Sweeney!
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| Sweeney! | |
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| File:Sweeney! uk quad 320x240.jpg | |
| Directed by | David Wickes |
| Produced by | Ted Childs |
| Written by | Ranald Graham |
| Starring | John Thaw Dennis Waterman Ian Bannen Lynda Bellingham Barry Foster Diane Keen |
| Music by | Denis King |
| Cinematography | Dusty Miller |
| Edited by | Chris Burt |
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Production
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| Distributed by | EMI Films |
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Release dates
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Running time
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89 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Sweeney! is a 1977 British crime film, made as a spin-off from the television show The Sweeney which ran from 1974 to 1978. It was released on Region 2 DVD in 2007. A sequel, Sweeney 2, was released the following year.
Plot
The film followed the adventures of DI Regan and DS Carter as they became embroiled in a deadly political scandal. One of the leading members of the government, Charles Baker (Ian Bannen), is about to secure a huge deal with OPEC stabilising the world oil market and boosting Britain's position within it. Baker is the rising star of the government, regarded as a future prime minister, and he is closely controlled by his urbane, manipulative American press secretary Elliot McQueen (Barry Foster).
When Regan investigates the mysterious death of a prostitute as a favour to one of his informants, he becomes aware that Baker and McQueen might be involved. A spate of killings follow - which sees Regan take on both the criminals and the hierarchy of the Metropolitan Police and British security services. The outcome of the film was similar to that of the Profumo affair, though with a typical Sweeney bittersweet ending.
Cast
- John Thaw as Detective Inspector Jack Regan
- Dennis Waterman as Detective Sergeant George Carter
- Barry Foster as Elliot McQueen
- Ian Bannen as Charles Baker MP
- Colin Welland as Frank Chadwick
- Diane Keen as Bianca Hamilton
- Michael Coles as Johnson
- Joe Melia as Ronnie Brent
- Brian Glover as Mac
- Lynda Bellingham as Janice Wyatt
- Morris Perry as Flying Squad Commander
- Michael Latimer as P.P.S.
Reception
Michael Deeley of EMI later said the film "was successful, so we're helping fill the demand by making another one".[1]
It was praised for capturing the spirit and setting of the original TV series. The film was successful enough for a sequel the following year Sweeney 2 which saw some of the action relocated to the Mediterranean.
Production
Sweeney! was made by Euston Films who also produced the television series. They had been planning a big screen outing for the show for a while. In the 1970s it was common for television shows to be given cinematic releases, amongst which were some of the biggest box office hits of the decade.
The movie was one of a six-film £6 million program of films authorised by Nat Cohen at EMI Films.[2]
A number of the recurring minor characters of the film also appeared in the television series. But Garfield Morgan, who played Haskins in the TV shows, did not appear in the film. As with the television series, a large amount of the action took place outside with location footage. It was released in the United Kingdom with a X rating owing to the scenes of violence and nudity.
The film followed fairly closely the events of the Profumo Scandal which had rocked British politics more than a decade before, though with a much more violent premise. The film was also notable concerning the topical subject of energy and oil usage, a major international issue at the time the film was made.
