Search - Electra Glide in Blue

A police officer who would rather use his brains than his gun is put into a situation where neither can help him in this police drama. John Wintergreen (Robert Blake) is a sawed-off and street-smart Arizona motorcycle cop who dreams of climbing the ladder and becoming a police detective, but his ambitions are scoffed at by his partner, Zipper (Billy "Green" Bush). Wintergreen's superiors tend not to take him seriously due to his short stature, but when he stumbles upon the site of a murder, he digs up enough relevant evidence to insure his advancement to detective status. However, after a few days on the job, Wintergreen begins to realize just how corrupt his superior Poole (Mitchell Ryan) truly is after Poole attempts to frame a local hippie, Bob Zemko (Peter Cetera), for a crime he didn't commit. Adding fuel to the fire is Poole's discovery that he and Wintergreen have been dating the same woman, dancer-turned-barmaid Jolene (Jeannine Riley). Electra Glide in Blue was the first (and to date only) directorial credit for James William Guercio. Successful in the music industry as a manager and producer, Guercio was best known for his association with the top-selling jazz-rock group Chicago; several members of the band appear in the movie, as does a young Nick Nolte in a bit part. On a note of sad irony, Terry Kath, the longtime Chicago vocalist who died in 1978 from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, plays a gun-wielding killer in this film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Robert Blake - Wintergreen
Billy Green Bush - Zipper
Mitchell Ryan - Poole
Jeannine Riley - Jolene
Elisha Cook, Jr. - Willie
Joe Samsil - Sgt. Ryker

1973

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (nominee)

Golden Globe

Robert Blake

James William Guercio's cult-favorite police drama makes its long-awaited debut on DVD in this edition from MGM Home Entertainment. Electra Glide in Blue has been transferred to disc in letterboxed format at its original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1, which has also been enhanced for anamorphic play on 16 x 9 monitors. The transfer is sharp and well detailed, and presents Conrad Hall's cinematography to its best advantage. The original English-language audio has been remixed for playback in Dolby Digital Surround, while a dubbed French track appears in Dolby Digital Mono; though the package lists a Spanish-dubbed track, it was not available on the disc we auditioned. Optional subtitles in English, Spanish, and French are also available. Bonus materials include the film's original theatrical trailer, an introduction in which Guercio discusses the making of the film, and a commentary track, which offers a bit more background as well as a lot of dead air (more than once Guercio confesses that communicating verbally isn't his strong suit). While rabid fans might have wished for more extras, this is a great looking (and sounding) DVD of a film that's been out of circulation for years, and at a mid-line price it's a real bargain. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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