Film / 52 Pick-Up

2 Following

52 Pick-Up is a 1986 neo-noir directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret, Vanity, and John Glover. It was adapted from the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name, and the second adaptation after the very, very loosely connected previous film The Ambassador. Leonard co-wrote the screenplay.

Harry Mitchell (Scheider) has everything: wealth, influence, a beautiful and loving wife, and the respect of his peers. However, he soon finds himself blackmailed by a trio of criminals over an affair which they have footage of. Not wanting to jeopardize his wife Barbara's campaign for city councilwoman, Harry begins striking back at the trio, leading to an escalating chain of violence.

52 Pick-Up contains examples of:

• And Starring: And Clarence Williams III as Bobby Shy.
• Anti-Hero: Harry is a prideful jerk who cheated on his wife for no real reason, and needlessly escalates the conflict out of stubbornness. He's still leagues better than the bad guys.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: While he did cheat on his wife Barbara early on in the film (which does understandably upset her), Harry does eventually get a second chance with her after he makes headway on finding out who the main blackmailer is and Barbara gives some advice to Harry on wanting to pay them just because, along with saving his wife from Bobby (with Barbara in turn saving Harry from Bobby trying to kill him) and the two end up hugging after Harry realised he threw a spanner in the works.
  Harry: "Really fucked up, didn't I?"
  • An earlier example involves Harry congratulating Barbara for being selected as Mark Arveson's choice for councilwoman.
• The Bad Guy Wins: Alan Raimy successful manages to get $52,000 along with the Jaguar E-Type, and he doesn't have to share with anyone after managing to get rid of Leo and Bobby before meeting Harry. Then he turns on the radio...
• Big Bad: Alan Raimy, the leader of the blackmailers.
• Big "NO!":
  • Harry Mitchell, over refusing to go to the police on Jim O'Boyle's advice after Barbara gets abducted.
  • Leo Franks, after seeing his boyfriend get gunned down by Bobby before getting shot as well.
  • Alan Raimy, when he realises that Harry Mitchell has trapped him inside the Jaguar, which goes on to explode.
• Bittersweet Ending: The blackmailers all die, and Harry saves Barbara from Raimy. However, following the climactic finish, the two of them are clearly traumatized, especially Barbara who was forcibly given a dose of heroin before the drop off.
• Borrowed Catchphrase: Harry's parting words to Alan Raimy before he gets blown up: "So long, sport".
• Bury Your Gays: The only two gay characters, Leo and his boyfriend, are murdered by Bobby Shy.
• The Cameo:
  • Several noted porn actors and directors, including Tom Byron, Ron Jeremy and Amber Lynn appear as guests at Doreen's house party.
  • Effects technician Philip Bartko^note of Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, Catch That Kid; and a frequent collaborator with Eric Allard, including on this film appears as a technician talking to Harry about setting up the test of their new compound metal at its testing site.
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Raimy betrays Harry and his accomplices multiple times in a bid to keep the money for himself.
• Cool Car: Harry's Jaguar E-Type, which features prominently in the film.
• Covers Always Lie: While the poster shows Harry Mitchell holding a gun, he never actually uses one besides disarming and interrogating Bobby Shy in the film. Harry even lampshades this when he talks to his jilted wife Barbara:
  Harry: "I never fired that gun. Not once since the day I bought it."
• Drugs Are Bad: While at a hotel, Alan forcibly gives Barbara a dose of heroin that he bought from a salesman nearby a bridge.
• Every Car Is a Pinto: Justified: Harry secretly makes an adjustment on his Jaguar before handing it over to Alan Raimy, who perishes after the car finishes playing "Stars and Stripes Forever".
  Harry: "Hi, Alan. This is the first - and last 10 seconds of the rest of your life."
• Even Evil Has Standards: When talked about the death of Cini, Leo admits to Harry that it was Alan's idea and he didn't want to see her get murdered.
• Evil Pays Better: Raimy was a bus-ed major at Northwestern. "But then I learned better ways to make money."
• Eyepatch of Power: Raimy wears one when he's filming his videos with other adult actors.
• Faux Affably Evil: Raimy is cheerful, snarky, and conversational in a way that drips with sleaze.
• Grease Monkey: Harry is seen working on his Jaguar E-Type two-thirds into the film.
• Groin Attack: Bobby threatens to do this to Alan by pointing a gun at his crotch to make him explain the truth about the deal that Harry made.
• Hidden Depths: Alan Raimy is a Northwestern bus-ed major who uses his knowledge to briefly oversee Harry Mitchell's finance books and expenses while visiting the Ranco Steel building. He also punches in some numbers when he "visits" Barbara and offers a "monthly accounting service".
• Hypocritical Humor: Alan parks his car in the middle of a busy street to throw a plaintive, self-righteous tiff about how he misses the days when the man you were blackmailing had the integrity to follow your terms.
  Alan: Honest to Christ, I don't know what the world is coming to. You honestly tell a guy how it is, and the motherfucker doesn't believe you.
  Driver: Hey asshole, move that wreck!
  Alan: [Flipping the Bird] HAVE A NICE DAY!
• Inelegant Blubbering: Near the end of his conversation with Harry, Leo is reduced to a panicked mess due to Alan and Bobby shutting him out and subsequently offering to testify for Harry over the death of Cini.
  Leo: "...I didn't want the girl dead. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want her dead." (sobs)
• Laughably Evil: Raimy is a vile monster, but gets a lot of funny lines.
  Raimy: This is where the credits would be. Slick Entertainment Incorporated presents: "Tit in the Wringer, or How Harry Mitchell Agreed to Pay One Hundred and Five Thou a Year and Found Happiness."
• Lemony Narrator: Raimy narrates the various blackmail tapes he presents Harry with snarky commentary. He also frequently gets sidetracked with explaining his guerrilla filmmaking techniques to make them entertaining cinematically.
  Raimy: And as the sun sets slowly in the west, we say goodbye to beautiful Palm Springs, oasis of intrigue and extracurricular games of Hide the Salami, and we return to real life.
• Minion with an F in Evil: Despite being alongside Alan and Bobby, Leo struggles over dealing with the death of Cini, going as far as to tell Harry that he didn't want to see her die. On top of that, he let Harry see Doreen, who eventually goes back to her apartment with Harry, who also took and kept a photo of a protesting Leo, and clearly begins to crack when Harry manages to stir the pot with Alan.
• Pool Scene: Harry and Barbara both have separate scenes in their own home swimming pool, although Barbara gets abducted by Raimy in her scene.
• Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Jim points out to Harry that Alan Raimy was arrested twice for rape and convicted. It's also implied that Raimy had his way with Barbara the night before the deal, going as far as to call her "a fine bitch" and that "she still cooks".
• Scary Black Man: Bobby Shy, one of the blackmailers, is a terrifyingly soft-spoken ex-con who will kill anyone with no hesitation. He's also the most prominent black male character.
• Shameful Strip: Bobby rips open Cini's shirt and exposes her before she gets shot to death on video.
• Snuff Film: In-Universe; Raimy films himself shooting Cynthia Frazier to death and framing Harry for it in his videotape that he calls "Tit in the Wringer".
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Alan and his accomplices want to blackmail wealthy industrialist Harry for $105k monthly. When they finally get him to cooperate halfway through, Alan's plan hits a snag when Harry explains he simply can't give them the demanded sum. His money is tied up in investments, stocks, and his company. Rich as he is, he still can't withdraw that amount of money willy nilly without bankrupting himself, and therefore depriving Alan and company of their meal ticket. They end up having to lower it to $5200.
• Very Punchable Man: Harry's opinion of Raimy.
  Raimy: Don't touch me!
  Harry: There's something about your face that makes me want to slap the shit out of it!
• Villainous Breakdown: After Alan turns on the radio in the recently-gifted Jaguar, his smile fades when he hears Harry's voice before the car suddenly locks itself. Alan can be seen panicking as he tries to free himself especially while using the gun, before yelling "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" as the car is about to explode.
• Vorpal Pillow: Bobby Shy uses this method while interrogating Doreen at her place.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Barbara's political campaign as councilwoman loses focus over halfway into the movie and aside from a comment that Arveson drove her home, is never mentioned again.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Raimy calls out Harry early on in the film for cheating on his wife with Cini:
  Raimy: "You don't mind my saying so, but for a guy who was a major in the air force, decorated in Korea and now a successful businessman, you got fucking rocks in your head! Letting yourself get put on film like that. I mean, as you can see, it's just plain fucking dumb."
• Will Talk for a Price: After Harry pays several hundred dollar bills to Doreen, she decides to give a weather hint on the main blackmailer to Harry:
  Doreen: "You own an umbrella?"
  Harry: "Yeah?"
  Doreen: "What kind of weather do you use it in?"
  Harry: "Rainy?"
  Doreen: "Close, baby. Close."