Serpico

SUMMARY

In 1970, police officer Frank Serpico electrified the Knapp Commission investigating the New York City Police Department by testifying that there were as many cops taking payoffs as there were crooks. Peter Maas's biography of Serpico formed the basis of the script by Waldo Salt (MIDNIGHT COWBOY) and Norman Wexler (SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER), and Al Pacino is the title character, an honest cop who refuses to go on the take.

Surrounded by corruption, Frank Serpico is distrusted and harrassed by fellow officers, who suspect him both for his honesty and for his countercultural lifestyle. When the double-dealing and persecution become too much, he tries to inform police commissioner White of the corruption within the department, but the response is discouraging. Frustrated, Serpico takes his story to the New York Times editors; the resultant scandal prompts the mayor to initiate a high-profile investigation (the Knapp Commission). Serpico is called to testify, and now both cops and criminals are gunning for him. TV Guide Movie Guide

CAST / CREW

Al Pacino .... Frank Serpico John Randolph .... Chief Sidney Green Jack Kehoe .... Tom Keough (7th Pct. Plainclothes Div.) Biff McGuire .... Capt. Insp. McClain Barbara Eda-Young .... Laurie (Frank's girlfriend) Cornelia Sharpe .... Leslie Lane (Frank's girlfriend) Tony Roberts .... Bob Blair John Medici .... Pasquale (shoe repair shop employee) Allan Rich .... Dist. Atty. Herman Tauber Norman Ornellas .... Don Rubello (Serpico's partner) Edward Grover .... Insp. Lombardo (as Ed Grover) Albert Henderson .... Peluce Hank Garrett .... Malone Damien Leake .... Joey Joseph Bova .... Potts (as Joe Bova)   (more) Directed by Sidney Lumet Writing credits Peter Maas (book) Waldo Salt ...  (more)

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ARTICLES 

    Diesel Set for Serpico Role, Entertainment News Network

    (Thanks Lisa Wollney for this info)
    VIN DIESEL will recreate AL PACINO's greatest role as SERPICO - if a new videogame based loosely on the tough cop is a hit.
    The XXX star is developing an action-packed Serpico-style challenge through his sideline videogame company TAIGON GAMES, and if the project is a hit, Diesel will portray the hero on the big screen.
    He says, "I'm a sucker for video games and video games are now using and playing cinematic structures like GRAND THEFT AUTO, and they're using real actors. They're very entertaining.
    "There's one guy who's film rights I've had for five or six years, and he was a cop in the 1970s, who's the only other cop besides Serpico to be the subject of a police-generated hit squad.
    "I'm doing that video game first and then I'll be able to make the movie. It'll be like Serpico, which is a great film."

 

QUOTES ABOUT THE FILM

FRANK SERPICO

(in 1996) "In the French Alps, I rented a remote nineteenth century cold-water chalet. I was still under medication, three times a day, for the bullet fragments lodged in my skull (I was told it would be for the rest of my life). Movie director John Avildsen (Rocky, The Karate Kid) and writer Norman Wexler came to visit and together we worked on the screenplay for the movie. Avildsen was eventually replaced by Sidney Lumet. Later, I was asked to go back to New York to help out on the movie. As it turned out, it wasn't worth the hassle, as I soon realized I wasn't really wanted there. But the time spent with Al Pacino was very pleasant. I found him to be a man of character."

[Given a medal of honor.]  Is this for being an honest cop or being stupid enough to get shot in the face? (from IMDB)

(ZineZone interview with the real Frank Serpico)
    ZZ: In the movie, Serpico, did Al Pacino capture the real you?
    FS: Well, people who know me say that he was more me than I was. Whatever that means. I mean, actors are actors. Some actors are good; some actors are bad. I think Pacino was -- in this particular job -- I don't like gratuitous violence in some of the other movies that -- I don't like Hollywood. Just like I don't like the computer stuff, but each one has their purpose. And each individual has to know how not to abuse and take the good out of something.
    ZZ: To go back to Al Pacino, did you and Pacino hit it off well? Because you're only like four years apart in age?
    FS: Yeah. We had a good communication.
    FS: Well, people who know me say that he was more me than I was. Whatever that means. I mean, actors are actors. Some actors are good; some actors are bad. I think Pacino was -- in this particular job -- I don't like gratuitous violence in some of the other movies that -- I don't like Hollywood. Just like I don't like the computer stuff, but each one has their purpose. And each individual has to know how not to abuse and take the good out of something.
    ZZ: To go back to Al Pacino, did you and Pacino hit it off well? Because you're only like four years apart in age?
    FS: Yeah. We had a good communication.

"The only oath I ever took was to enforce the law and it didn't say against everybody except other cops." (Serpico presskit)

PETER MAAS  (author)

"I've been a reporter and writer for 15 years but Serpico was the first to come along to say,' 'This is wrong and I'm going to do something about it!' It's more than the story of a cop.,- It's about a man who just dug in and said he won't go along with the system."
    "Serpico just happened to be a cop. He would have f ollowed the same'course if he had had another profession. If society in America is going to mean anything, it's got to start with a guy like Serpico.- He followed his conscience despite enormous pressures."

"Within 20 minutes of our first meeting, Al started absorbing his role through his pores. It was almost like he was inhaling the guy." (Program Guide, June, 1983, Pacino: an Unpredictable Mixture of Talent and Courage, By Terry Poulton (thanks AIpoCino for transcribing this)

TRIVIA

It is based on Peter Maas' bestselling book about the true story of Frank Serpico. (Serpico presskit)

The real Serpico won the Medal of Honor spent 11year in the department. (Serpico presskit)

Serpico was the first of five films produced by Martin Bregman that starred Al Pacino (Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface, Sea of Love, and Carlito's Way)

Cornelia Sharpe (who portrayed Leslie Lane) in the film subsequently married Martin Bregman (and they are still married). Their son, Michael, was an associate producer on "Sea of Love" and a co-producer on "Carlito's Way."

Judd Hirsch (of "Taxi" fame) made his first film appearance in "Serpico."

Barbara Eda-Young also made her first film appearance in "Serpico" as Laurie (his girlfriend). Barbara had been a friend of Al's since their days as members of Lincoln Center Rep.

If you take a good look at the building that Pacino is standing outside of when he asks Leslie Lane if she'd like a ride on his motorcycle, you'll recognize it as the same building that Ivan (from Author, Author) is looking at when he asks the homeless woman if he should wear the tie or not.

If you stand in front of the New York State Theater (where Serpico and Leslie rush to catch a ballet) you can see where scenes from "Looking for Richard" and "Sea of Love" were also filmed, as well as the Vivian Beaumont Theater (where Al performed as a member of the Lincoln Center Rep. Co.) Across the street is the site of the fabled "The Ginger Man" (restaurant/bar) where a young Al Pacino often used to hang out.

After he decided to make the film, Al invited the real Frank Serpico to join him for a few days at a house that Al had rented in Montauk, Long Island. When Al asked Serpico -- "Why did you do it?" Serpico replied "Well, Al, I don't know. I guess I would have to say it would be because... if I didn't, who would I be when I listened to a piece of music?"

It was shot on 104 different locations (including every burrow in New York except Staten Island) over 10 weeks. (Serpico presskit)

Actor Woodie King who, playing a hoodlum, broke his leg while running. He had to be replaced, but returned two months later to play a friend of Miss Sharpe's. (Serpico presskit)

One of the locations used was Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sidney Kingsley's Fifth Avenue apartment which he loaned to Lumet to film a party sequence. TIn 1935 Kingsley hired an 11-year-old Lumet to appear on Broadway in his famous play, "Dead End," and they've been friends ever since.  (Serpico presskit)

(156k) ballet
(293k) it's me, Serpico...

DVD INFO

Buy it at Amazon.com
Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. This DVD will probably NOT be viewable in other countries. Read more about DVD formats.)
Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen
Rated: Not for sale to persons under age 18.
Studio: Paramount Home Video
DVD Release Date: August 19, 2003

DVD Features:
Serpico: From Real to Reel
Inside Serpico
Serpico: Favorite Moments
Photot Gallery with commentary by director Sidney Lumet
Widescreen anamorphic format