The One Man Jury

You know, I know, everybody knows that Jack Palance is at his very best when depicting bona-fide evil villains, or - at the bare minimum - chauvinist scumbag characters with utmost nasty personalities. So, when you read the premise of a 70s exploitation/thriller in which Palance stars as a tough and frustrated LAPD homicide officer, you can rest assured that he'll be the type who resolve cases in the most unorthodox ways imaginable. Heck, he'll probably use more violence than the murderers, rapists, and armed robbers that he chases! That's our Jack!

And indeed, Lieutenant Wade is much more of a Paul Kersey (from "Death Wish") than a Harry Callahan (from "Dirty Harry"). Excessively enraged because the criminals he brings in are repeatedly acquitted due to insignificant procedural errors, Lt. Wade gradually turns into judge, jury, and executioner in one. Notably for his latest case, a vicious rapist and serial killer known in the media as The Slasher, Wade will not permit the culprit lives long enough to see the inside of the courtroom. Of course, this forces him to make deals with the dangerous criminals he's normally supposed to arrest and cover up bloody vigilante-acts from his own colleagues.

There were dozens of movies like "One Man Jury" during the seventies, and personally I love watching every single one of them! Most of these movies were modeled after the above-mentioned milestones, so please don't expect any original storylines, or deeply elaborated character portraits here. What you may certainly expect, however, is Jack Palance in top-shape! He shoots sleazy thugs in the face at close range, laughs at his girlfriend's pleas for reintegrating criminals into society, and drinks cheap wine with Los Angeles' biggest hustler. There's plenty of extreme and gratuitous violence on display, as well nudity and crazy stunt work. It's a very woman-unfriendly movie, but sadly this was more rule than exception during the late 70s. Marvelous supportive cast also, including Christopher Mitchum, Pamela Susan Shoop, Alexandra Hay, Angel Tompkins, and the almighty Joe Spinell from "Maniac".

This film plays very much like a old B & W serial type crime drama from the 50's, and even the dialogue is VERY old fashioned, as I had trouble believing these people talk like this in the late 70's. It also has like two different plots going on at the same time, involving like 3 different baddies, and many colourful characters all somehow involved in one story or another. In the end, it all revolves around Jack Palance's character. Lots of great character actors, great music score, poor photography, and isnt really a "R" rating movie, as it can play on TV as a crime show pilot! But still it is one of the better Palance films from the 70's. It could have used a good 10 minutes editing to make it more tighter though.

It may be the two thoudsandth movie from the seventies to speak of vigilante justice, after DEATH WISH and DIRTY HARRY Callahan have opened the road. The directing looks more than a William Lustig - and not only because of the presence of Joe MANIAC Spinell - or a Lewis Teague and why not James Glickenhaus's feature than a film made by the director of DEATH OF A SCOUNDREL, with George Sanders, made twenty years earlier, and with no films in between...I know, Charles Martin is more known as a producer than a director. Like for instance Carl Foreman, who gave only THE VICTORS as a director. But admit that the link between a drama starring George Sanders in the late fifties and this one, is more than implausible, unlikely. This one is a good time waster but for seventies films fans only. And Jack Palance hit by a bullet in the belly and continuing to jump,run, fight.... Rubbish. Insulting to audiences. Lousy ending, I hate it. And as in PEUR SUR LA VILLE, Henri Verneuil's film starring Jean Paul Belmondo, the lead cop has to deal with several cases and criminals, with nothing in common: a gang mobster and a serial killer, I repeat, like PEUR SUR LA VILLE. And I also liked the handkerschief detail used by the criminal and later by his hunter. Very unusual.

Dirty Harry always love to lay down the law.

Lt. Wade(Jack Palance) is a cop who has serious issues with the judicial system. He arrested the criminals, but they get let off on technicalities. He goes over the edge, and would punish the criminals, his way. There's a killer known as The Slasher. He would cut a lock of the victim's hair, and steals the bras of his victims. This is sick. Wade would hunt down the criminals that the courts let off, and kill them.

In my opinion, he's worse than Callahan.

The girlfriend of The Slasher is really a gullible victim of his deceit. But who is to say? Wade isn't the law in his right. He's just The Punisher with a badge. He makes Dirty Harry look like a saint.

A fine movie, but it's Alexandra Hay final film in the 70's.

A cute flick, for a rainy day.

2.5 out of 5 stars.