Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981): An Exclusive Review by GRA, and the Entire Movie, Aired for Free, with No Commercial Interruptions, at WEJB/NSU! (Catch It, before the KK Come and Seize It!)

By Grand Rapids Anonymous
saturday, june 17, 2023 at 11:06:00 p.m. edt

Fort Apache—The Bronx (1981): Review by GRA

I never saw this movie before.

Paul Newman was—and is still—my favorite actor (okay, a tie with Nicholson). He was great in both Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), for starters. He was nominated for an Oscar for The Verdict (1982), but I believe he was better in this particular movie than that excellent one.

Fort Apache was released in 1981, and Newman’s physical appearance hadn’t changed much in the 12 years since Butch Cassidy, and many of the characteristics of those two roles I mentioned, were very visible here. He got in a lengthy fight with Danny Aiello, similar to the George Kennedy fight in Luke. His demeanor is humorous in Bronx—as in those two films—some laugh-out-loud responses, by me, to a few of his lines. In my opinion, a classic Paul Newman movie.

Supporting actors Ken Wahl, Ed Asner, Rachel Ticotin, Pam Grier and the gorgeous Kathleen Beller contributed mightily to this cop story detailing the daily war—back in the late 70s—that White cops had with the minorities in NYC—all of it depicted realistically. Of course, it’s 100 times worse now. Asner particularly stood out, maybe his best role after Lou Grant. Wahl was excellent, too.

The philosophical question at the heart of the matter in this movie is Asner’s cop—who represents “White law” and Newman, who, while not an advocate for “black law,” believes that minorities shouldn’t be treated harshly (tear gas, an occasional billy club, etc.). He’s wrong, but with so many potential cop-killers out there, needing only a minor excuse to kill a cop, one can understand Newman’s reluctance to pick fights with every thug, in every situation.

That was then.

Today, the question is: Do NYC cops think arresting blacks, is treating them too harshly? And if they do believe that (especially minority cops), what’s the point of having a police force?

I give the movie ☆☆☆☆☆(very entertaining)

And the nig-o-meter is ●●● (three ink spots--no major black characters,many minor ones throughout.)

30,126 views Jul 29, 2021 #thebronx #southbronx

“Fort Apache, The Bronx is a 1981 American crime drama film directed by Daniel Petrie. The film is about a hard-drinking, lonely veteran cop, Murphy (Paul Newman), and his young partner Corelli (Ken Wahl), who work in a crime-ridden precinct in The Bronx. Although Murphy's life takes a good turn when he falls in love with Isabella (Rachel Ticotin), a young nurse, the arrival of a new, law-and-order-minded police captain commanding the precinct, Connoly (Ed Asner) threatens to tip the neighborhood's delicate balance into anarchy. Danny Aiello, Kathleen Beller, and Pam Grier play supporting roles. It was written by Heywood Gould and produced by Martin Richards and Thomas Fiorello, with David Susskind as executive producer.”

Initial release: February 6, 1981

Director: Daniel Petrie

Box office: $65.2 million

Budget: $10 million #thebronx#southbronx