NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER
(director/writer: Robert Butler; screenwriters: from the novel by William F. McGivern, William W. Norton, Rick Natkin; cinematographer: Victor J. Kemper; editor: Argyle Nelson; music: Artie Kane; cast: James Brolin (Sean Boyd), Cliff Gorman (Gus Soltic), Richard Castallano (Lt. Tonelli), Linda Miller (Barbara Boyd), Abby Bluestone (Kathy Boyd), Dan Hedaya (Sgt. Otis Barnes), Mandy Patinkin (Allesandro the Cabbie), Julie Carmen (Maria), Sharon Mitchell (Stripper); Runtime: 101; MPAA Rating: R; producer: Jay Weston; Kino Lorber; 1980)
“Minor crime drama.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Robert Butler (“Turbulence”/”White Mile”) replaced Sidney J. Furie as director for this minor crime drama, which has over the years become a cult classic for chase films. It takes place in a sleazy Manhattan neighborhood from the 1970s that no longer exists. It’s about a tough cop’s desperate search for his kidnapped adolescent daughter snatched by a racist psycho who mistook her for the daughter of a wealthy businessman while after the ransom.
It’s based on the novel by William F. McGivern and is co-written by Butler, William W. Norton, and Rick Natkin
The retired California detective Sean Boyd (James Brolin) is divorced and works as a truck driver in NYC. While staying with him in his Manhattan apartment his 12-year-old daughter Kathy (Abby Bluestone), who lives with her mom, is snatched during the day, in the crowded park, mistakenly by the dangerous psychopath Gus Soltic (Cliff Gorman). The father goes after the perp, even if he clashes with the city police over his reckless rescue attempt.
The technical parts are well-done, but the story itself leaves us not much to ponder. The city is made to look even more ugly than it looked back then, when crime was rampant.
Mandy Patinkin provides a few laughs as a Puerto Rican cabbie. Richard Castallano does well as the stoic cop. Dan Hedaya adds comedy by shooting up a storm but hitting the wrong targets. While Brolin looks the part but can’t act the part of the enraged dad who resorts to vigilante justice. The best performance is turned in by Gorman, who is perfectly obnoxious as the creepy bad guy.
It’s a forgettable but watchable film that is currently being restored to make a limited theater run in the big cities such as New York and Los Angeles.
REVIEWED ON 7/14/2025 GRADE: B-
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