Bullet Points: Hollywood Cop
Amir Shervan directed more than two dozen films in his native Iran before 1979’s Iranian Revolution changed everything and forced Shervan to put his film career on hold. Shervan would eventually migrate to the United States where he would resume his directorial efforts starting with 1987’s Hollywood Cop…
- A Boy and His Goat: After Joe Fresno rips off mob boss Feliciano (James Mitchum, Trackdown) for $6 million dollars, Feliciano has his goons go over to the Fresno ranch and deliver a message to Joe’s wife Rebecca… bring the money to them in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre or she will never see her son Stevie again! The goon then snatch up Stevie while he’s outside with his pet goat. Now despite being told not to involve the police, Rebecca has no choice since he knows nothing about this stolen money or even where her husband Joe has been recently.
- Let’s Talk Turkey: We are introduced to Detective Turquoise of the LAPD (David Goss, She) as he is about to purchase a hot dog from a street vendor but can help but notice a black and white across the street responding to a hostage situation at a motel… When Turk (or Turkey as he is also known) goes over to talk to the officers who were the first to arrive they give him the 411 that there are three men holding a husband and wife hostage in their room and that they have instructions to wait Lt. Maxwell… but Turk ain’t waiting and he convinces the two officers to join him. By the time Turk and the officers get up to the room, the three criminals have fled the scene, but not before raping the woman and forcing her husband to watch. The chase is on and it ends in pretty spectacular fashion when the husband avenges his wife by cutting off the last bad guy standing’s head off with a machete… Turk’s boss, Captain Bonano (Cameron Mitchell, Action U.S.A.) is pissed as police captains often are.
- Enter the Jaguar: We meet Turk’s partner, Jaguar (Lincoln Kilpatrick, Bulletproof) as Turk once again finds himself at his favorite hot dog cart. The vendor tells Turk about Rebecca who just came into town because of her kidnapped son… because why wouldn’t Rebecca confide in a hot dog vendor?! So Turk and Jaguar go talk to Rebecca who was standing nearby and find out she did also go to to the police and how a Lt. Maxwell was the one who took her report, which does not go over well with Turk and Jaguar since they are quite obviously not fans of Maxwell… Turk offers not only to help Rebecca get her son back, but even offers her a place to stay while she’s in Los Angeles… hmmmm, Turk making his first move. Turk, Rebecca and Jaguar go to pay Sampson a visit. Sampson is the cousin of Rebecca’s missing in action husband Joe Fresno. Sampson is also a professional who owns his own bar that features ladies oil wrestling as an attraction… oil wrestling that Jaguar gladly volunteers to participate in. Sampson does end up giving Turk the address where Joe Fresno is staying and it looks like we may be wrapping up this case early!
- Exit the Badge: Turk tracks down Joe Fresno and soon they are setting up a meet for an even exchange… Feliciano’s money for Joe’s son Stevie… but things don’t turn out smoothly. Joe Fresno loses his life (but at least he got to have one last heart to heart with his son and explain why he left him and that he snuck a Christmas present into the house for him and where he hid it), Feliciano’s guys still have Stevie and Turk loses his badge! …Not having a badge isn’t going to stop Turk from helping reunite Rebecca and Stevie, especially since Turk and Rebecca are falling in love… Turk ends up recruiting some bikers to help the cause, he even convinces Lt. Maxwell (Troy Donahue, Double Trouble) to stop being so by the book and join him… Turk’s “crazy enough to work” plan does in fact work… Stevie and Rebecca are reunited and as a bonus we get a car chase, a car flip AND a man on fire! …Hollywood Cop ties up all the loose ends before it is all said and done with one final showdown between Turk and Feliciano followed by the happiest of endings that may have everyone checking their attics and or crawlspaces.
As odd as it is to say, we have the Ayatollah Khomeini to thank for all of Amir Shervan’s contributions to American cinema. If Shervan did not have to leave Iran to continue his movie career, we would have never gotten Hollywood Cop, the much more infamous Samurai Cop and my personal favorite, Young Rebels.
As odd as it is say, Hollywood Cop is a bit more tame and lucid compared to Samurai Cop, Young Rebels and other Shervan movies. That isn’t an indictment on Hollywood Cop, but more about how Shervan “grew” as a filmmaker in the years that followed his first American film.
It is is in no way odd for me to say that I am wrapping up a review with some Bonus Bullet Points…
- First Impressions: Hollywood Cop got off to a good start with the Hollywood Walk of Fame themed opening credits.
- Missed Opportunity: How Cameron Mitchell didn’t get a Tums spokesman gig after Hollywood Cop is beyond me?! The man references Tums multiple times and even said “Every day ends with a Tums festival!”
- Familiar Face: Aldo Ray played Mr. Fong, an associate of Feliciano, who ends up getting strong armed by non-cop Turk into revealing Feliciano’s location and then arrested by cop Jaguar. I remembered Ray from The Glove and the aforementioned Young Rebels.
- Stevie Doolittle: Not only does Stevie have a strong bond with his pet goat, he is also able to sway Feliciano’s mean guard dog to his side… I am confident with his animal communication skills, Stevie would have eventually escaped successfully perhaps with the help of a bear in the woods.
