99 and 44/100% Dead!, released in the UK as Call Harry Crown, is a 1974 American action comedy film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Richard Harris.[1] The title is a play on an advertising slogan for Ivory soap.
| 99 and 44/100% Dead! | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Frankenheimer |
| Written by | Robert Dillon |
| Produced by | Mickey Borofsky Joe Wizan |
| Starring | Richard Harris Edmond O'Brien Bradford Dillman |
| Cinematography | Ralph Woolsey |
| Edited by | Harold F. Kress |
| Music by | Henry Mancini |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
In the film, a professional contract killer is hired to take part in a conflict between two rival crime bosses. The mission gets personal when the killer's love interest is kidnapped by the rival gang.
Plot
editHarry Crown, 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 when his operation is challenged by Big Eddie, a grinning, lisping rival.
Crown is caught in the crossfire, as is his romantic interest, Buffy, a third-grade schoolteacher. In his attempt to take over the rackets, Big Eddie has hired Marvin "The Claw" Zuckerman, 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
edit- Richard Harris as Harry Crown
- Edmond O'Brien as Uncle Frank Kelly
- Bradford Dillman as Big Eddie
- Chuck Connors as Marvin 'Claw' Zuckerman
- Ann Turkel as Buffy
- Constance Ford as Dolly
- David Hall as Tony
- Kathrine Baumann as Baby
- Janis Heiden as Clara
- Max Kleven as North
- Karl Lukas as Guard
- Tony Brubaker as Burt (as Anthony Brubaker)
- Jerry Summers as Shoes
- Roy Jenson as Jake
Release
editIn 1969 the film was reported to be directed by Sergio Leone and starring Marcello Mastroianni and Charles Bronson.[2]
Principal photography began on August 10, 1973, in Seattle before moving to Los Angeles.[2]
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 is 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.[3]
In an interview two decades later, Frankenheimer himself thought the film a failure. He felt that he did not do his best work on it and in hindsight, shouldn't do this sort of satire.[4]
On December 13, 2011 Shout! Factory released the film on DVD as part of a double feature with The Nickel Ride.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Van Gelder, Lawrence (2010). "New York Times: 99 and 44/100% Dead". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
- ^ a b "99 and 44/100% Dead". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ Blume, Mary (September 1, 1974). "Fathering a 'Connection' Offspring". Los Angeles Times. p. m20.
- ^ Frankenheimer, John (1995). John Frankenheimer: A Conversation with Charles Champlin. Riverwood Press. p. 137. ISBN 9781880756133.
