Just watching Magnum Force...

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TonyB

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This is by far my favorite Dirty Harry movie...lots of revolver work...actual reloads.using speed loaders.I love the Compition scene....David Soul shoots a Colt(although the silencer on a revolver was kind of corny)
So whats you favorite DH movie?? :cool:
 
The original Dirty Harry. Very dark (which I liked). Magnum Force was anti-cop, if you think about it, but from a gun standpoint, has some great scenes like you mentioned, The Enforcer was stupid because of the goofy Tyne Daly side-kick.

Anything after that (Sudden Impact, et al) was hokey.

They "jumped the shark" with that stupid AutoMag.

What's everyone's favorite line?


"They want a car."

"So what are you gonna do?"

"Give 'em one."
 
I ran across the last 15 minutes or so and it seemed like all of them had Colts. Pythons in particular. Too dark in the ship to see well, but it seemed both had underlugged barrels. Then when the guy gets in the car that get blown up you get a fairly good look at his revolver and it looks like a Python to me. Of course they probably just used the same gun as needed.

edit: I also noticed they used many of the same streets and SFX as Bullitt. Also that street with all the curves, amazing how it changed from reasonable in Bullit, to looking pretty run-down in Magnum Force, to looking seriously upscale in some recent show on the Travel channel.
 
What I remember about the series was that prior to that, sales of M-29's were ho-hum. But after Dirty Harry, they were selling for twice Manufacturer's Suggested Retail.
 
Good show..............I watched it a week or so ago myself. :)

But what is really scarey is that I remember waiting in line at the theater to see it when it originally opened on a Thanksgiving evening. :what: GAWWD I'm old. :eek:
 
I have always loved the range scene in Magnum Force where Callahan explains that he uses "a light Special" load in the world’s most powerful handgun. :neener: :neener:
 
Light Special

I have ponderd that one myself. In my mind, I like to think that Harry was a fan of Old Skeeter Skelton and Elmer Keith and cooked up some 180gr LSWHP's and was tossing them out the end of the tube at around 1100-1200fps.

By "light" we can only hope he meant light bullet, moving fast. Not "light" sissy load that would make Elmer and Skeeter call Harry a recoil sensitive girly man with sissy tendencies and questionable amounts of testosterone.

(Though, I much prefer shooting specials to magnums!)
 
I watched it last night. I took the "light specials" comment to mean that he uses light specials for the shooting competitions that he always wins, but on the streets he uses full power magnums.

But that was just my interpretation (trying to give Harry the benefit of the doubt).
 
I was surprised by the "light specials" comment too -- doesn't he say it is so he can recover faster for mutliple shots -- better than a .357? Not those words but something to that effect...

The curvy street in SFO is Lombard Street -- the "crookedest street in the world" -- its a hoot to drive down -- it is on a steep incline.
 
The first two are the best of the series. But that's probably because John Milius was involved with writing them. The rouge cops all carry 4" Colt Pythons, but what I find interesting is that Harry's partner and the Lieutenant in charge of the vigilante officers are carrying either Colt Diamondbacks or Python snubbies. I have the movie on DVD and I've paused the scenes several times - looks like they're carrying the 2.5" Python to me. You don't see that in very many movies.

By the way when they're having the big shoot out with the gangsters near the end of the movie pay attention to the bad guys weapons. Looks like they're using Winchester M1897 riot guns and the Thompson M1A1 (WW II model). Nifty. Of course in 1973 the Winchester 1897 12 guage and the Thompsons weren't classics yet - just old guns. My question is how could a bunch of rookie cops afford Pythons? Didn't they cost like $150 bucks back in the early seventies? Ouch. :what:
 
Aside from great guns and cool lines, Dirty Harry is extremely overdressed for a cop.


You guys know that Frank Sinatra was originally going to play Dirty Harry, but arthritis kept him from handling guns for a bit, he suggested Paul Newman who 'didn't agree with the film's politics' but suggested Clint Eastwood for the role.

Dirty Harry remains the only film made about "The Zodiac Killer", there are steals straight from the original letters written to the police and papers.
 
Magnum Force

That is one Eastwood movie I'll never forget. A bunch of buddies and I watched it in a theatre in downtown Ubon, Thailand (tail end of the Viet Nam War...Air Force days). It was in English, but the Thai's had an interpreter with a mic, doing the script. It was a hoot. They were laughing at the serious parts.......apparently, the interpreter was quite a comedian.

We, however, were enjoying the look at the "States," and loved the movie.

I still do!
 
Dr.Rob said:
You guys know that Frank Sinatra was originally going to play Dirty Harry, but arthritis kept him from handling guns for a bit, he suggested Paul Newman who 'didn't agree with the film's politics' but suggested Clint Eastwood for the role.
Click to expand...

The immortal John Wayne, that's right the Duke, was slated to play DH and turned it down. He came out with McQ and Brannigan once he saw the success of DH.
 
I liked Magnum Force a lot, but my favorite Dirty Harry line is from the original:

"When are you going to quit messing around with this guy?"
 
I assume that Harry meant that he carried a "light special" all of the time. Probably a 240 grain swc and 7-9 grains of Unique.
 
I'm not ashamed to admit this:
I hadn't seen the movie in years, and for some reason I didn't have a Python at the time.

The Python has always been my favorite revolver, and it took me MANY years before I could afford one. For some reason, I had sold my last one.

One night in the mid-80's, they showed the usual cut-to-pieces of the "good" parts movie. I just caught the last half, and I'd forgotten how it went, so I went out and rented it on a Friday night.

I was doing paper work as I watched, but I really sat up and took notice at the beginning when the cycle cop stuck that 4" Python in the hood driver's face and opened fire.

I dropped the paperwork and really paid attention.

When David Soul stuck his 4" Python in the pimp's face under the Golden Gate bridge, something gelled for me.

Next morning I ordered a 4" blue Python from my wholesaler.

Since that Friday night, I've always made sure to have a couple.
 
Frankly spoken,...

...I don't wanna be in front of the muzzle of Dirty Harry's S&W M29 even when it's loaded with "light" .44 S&W Special rounds. Ever noted how effective these "mild" big bore loads can be???
 
As far as casting "Dirty Harry Callahan", I remember reading that Bill Cosby was considered for the role also. If memory serves, this story listed about a half dozen actors ahead of Eastwood for the part.
 
love the movies

Everyone may have already realized this but have you noticed the same black guy plays different roles in all the movies except dead pool? He was the shot bank robber in the first movie, the pimp in the car in Mag force, Big Ed musstafa in enforcer, and Horace in Sudden Impact.

I always assumed the light special meant they were 44 mag loads that were loaded a little light, like CCI's SWC used to be.

Also, in the first scene in the first movie, that .44 has one heck of a finish on it. Do you think it was specially done?

Tim
 
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