics. Racing against a deadline to save a kidnap victim from suffocating to death and unbothered by the niceties of Miranda rights and search warrants, Callahan brings in Scorpio, only to see him released on technicalities. "The law's crazy," opines Harry in disgust, before taking it upon himself to ensure that Scorpio doesn't kill again. Directed in violent and efficient fashion by Don Siegel, with a propulsive score by Lalo Schifrin, Dirty Harry was the fourth Siegel-Eastwood collaboration after Coogan's Bluff (1968), Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), and The Beguiled (1970). Critics at the time strongly objected to the heroic image of a cop's violations of a suspect's Miranda rights, forcing Siegel and Eastwood to deny that they were right-wing reactionaries. All the same, Dirty Harry proved to be highly popular and spawned four sequels: Magnum Force (1973), The Enforcer (1976), Sudden Impact (1983), and The Dead Pool (1988). ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

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86% liked it

71,519 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

42 critics

R, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Don Siegel

Release Date: December 24, 1971

Keywords: action, cop

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DVD Release Date: November 18, 1997

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Stats: 4,166 reviews

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Dirty Harry Dirty Harry (1971) Dirty Harry dirty harry L'inspecteur Harry Dirty Harry Dirty Harry Harry and his toy Dirty Harry Dirty Harry dirty harry Clint Eastwood and Andy Robinson (Scorpio) Harry Calahan Dirty Harry Dirty Harry Harry Guardino Don Siegel Andrew Robinson
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Flixster Reviews (4,166)

  • TomBowler
    October 7, 2011
    TomBowler
    Gritty cop thriller with a great Eastwood performance and some fantastic quotes. Full review later.
  • DreamExtractor
    September 30, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Dirty Harry is a film by Don Siegel and is quite possible the greatest crime thriller I have ever seen, and I do not say that lightly, I mean I have never seen a film that is so sure in itself that it knows that it is going to be a hit, and from the first moments of the film we k... read morenow this will be a great film.. The story is not what it seems by just looking at it, and yes it may be just a simple crime film but its mostly a character driven movie that has a incredible protagonist that is just trying to find a killer, and I think that this film would not been half as good without the great characters we are given, and even if it is just a simple crime story, it still was incredibly interesting and I loved it. The cast is incredible, Clint Eastwood is probably one of the most important people in Hollywood I mean who is this great an actor AND one of the best directors in history, he is just so good in this film and everything he does. The action scenes were really fun and you could tell they worked hard not to make this a boring crime film. Dirty Harry is not a movie we see every day, it is a film that gives us some of the coolest lines in the history of film, and if you dislike this film, well then I have one question, do ya feel lucky punk?
  • JonathanHutchings
    September 17, 2011
    JonathanHutchings
    If you believe in human rights, then Dirty Harry thinks you're a bleeding heart liberal vagina. Don Siegel is a competent director with a pretty good eye, but this film is nothing more than right-wing pornography. No thanks.
  • spielberg00
    August 6, 2011
    spielberg00
    DIRTY HARRY is incredibly boring and very hard to sit through. Sure, it has a famous line or two, but the rest is nothing good.
  • CloudStrife84
    July 14, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    Do you feel lucky, punk? A classic film phrase in Hollywood's big quote book, made immortal by a legend of a man, whose star shall burn forever brightly. With a career spanning for as long as 56 years, and still going strong, Clint Eastwood is unquestionably one of the great icon... read mores of our time. In this cop thriller of cop thrillers, he takes the audience for a ride through the rough and gruff of San Fransisco, and all the while being as cool as to define the very word. A down-and-dirty brawl with crime, where situations are solved through verbal intimidation and a .44 Magnum revolver. Not to the levels where I would call it a masterpiece, but definitely worthy of its place in the great hall of fame.
  • fb573414556
    June 25, 2011
    fb573414556
    Dirty Harry offers a dark view of crime in San Francisco and is a very enjoyable film. As usual Clint Eastwood plays some badass who goes around shooting people in the face with "the most powerful handgun in the world". Dirty Harry's storyline isn't over complicated and I enjoyed... read more it because of that, it's just the usual cop after serial killer deal that has become pretty common now days (maybe because of this film). Overall an enjoyable film that is a good way to spend a few hours.
  • SajinPA
    June 11, 2011
    SajinPA
    Watching movies like Dirty Harry makes me wish that I'd been born earlier, to have been able to view it in a fresh perspective, without having watched any of the zillion other movies that simply followed the same protocol. Watching it 30 years from its time, many bits and parts o... read moref the movie looks a tad stereo typed.
    Having said that, no matter how many years past by, there is one man who would never go out of style and that is, the Man with the Magnum - Mr.Clint Eastwood. Whether it's his knockout dialogues or his my-way-or-highway attitude, it is the very definition of the term Super-Cool. For that reason alone if for nothing else, You have to love it .. Punk.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    May 2, 2011
    FiLmCrAzY
    Ohh Its so iconic, i loved it!
    I loved saying the words 'do you feel lucky?' well,do you , Punk?!
    Love It !
    Of course its worth the watch!
    Love Clint Eastwood and i love his moody socially hated chracter who hates everyone! Brilliant
    The psychopatic murderer is awesome as we... read morell he really amused me.

    Worth a watch.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    April 15, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    As he's pointing his famous 44 Magnum, Inspector Harry Callahan asks the bad guy "Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?" That immortal line from this 1971 action classic has become one of the most famous quotes in film history.. For me, Dirty Harry is by far the grand daddy of the ... read moremodern action film, along with Bullitt. Two legendary films that have shaped the action genre forever. But Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry is a classic character ands the film itself is a classic. Many filmmakers have been been influenced by this film. Clint Eastwood as cop Harry Callahan is exciting, thrilling and a brute on screen, and it's what makes this film so great. Callahan's lack of rules to uphold the law makes him an icon of cinema. Inspired somewhat by the real life Zodiac murders, Dirty Harry is about a cop on the trail of a killer that terrorizes San Francisco as he snipes innocent people and leaves letters to the cops. Cop Harry Callahan uses every trick he's got to catch the killer. With total disregard for his superiors orders, Callahan plays a deadly game of cat and mouse with Scorpio, the deadly sniper who committed the heinous crimes. Like I've said before, Dirty Harry is a milestone in the action genre. The only film that comes close is Bullitt (as I've said). Dirty Harry's legacy speaks for itself. The film has a terrific suspenseful atmosphere packed with loads of action, and some of the most quotable lines in cinematic history. Aside from the Dollars trilogy directed by Sergio Leone, Dirty Harry and its sequels are probably some of Clint Eastwood's greatest films. This film definitely sealed his faith as one of Hollywood most bad ass actors since Steve McQueen.
    So, grab your popcorn, or 44 Magnum, sit back and let the tense action unfold before your eyes at this action classic that influenced an entire genre.
  • shawnewing92
    March 14, 2011
    shawnewing92
    This movie will always be a classic. With it's famous quotes and great acting from a true bad-ass, this crime thriller will never disappoint.

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Critic Reviews

March 1, 2007
Variety

Clint Eastwood, in the title role, is a superhero whose antics become almost satire. Strip away the philosophical garbage and all that's left is a well-made but shallow running-and-jumping meller. Full Review

Dave Kehr
March 1, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

A crisp, beautifully paced film, full of Siegel's wonderful coups of cutting and framing. Full Review

J. Hoberman
April 4, 2006
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

No less than Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, it offers a fabulous, multifarious political metaphor. (And, as with Body Snatchers, Siegel's own liberal interpretation was trumped by a more for... Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

If there aren't mentalities like Dirty Harry's at loose in the land, then the movie is irrelevant. If there are, we should not blame the bearer of the bad news. Full Review

Roger Greenspun
May 21, 2003
Roger Greenspun, New York Times

What makes Dirty Harry worth watching no matter how dumb the story, is Siegel's superb sense of the city, not as a place of moods but as a theater for action. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
April 16, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

A significant film ideologically, this right-wing revenge crimer catapulted Clint Eastwood to major stardom and launched a whole cycle of films about taking the law into your hands. Full Review

Cole Smithey
October 3, 2010
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

"Dirty Harry" is still one of the most enjoyable films you could hope to sit down with for a couple of hours. Full Review

Charles Cassady
September 14, 2010
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

'70s rebel-cop classic is way too edgy for kids. Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.
July 6, 2010
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed

Don Siegel's action thriller hasn't aged a single day since its release... Full Review

Scott Nash
June 20, 2010
Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs

An iconic performance by Clint Eastwood creates a cinematic immortal. Full Review

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    • Harry Callahan: I know what you're thinking. 'Did he fire six shots or only five'? Well to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, i kind of lost track myself. But being that this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well do ya, punk?
    • Harry Callahan: You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?
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  • Match the movie to the quote: Callahan: "Well, I'm all broken up over that man's rights."   Answer »
  • Frank Sinatra was to play Dirty Harry but had to pull out because of a hand injury ?  Answer »
  • who plays inspector harry callaghan in the "Dirty Harry" movies?  Answer »
  • What kind of handgun does Dirty Harry use?  Answer »
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