The Lineup (film)

The Lineup

Theatrical poster
Directed by Don Siegel
Produced by Jaime Del Valle
Screenplay by Stirling Silliphant
Starring Eli Wallach
Robert Keith
Music by Mischa Bakaleinikoff
Cinematography Hal Mohr
Edited by Al Clark
Production
company
Pajemer Productions
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release dates
  • June 1, 1958 (United States)
Running time
 86 minutes
Country United States
Language English

The Lineup is a 1958 American film version of the police procedural series that ran on CBS radio from 1950-1953 and on CBS television from 1954-1960, directed by Don Siegel. The film has a number of scenes shot on location in San Francisco during the late 1950s including shots of the Embarcadero Freeway (then still under construction) and the Sutro Baths.

Plot

An international drug-smuggling racket plants heroin on unsuspecting American tourists traveling in Asia, so that the dope can pass through customs undetected. Two psychopathic killers (Eli Wallach and Robert Keith) and their driver (Richard Jaeckel) then collect the contraband.

In the film Warner Anderson reprises his role as Lieutenant Ben Guthrie from the TV series. However, Tom Tully's character, Inspector Matt Grebb, is replaced by Inspector Al Quine, played by Emile Meyer.Strangely. Anderson, the star of the TV series, is not given star billing in the movie, Star billing was instead given to the movie's main villain, played by Wallach...and Tully, the T.V. series co-star, was not seen in the film at all.

Cast

In popular culture

The film contains the line, "When you live outside the law, you have to eliminate dishonesty," of which Jonathan Lethem writes that "Bob Dylan heard it…, cleaned it up a little, and inserted it into 'Absolutely Sweet Marie'" (as "To live outside the law you must be honest.").[1]

References

  1. ↑ Jonathan Lethem, "The Ecstasy of Influence", Harper's, February 2007, 59–71. p. 59.

External links