Kino Lorber, a top boutique label for film buffs, delivers an excellent 4K restoration of Night of the Juggler. This cult classic crime-thriller from Columbia Pictures is based on a novel by William P. McGivern and directed by Sidney J. Furie and Robert Butler. Welcome to New York of the late 1970s, a place of urban decay. Corrupt cops and adult movie theatres dot the filthy landscape. A vengeful psychopath, Gus Soltic (Cliff Gorman), plots the kidnapping of Virginia Clayton (Robyn Finn), the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer. Sean Boyd (James Brolin), an ex-cop turned truck driver, is ready to celebrate his daughter’s, Kathy (Abby Bluestone), 13th birthday. He walks his daughter to summer school through Central Park. Little does he realize this is where Soltic plans to abduct the real estate developer’s daughter, who coincidentally resembles Kathy. Kathy decides to walk to school on her own when all of a sudden, Soltic abducts her and drives away. Boyd goes on a frantic manhunt to save her.
Sean Boyd receives the reluctant help of Lieutenant Tonelli (Richard Castellano), who wiretaps the Clayton family’s phone as Soltic sends threatening messages. Boyd goes through episodic trials along the way, searching for information on Soltic. He must avoid the wrath of Sergeant Otis Barnes (Dan Hedaya), who hates him for ratting him out many years ago. A stripper, Susie (Sharon Mitchell), at an adult entertainment venue, has a dog tag with key information regarding Soltic’s address. Soltic’s motive is revenge because Clayton’s real estate company tore down his family’s apartment complex. He hates how he turned the Bronx into a low-income neighborhood filled with gangs and crime. This is just a sample of the suspenseful twists and exciting action.
James Brolin in a tense scene from Night of the Juggler.
“ Soltic’s motive is revenge because Clayton’s real estate company tore down his family’s apartment complex.”
Furie and Butler’s film is in the same league as William Friedkin’s The French Connection. It has pulse-pounding car chases that screech through the streets of NYC. As a viewer, you can truly feel Boyd’s desperation through Argyle Nelson’s tight and suspenseful editing. Victor J. Kemper’s cinema verité cinematography captures the claustrophobic and dirty nature of the city. All of these elements work due to Bill Norton, Sr. and Rick Natkin’s screenplay. The screenplay has character-driven action versus spectacle action. I highly recommend aspiring action filmmakers watch this film to observe Norton and Natkin’s tight story structure.
The late Cliff Gorman crafts the image of a mentally ill man, obsessed with his past. One wonders if Gorman’s unsettling character, Gus Soltic, influenced Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Arthur Fleck in Joker. Night of the Juggler has an exceptional supporting cast. Mandy Patinkin appears briefly as a funny Puerto Rican cab driver, Alessandro, in a gripping chase sequence. Richard Castellano, who many may recognize from The Godfather, captures the essence of an unamused Italian-American as Tonelli. These characters add a ton of life and brevity between the tense dramatic scenes.
This is a perfect film for those who love the New Hollywood era and exhilarating crime flicks. Night of the Juggler is an entertaining rediscovery with a strong storyline and an amazing time capsule of New York during its worst days.
"…a perfect film for those who love the New Hollywood era..."
