The Black Marble

IMO, this is one of the most underrated films ever. I love most of Joseph Wambaugh's cop stories and this one was sheer delight. From the opening scenes, when the drunken Robert Foxworth is shown swaying back and forth at a religious ceremony, until Harry Dean Stanton ends up in a Mexican hospital with his genitalia mutilated by a Doberman Pinscher, it's just one long belly laugh after another. The only jarring note in this otherwise splendid comedy is Foxworth's mental flashbacks to murdered children. I think this is one of the few movies I've seen where the screen version of a story surpasses the original book.

This drama/comedy from Joseph Wambaugh, about cops in crisis, is all over the place. At its best, as in the scenes where detective Valnikov confesses his PTSD to his partner, Zimmerman, or relates his experiences with his cynical, dystopian ex partner, it resembles a good episode of the great 70s, TV series, "Police Story", which Wambaugh created. At its worst, as in the scenes with the bumbling captain and his assistant, it's like a not so good episode of "Barney Miller". And the stuff with Harry Dean Stanton as a sleazy vet pursued by loan sharks is another movie altogether so that this film has the general, awkward feel of two worlds, Bukowski, say, and Wambaugh, constantly bumping into each other. Maybe there was a way to combine these two very different parts into one seamless whole but, if so, it eluded director Harold Becker. You stick with it because Robert Foxworth, Paula Prentiss and Stanton are skilled actors and all do good work here, especially Prentiss whose ability to navigate both comedy and drama, often in the same scene, is admirable and reminds me that she had a dismayingly all too brief career, (basically quitting acting in her fifties). Also noteworthy is Owen Roizman's cinematography that brings early 80s LA, especially the parts bordering the Hollywood Freeway, alive for me. Give it a C plus.

PS...Both Foxworth and Prentiss attended Lamar High in Houston at roughly the same time. Ah, Google!

I have this movie on VHS and haven't watched it in quite awhile, but I wanted to leave a quick comment. I found this movie to be quite funny and to be appreciated for the great performances by Robert Foxworth, Paula Prentiss and Harry Dean Stanton. It's a quirky movie to be sure but full of small moments of laughter and sadness. It has just the right pace although some might find it a little slow at moments. If you enjoy a movie that relies on good acting and not special effects, this could be just the movie for scrunching up on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn and relaxing. Also the surprise appearance by a young James Woods supplies just the right amount of comic relief....Enjoy!

This movie has all the signs of a film that sat on the shelf for a while. When The Onion Field came out, this made Wambaugh (and James Woods) hot again, and they decided to release it -- that's my guess. Look at Woods, in the pre-stardom, almost extra role of the Fiddler.

The reason is simple. Robert Foxworth stinks it out. He delivers such a soft center in the role, the proceedings are even difficult to understand.

The other problem is that the dialogue is long long, pointless and drawn out. The action crawls along a foot a minute while the characters make small talk.

Paula Prentiss is fine, as is Harry Dean Stanton. But sometimes movies don't always jell, and this one sure doesn't either.

A very underrated film that can be called a cop movie, a buddy movie or an odd couple movie; mainly, one that's funny, human & absolutely beguiling. And it gets better each time I see it. The scene in which Robert Foxworth seduces Barbara Babcock (or vice versa) saying again & again, "I'll find your doggie"; the scene in which Paula Prentiss hilariously seduces him as a Russian gypsy song plays in the BG; Harry Dean Stanton as a dog lover who doesn't want to harm the dog he must harm to be credible as a blackmailer; James Woods' violinist who wants to stop playing & pee; the Russian restaurant; Foxworth's drunken opening scene in a Russian church--all are so wonderful & so well acted that the movie is an absolute delight. It's not to everyone's taste, but it sure is to mine. At first, it was a lovely surprise. Now, it's like an old friend.