Brannigan Soundtrack

Fortunately, John Wayne had two vastly more interesting feature films (Rooster Cogburn and The Shootist) left in him following this disposable, leaden 1975 fish-out-of-water story. Wayne phones in his performance as a Chicago cop, Jim Brannigan, whose hunt for a fugitive in London is mostly an excuse for cross-cultural conflicts and comedy. Richard Attenborough adds local color as a Scotland Yard detective who partners with the Duke, and Judy Geeson plays a lovely, liberated constable who won't brook Brannigan's ingrained sexism. The by-the-numbers script is more pacifying for diehard Wayne fans than exciting to everyone, and the film looks embarrassingly ornamental with its naked display of touristy backdrops. Still, Brannigan is a slick tribute to the staying power of an American icon. --Tom Keogh