You could enthusiasm a truck via the plotholes in Directorty Harry, which wouldn’t be so importance were the movie not a likely, phony glorification of the fuzz and criminal brutality [from a testimony by Harry Julian Fink and R.M. Fink]. Clint Eastwood, in the title role, is a superhero whose antics suit almost satire. Strip away the detached garbage and all that’s left is a fine-made but surface running-and-jumping meller. Don Siegel produces handsomely and directs routinely.

Andy Robinson plays a mad sniper who attempts to hold up San Francisco for money to stop his random carnage. Mayor John Vernon is willing, police chief John Larch goes along, police lieutenant Harry Guardino unctuously follows the prevailing wind, and the work falls to supercop Eastwood.

Eastwood is dedicated - to his own violence. Perhaps his anger at Robinson is more at the delay in capturing him; after all, between bites on a hot dog, Eastwood foils a bank heist at midday, talks down a suicide jumper, and otherwise expedites assorted ‘dirty work’. The character nearly drools, but Eastwood is far too inert for this bit of business.

There are several chase sequences - before the sadist-with-badge dispatches the sadist-without-badge. Thereupon, Eastwood flings his badge to the wind and walks away. At least Frisco is safe from his protection (but think of the rest of us).