A-Z GUIDE TO MOVIES AND TV SHOWS PARODIED BY MAD, CRACKED, CRAZY, ETC. UP TO 1996. THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. SPOILERS AND OTHER NON-SEQUITURS, TOO. SOMETIMES THESE THINGS HAVE WORDS OR SITUATIONS WE DON'T USE ANYMORE. YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY'RE OLD.
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Thursday, July 20, 2023
SERPICOOL
SERPICO
dir: Sidney Lumet
MAD #169, September 1974
w: Stan Hart
a: Mort Drucker
Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) is a cop that has been shot. We don't know when, why or how, but his life flashes before his eyes.
We start with Serpico graduating from the police academy an eager young cadet with big ideas when he joins the force, but little does he realize how corrupt the police force really is. It starts with small things, like policemen being given free food at restaurants.
In his graduation picture, he's depicted as Michael Corleone, his breakthrough role in The Godfather.
Serpico pursues a rape case, despite it not being on his beat. He sees the wrong people being arrested just so it looks like the cops are doing work.
Serpico is assigned to undercover work because of his unconventional way of dressing. His hippie life doesn't quite fit in as a cop and being a cop doesn't mix well with his casual ballerina girlfriend Leslie (Cornelia Sharpe) or their Greenwich Village artist friends.
He finds life for the police is more about taking bribes than fighting crime, he doesn't want to work in that particular precinct, but sees it's everywhere and wants to report it to higher-ups which he confides to his fiance Laurie (Barbara Eda-Young).
Serpico refuses to be on the take like his co-workers or take any of the money they offer him. With help of his former cop friend Bob (Tony Roberts) he wants to take this whole thing to the mayor's office. The liaison between the mayor and the police keeps saying they'll do something and never gets back to him. The mayor's office finally does get back to him and says there's nothing they can do. He realizes he has to go even higher since the city can't investigate its affairs internally.
Word gets around that Serpico is going to blow the lid off corruption within the police department and nobody will talk to him. He's threatened when he's transferred to Coney Island. The supervisor in his precinct is sympathetic though.
Serpico is reluctant to testify but eventually does. The movie is set up to have you believe he was shot by fellow officers, but it was in the line of duty. He's still pariah and a marked man in the hospital. He has policeman on guard which he requests they not do since they're more likely to finish him off for being a stool pigeon.
In this, he's finished off by Clint Eastwood
BESERKO
Cracked #119, September 1974
a: John Severin
There are various TV cops and detectives throughout this parody. Like in this second panel which features Kojak.
George C. Scott is Serpico's partner, probably as his character from The New Centurions
Capt. McClain (Biff McGuire) is a character that isn't used in the MAD parody. Columbo and Dirty Harry are wandering around random panels on this page.
Gene Hackman as Popeye Doyle in the last panel.
SERPIKETTE: COPESS ON THE BEST
Crazy #8, December 1974
w: Nina Mende & Marv Wolfman
a: Bill Skurski
SER-PIG-O
Sick #100, October 1974
w: Fred Wolfe (Paul Laikin)
a: Jerry Grandenetti
In the Mad parody, the police commissioner is Jimmy Hoffa.
Also, I think Serpico's first partner may be based on Carroll O'Connor. Maybe it's a reference to a movie he was in that year called Law & Disorder.
And there's a lingering mystery. On the last page, in panel 3, there's a guy who also appeared almost a year before in Mad's parody of The Heartbreak Kid (on page 6, in panel 5). I still have no idea who he is.
In the Cracked parody, there are a few more cameos on the last page: John Wayne, then Richard Widmark and Steve McQueen in panel 3, then Raymond Burr at the end.
In the Sick parody, the police commissioner is Jimmy Cagney. Also, Peter Lorre pops up on the last page.
Following up on Mr. Ekman's notes on the Cracked parody, John Wayne is presumably Brannigan, Richard Widmark is Madigan, Steve McQueen as Bullit, and Raymond Burr as Ironside. (These were all projects where the cop's name was the title of the movie.)
In the Mad parody, the police commissioner is Jimmy Hoffa.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think Serpico's first partner may be based on Carroll O'Connor. Maybe it's a reference to a movie he was in that year called Law & Disorder.
And there's a lingering mystery. On the last page, in panel 3, there's a guy who also appeared almost a year before in Mad's parody of The Heartbreak Kid (on page 6, in panel 5). I still have no idea who he is.
In the Cracked parody, there are a few more cameos on the last page: John Wayne, then Richard Widmark and Steve McQueen in panel 3, then Raymond Burr at the end.
In the Sick parody, the police commissioner is Jimmy Cagney. Also, Peter Lorre pops up on the last page.
Following up on Mr. Ekman's notes on the Cracked parody, John Wayne is presumably Brannigan, Richard Widmark is Madigan, Steve McQueen as Bullit, and Raymond Burr as Ironside. (These were all projects where the cop's name was the title of the movie.)
ReplyDeleteOr title of the TV show in the case of Ironside.
Delete