99 and 44/100% Dead

99 and 44/100% Dead

Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Produced by Mickey Borofsky
Joe Wizan
Written by Robert Dillon
Starring Richard Harris
Edmond O'Brien
Bradford Dillman
Music by Henry Mancini
Cinematography Ralph Woolsey
Edited by Harold F. Kress
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • August 29, 1974 (1974-08-29)
Running time
98 minutes
Country United States
Language English

99 and 44/100% Dead is a 1974 American action film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Richard Harris.[1] The title is a play on an advertising slogan for Ivory soap.

Plot

Harry Crown (Richard Harris), a stylish professional hit man with a pair of Browning Hi-Power 9mm pistols with ivory grips, carried in a shoulder holster, is brought in by mob boss "Uncle Frank" Kelly (Edmond O'Brien) when his operation is challenged by Big Eddie (Bradford Dillman), a grinning, lisping rival.

Crown is caught in the crossfire, as is his romantic interest, Buffy (Ann Turkel), a third-grade schoolteacher. In his attempt to take over the rackets, Big Eddie has hired Marvin "The Claw" Zuckerman (Chuck Connors), a sadistic one-armed killer with a prosthetic attachment that includes machine guns and knives.

Buffy is abducted, causing Harry to ignore Uncle Frank's warnings not to take on Eddie's men in broad daylight. A showdown in a warehouse results in The Claw being overpowered and literally disarmed. Harry appears to be too late to save Buffy, but a gunshot rings out and Big Eddie falls to the ground, slain by Uncle Frank.

Cast

Release

Frankenheimer later described the film as "a bit off center":

It's like 1970s pop art, the idea being, quickly, that our society is so violent that the person best qualified to cope with it the professional killer. I hope what happens won't be what happened with The Manchurian Candidate - horrible reviews and then five years later it's on everyone's list. I don't want that to happen again.[2]

On December 13, 2011 Shout! Factory released the film on DVD as part of a double feature with The Nickel Ride.

See also

References

  1. Van Gelder, Lawrence. "New York Times: 99 and 44/100% Dead". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
  2. Fathering a 'Connection' Offspring. Blume, Mary. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 01 Sep 1974: m20.

External links

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