The New Centurions
Encyclopedia
The New Centurions is a 1972 crime drama film based on the novel
by policeman turned author Joseph Wambaugh
.
It stars George C. Scott
, Stacy Keach
, Scott Wilson
, Jane Alexander
, Erik Estrada
and James Sikking
and was directed by Richard Fleischer
.
The film was spoofed in MAD Magazine in 1973 as "The New Comedians."
police department. Roy is married with a daughter and intends to eventually become a law student. Gus is a father of three. Serge is a native of East L.A. who never expected to end up patrolling its streets.
Each is assigned a veteran partner. Roy's is the greatly experienced Andy Kilvinski, who has been on the force for nearly a quarter-century and has his own unique style of law enforcement. For example, he will have hookers driven around for hours in a paddy wagon, simply to keep them off the streets for a night.
Gus rides with Whitey Duncan. As they answer a burglary call at a market, Gus opens fire on a suspicious figure in the alley, only to discover to his horror that it is the owner of the store.
Roy begins to frustrate his wife Dorothy by becoming obsessed with police work, neglecting his family and dropping out of law school. He likes the life on the street, but during a convenience store holdup, Roy asks a parked couple to move their car and is unexpectedly felled by a bullet.
Gus and Serge discuss their fear of being shot. Serge temporarily partners with Andy, and together they handle a volatile situation with a slum landlord. Roy gradually recovers and quickly encounters a shootout, but doesn't flinch.
As the rookies mark a year on the job, Andy reaches his 25th anniversary and mandatory retirement. He discusses the difficulties of police work at a farewell party with the younger men.
Roy is assigned to the vice squad, where the job is anything but glamorous. Dorothy has had enough. She leaves him and takes their daughter.
The young cops are delighted to get a visit from Andy, who has retired to Florida but misses police work, regretting never having spent more time on a personal life. After speaking with Roy one last time on the phone, Andy picks up a gun and kills himself.
Depression gets the better of Roy, who begins to drink on the job. He answers a burglary call and the victim turns out to be Lorrie, a nurse who helped him after he got shot. Later on patrol, a prostitute speeds off with Roy hanging from the car. He barely avoids serious injury and Lorrie helps patch him up, but he draws a three-week suspension for being drunk.
Roy begins seeing Lorrie socially and comes to his senses, appreciating the need for personal relationships and remembering what led Andy to end his life. He goes on a routine patrol with both Gus and Serge and answers a domestic disturbance report. A man appears out of nowhere, and before Serge can disarm him, Roy is shot. He dies in Gus's arms.
The New Centurions (novel)
The New Centurions, written by Joseph Wambaugh, is a novel depicting the stresses of police work in Los Angeles, California in the early 1960s. The author wrote the novel, his first, while a working member of the Los Angeles Police Department. The novel became a film starring George C...
by policeman turned author Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph Aloysius Wambaugh, Jr. is a bestselling American writer known for his fictional and non-fictional accounts of police work in the United States...
.
It stars George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
, Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
, Scott Wilson
Scott Wilson
Scott Wilson was a judge on United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 1929 to 1942.-Early life:Scott Wilson was born on January 11, 1870, in Falmouth, Maine. He graduated from Bates College in Maine in 1892 and then studied at the University of Pennsylvania...
, Jane Alexander
Jane Alexander
Jane Alexander is an American actress, author, and former director of the National Endowment for the Arts. Although perhaps best known for playing the female lead in The Great White Hope on both stage and screen, Alexander has played a wide array of roles in both theater and film and has committed...
, Erik Estrada
Erik Estrada
Henry Enrique "Erik" Estrada is an American police officer and actor, known for his co-starring lead role in the 1977–1983 United States police television series CHiPs...
and James Sikking
James Sikking
James Barrie Sikking is an American actor known for his role as Lt. Howard Hunter on the 1980s NBC TV series Hill Street Blues. He also starred on the ABC TV series Doogie Howser, M.D. as Dr. David Howser and on the short-lived 1997 CBS drama series Brooklyn South as Captain Stan Jonas...
and was directed by Richard Fleischer
Richard Fleischer
-Early life:Fleischer was born in Brooklyn, the son of Essie and animator/producer Max Fleischer. He started in motion pictures as director of animated shorts produced by his father including entries in the Betty Boop, Popeye and Superman series.His live-action film career began in 1942 at the RKO...
.
The film was spoofed in MAD Magazine in 1973 as "The New Comedians."
Plot
Three rookie cops, Roy Fehler, Gus Plebesly and Sergio Duran, report for duty with the Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
police department. Roy is married with a daughter and intends to eventually become a law student. Gus is a father of three. Serge is a native of East L.A. who never expected to end up patrolling its streets.
Each is assigned a veteran partner. Roy's is the greatly experienced Andy Kilvinski, who has been on the force for nearly a quarter-century and has his own unique style of law enforcement. For example, he will have hookers driven around for hours in a paddy wagon, simply to keep them off the streets for a night.
Gus rides with Whitey Duncan. As they answer a burglary call at a market, Gus opens fire on a suspicious figure in the alley, only to discover to his horror that it is the owner of the store.
Roy begins to frustrate his wife Dorothy by becoming obsessed with police work, neglecting his family and dropping out of law school. He likes the life on the street, but during a convenience store holdup, Roy asks a parked couple to move their car and is unexpectedly felled by a bullet.
Gus and Serge discuss their fear of being shot. Serge temporarily partners with Andy, and together they handle a volatile situation with a slum landlord. Roy gradually recovers and quickly encounters a shootout, but doesn't flinch.
As the rookies mark a year on the job, Andy reaches his 25th anniversary and mandatory retirement. He discusses the difficulties of police work at a farewell party with the younger men.
Roy is assigned to the vice squad, where the job is anything but glamorous. Dorothy has had enough. She leaves him and takes their daughter.
The young cops are delighted to get a visit from Andy, who has retired to Florida but misses police work, regretting never having spent more time on a personal life. After speaking with Roy one last time on the phone, Andy picks up a gun and kills himself.
Depression gets the better of Roy, who begins to drink on the job. He answers a burglary call and the victim turns out to be Lorrie, a nurse who helped him after he got shot. Later on patrol, a prostitute speeds off with Roy hanging from the car. He barely avoids serious injury and Lorrie helps patch him up, but he draws a three-week suspension for being drunk.
Roy begins seeing Lorrie socially and comes to his senses, appreciating the need for personal relationships and remembering what led Andy to end his life. He goes on a routine patrol with both Gus and Serge and answers a domestic disturbance report. A man appears out of nowhere, and before Serge can disarm him, Roy is shot. He dies in Gus's arms.
Cast
- George C. ScottGeorge C. ScottGeorge Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
as Andy Kilvinski - Stacy KeachStacy KeachStacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
as Roy Fehler - Jane AlexanderJane AlexanderJane Alexander is an American actress, author, and former director of the National Endowment for the Arts. Although perhaps best known for playing the female lead in The Great White Hope on both stage and screen, Alexander has played a wide array of roles in both theater and film and has committed...
as Dorothy Fehler - Scott WilsonScott WilsonScott Wilson was a judge on United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 1929 to 1942.-Early life:Scott Wilson was born on January 11, 1870, in Falmouth, Maine. He graduated from Bates College in Maine in 1892 and then studied at the University of Pennsylvania...
as Gus Plebesly - Erik EstradaErik EstradaHenry Enrique "Erik" Estrada is an American police officer and actor, known for his co-starring lead role in the 1977–1983 United States police television series CHiPs...
as Sergio Duran - Clifton JamesClifton JamesGeorge Clifton James is an American actor. He is probably best known for his role as the bumbling Sheriff J.W. Pepper alongside Roger Moore in the James Bond films Live and Let Die and The Man With The Golden Gun and his role alongside Sean Connery in The Untouchables .-Personal life:James was...
as Whitey - James SikkingJames SikkingJames Barrie Sikking is an American actor known for his role as Lt. Howard Hunter on the 1980s NBC TV series Hill Street Blues. He also starred on the ABC TV series Doogie Howser, M.D. as Dr. David Howser and on the short-lived 1997 CBS drama series Brooklyn South as Captain Stan Jonas...
as Sgt. Anders - Rosalind CashRosalind CashRosalind Cash was an American singer and actress, whose best known film role was as Charlton Heston's character's love interest Lisa, in the 1971 science fiction cult classic, The Omega Man...
as Lorrie Hunt