Mitchell (1975)

September 10, 1975 (US) • Crime, Drama, Action • 97m

Overview

A tough-guy cop pursues two drug runners across the city to bust a large syndicate. Very much an anti-hero, Mitchell often ignores the orders of his superiors and demonstrates disdain for by-the-book development work as well as normal social graces.

Director

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writer

Ian Kennedy Martin

Top Billed

Joe Don Baker

Keywords

drug trafficking

Where to watch

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Buy

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Top Billed Cast

Joe Don Baker

Mitchell

Martin Balsam

James Arthur Cummings

John Saxon

Walter Deaney

Linda Evans

Greta

Morgan Paull

Salvatore Mistretta

Harold J. Stone

Tony Gallano

Merlin Olsen

Benton

Robert Phillips

Chief Albert Pallin

Buck Young

Detective Aldridge

Rayford Barnes

Detective Tyzack

Todd Bass

Child

Jerry Hardin

Desk Sergeant

Lilyan McBride

Rich Lady

Rob Narke

Customs Officer

Sidney Clute

Rudy Moran

Carole Estes

Prudence Lang

Vicki Peters

Helena Jackman

Duffy Hambleton

Edmondo Bocca

John Ashby

Burgler

Bill Sullivan

Don Townsend

Jim B. Smith

Sergeant O'Hagen

Charles Glover

Officer Danziger

Charles A. Tamburro

Helicopter Pilot

Gary Combs

Helicopter Officer

Stan Stone

Sergeant

Tom Lawrence

Bel Air Patrolman

Alan Gibbs

Mustang Hood

Dick Ziker

Alley Hood

Phil Altman

Alley Hood

Bob Orrison

Mistretta's Hood

Gary McLarty

Mistretta's Hood

Paul Nuckles

Mistretta's Hood

Crew

Andrew V. McLaglen

Director

Ian Kennedy Martin

Writer

Dave Grayson

Makeup Artist

Fred Price

Set Decoration

Michael Preece

Script Supervisor

Maurie M. Suess

Production Manager

Anthony Brand

Second Assistant Director

Steven Gore

Post Production Assistant

Larry Brown

Original Music Composer

Jerry Styner

Original Music Composer

Nick Morrison

Associate Producer

Herman Lewis

Sound Mixer

Harry Stradling Jr.

Director of Photography

Fred A. Chulack

Editor

Richard Tim Vanik

Camera Operator

Benjamin Melniker

Executive Producer

R. Ben Efraim

Producer

Jerry Ziesmer

Assistant Director

Tom May

Key Grip

Marty Wunderlich

Property Master

Chuck Gaspar

Special Effects

Stephanie Epper

Stunts

Bob Yerkes

Stunts

Denny Arnold

Stunts

Paula Crist

Stunts

Gary McLarty

Stunts

Alan Gibbs

Stunts

Gary Combs

Stunts

Paul Stader

Stunts

Paul Nuckles

Stunts

Duffy Hambleton

Stunts

Roydon Clark

Stunts

Bob Orrison

Stunts

Reviews

Fnord

⭐ 6/10

September 15, 2014

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

A strange choice for Joel's final episode of MST3K, but it's hard to imagine what would be a more appropriate choice. Maybe one of the Russo-Finnish things they covered, like "Sinbad", or "The Day the Earth Froze" (to end on a high note), or "Monster-A-Go-Go" (which embodies the essence of all the crap that MST existed to make fun of.)

I understand why some people don't like Joe Don Baker movies, but my own judgments of his films are influenced memories of one of my best friends in college (since passed away, alas). My friend was an older ex-Army sergeant who was a lot like Baker in many ways, and who would undoubtedly see a lot of himself in Baker's screen persona. A couple of tours of duty in the Army as an enlisted man and non-com had turned him into a self-described "FFS" (Fat F***ing Sergeant): an overweight, dyspeptic, burned out, cynical, hard drinking sad sack. But if you got to know him and got past the outer shell, he was one of the best friends a person could ask for; intelligent, loyal, generous, kind, and hard-working to the point of being a workaholic.

I think that my friend would look at Baker's character in this film (and in "Final Justice") and see Mitchell in the same way he saw himself: someone who doesn't seem at all glamorous or fancy, but still can do whatever it takes to get the job done.

And that's the whole point of Baker's character in "Mitchell": he doesn't look like anyone's idea of an 'action hero', but underneath the flab and the bad attitude is an incorruptible 'real man' who can kick the pretty boys' butts when the chips are down and who stays the course in spite of every obstacle and distraction that would stop a lesser, 'metrosexual' blow comb user. And if the movie does anything well, it at least gets this point across.

It seems to me that Joel and the gang took any excuse to hammer on Baker when the he and his movie weren't really any worse than most of the stuff that came out at the time. In other words, they struck an attitude and then made up 'straw man' targets to attack to justify their attitude, hoping that the sheer venom of their rhetoric would keep the audience from actually making their own decisions...just like Dennis Miller does in his rants. Baker is somewhat heavy, yes, but he's no Charles Durning or Sidney Greenfield (two actors who you DID expect to have a coronary in any given scene). And his character is somewhat unkempt, but the whole beer/baby oil/revulsion thing they paint for him is at least three notches worse than what the movie presents. You don't believe for a moment that Linda Evans would ever go to bed with Mitchell, but OTOH the results wouldn't be nearly so revolting as Joel and the Bots would have you believe.

So.. no, not a good film by any means. But approach it with an open mind, and you'll have a watchable cop flick with a twist on the usual 'action hero' casting and formula.

- lemon_magic

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Mitchell (1975)

Where to watch

Top Billed Cast

Crew

Reviews

Fnord

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