Prince Of The City (1981)
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94% of critics liked it
(17 reviews) -
83% of users liked it
(1,063 ratings)
Inspired by a true story, Prince of the City stars Treat Williams as a Manhattan detective who agrees to help the US Department of Justice weed out corruption in the NYPD. Williams agrees on the assurance that he'll never have to turn in a close friend. Wired for sound, Williams almost… More Inspired by a true story, Prince of the City stars Treat Williams as a Manhattan detective who agrees to help the US Department of Justice weed out corruption in the NYPD. Williams agrees on the assurance that he'll never have to turn in a close friend. Wired for sound, Williams almost immediately stumbles upon a police conspiracy to smuggle narcotics to street informants in order to insure cooperation. While this might be condonable in a stretch, the fact is that the many cops are using the drugs on their own, and are also highly susceptible to bribes. Williams gets the goods on the miscreants, but in so doing he breaks the "code" and becomes a pariah to his fellow officers. As we learn in the unsettling final scene, Williams will always be considered a "fink," even by honest cops. Prince of the City is too long for its own good, but its opening expository sequences and its final twenty minutes more than compensate for the duller stretches. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Sidney Lumet
- Written By
- Sidney Lumet, Jay Presson Allen
- Genres
- Drama
- In Theaters
- Aug 19, 1981 Wide
- Studio
- Warner Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
One of Sidney Lumet's most complex and detailed New York City dramas about the dark, dirty side of police work, boasting a splendid performance from Treat Williams in the lead.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Directs another Serpico, but with improvements.
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Clint Morris, Moviehole
The movie that should've turned Treat Williams into a huge star. This is one of Sidney Lumet's finest hours.
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Sean Axmaker, MSN.com
... explores the blurred lines between virtue and vice, the tangled nature of effective cops and the messy reality of justice.
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...overlong, confusing, a bit muddled with too many characters, and really, really talky.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Treat Williams
as Daniel Ciello
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Jerry Orbach
as Gus Levy
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Richard Foronjy
as Joe Marinaro
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Don Billett
as Bill Mayo
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James Tolkan
as District Attorney Polito
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Kenny Marino
as Dom Bando
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Carmine Caridi
as Gino Mascone
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Lance Henriksen
as DA Burano
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Norman Parker
as Rick Cappalino
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Paul Roebling
as Brooks Page
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Bob Balaban
as Santimassino
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Steve Inwood
as Mario Vincente
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Lindsay Crouse
as Carla Ciello
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Matthew Laurance
as Ronnie Ciello
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Tony Turco
as Socks Ciello
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Ronald Maccone
as Nick Napoli
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Ron Karabatsos
as Dave DeBennedeto
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Tony di Benedetto
as Carl Alagretti
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Tony Munafo
as Rocky Gazzo
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Robert Christian
as The King
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Lee Richardson
as Sam Heinsdorff
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Lane Smith
as Tug Barnes
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Cosmo Allegretti
as Marcel Sardino
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Bobby Alto
as Mr. Kanter
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Burton Collins
as Young Virginia Guard
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Peter Michael Goetz
as Atty. DeLuth
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Eddie Jones
as Ned
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Cynthia Nixon
as Jeannie
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Lionel Pina
as Sancho
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Jose Santana
as Jose
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Harry Madsen
as Bubba
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Conrad Fowkes
as Elroy Pendleton
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Carmine Foresta
as Ernie
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Dana Lorge
as Ann
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Antony Page
as Raf Alvarez
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Peter Friedman
as DA Goldman
