New York private eye Shamus McCoy likes girls, drink and gambling, but by the look of his flat business can't be too hot. So an offer of $10,000 to finds some diamonds stolen in a daring raid with a flame-thrower is too good to miss. His investigations soon get pretty complicated and rather too dangerous. At least along the way he does get to meet Alexis.
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Reviews
I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
Memorable, crazy movie
Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
It's a shame that "Shamus" isn't a better film. It has all of the Reynold's trademarks. There are numerous women, including Dyan Cannon, who fall for his irresistible charm. There are some nice critter scenes with his puss cat. The presence of John P. Ryan should have given the movie a terrific villain. Unfortunately, Ryan is totally wasted as a cartoon like character. Reynolds seems to be constantly running from bad guys who have no concept of how to shoot a moving target. The worst offense of "Shamus" however is the plot, which is so murky that it comes across as nothing more than an afterthought to all the car chasing, and pursuit nonsenses. A disappointment for sure. - MERK
I just watched "Shamus" for the first time, ever. I mainly wanted to watch it for two reasons, one being I like early Burt, and also that it was filmed (the Brooklyn scenes) just blocks from where I grew up. I guess that I like early 70's NYC films as well.Truth is, I did make it through the movie, but it's not really that good of a movie. Actually, I pretty much have absolutely no idea what it was about. Something about some stolen diamonds, guns, and shady people but it all just got lost to me. The main fun is watching 70's superstud Burt do his private-eye thing, which is mainly smoking cigarettes, acting cool, throwing around witty one-liners, getting chicks to go to bed with him, and punching guys out. Hey, good enough. What was that plot again? Funny scene in a bookstore where Burt walks in and decides he's gonna sleep with the hot intellectual chick in there, and of course he makes her melt with his ultra-coolness and smooth lines. Burt smooth-talks the gorgeous Dyan Cannon too, who kinda underacts here, like she's half asleep.There are a lot of familiar 70's faces in this. But maybe best of all is Morris The Cat, who I guess earned the role from his rave reviews as 9-Lives spokescat (he was also in the movie "The Long Goodbye"). Morris earns raves as he uses his cool cat skills to, well, be a cool cat when things are happening around him. Morris gets fed a few times and we don't see the brand, 9-Lives definitely missed on some early product placement.But Burt is good, as he participates in a lot of fighting, loving, swearing, and he even drives a huge stolen army vehicle throughout town with no police interference. The movie has an odd ending, maybe Morris should have helped that out. If you can watch Burt do his thing without caring too much about the mixed up plot, "Shamus" is good for a viewing.
The ever-cool Burt Reynolds gives a typically fine and credible performance as Shamus McCoy, a scruffy, but smooth and studly rugged womanizing private detective who's hired by flaky rich guy E.J. Hume (a pleasingly offbeat turn by Ron Weyand) to find a killer and retrieve a fortune in stolen diamonds. During his investigation McCoy makes the acquaintance of the lovely, vivacious Alexis (delightfully played by the gorgeously voluptuous Dyan Cannon) and uncovers a wild plot to sell surplus military weapons on the black market. Adroitly directed by Buzz ("The Hunter") Kulik, with a colorful and compelling, if rather muddled script by Barry Beckerman, a groovy score by Jerry Goldsmith, occasional exciting outbursts of raw rough'n'tumble fisticuffs, gritty, but lush cinematography by Victor J. Kemper, a funky New York City atmosphere, and a few charmingly quirky touches (McCoy sleeps on a pool table with a mattress on it and has a deep-seated dread of large dogs), "Shamus" makes for a hugely enjoyable and often thrilling private eye flick. Popping up in solid supporting parts are Larry Block as funny sports trivia freak informant Springy, Joe Santos as hard-nosed police Lieutenant Promuto, John P. Ryan as crazed fanatical army Colonel Hardcore, and John Glover in his film debut as a pathetic heroin addict. Excellent downbeat ending, too. Granted, we're not talking unjustly overlooked lost classic here, but this baby overall sizes up as a most entertaining vintage 70's Burt Reynolds star action vehicle.
This film brings back good memories for me. It's the first film that I had enough nerve to ask a girl out to when I was a teen. As my first official date, I was soon upstaged by the very rising star power of Burt Reynolds.I think this film must have been planned as a recurring character for Reynolds--sort of a low brow "Saint" or a poor man's James Bond. Like "Remo Williams--The Adventure Begins" it unfortunately ended as soon as it began. Bigger and better things came to Reynolds soon after this release and he apparently sought not to be type cast as an American P.I. with a Scottish variant of the name James.Still, it was a good film, and exciting and action packed by the standards of the day. Reynolds is a cool, believable and likable hero figure who acts like Popeye on spinach in the fight scenes. Cannon is good scenery in the film, but not much more. This isn't her fault-- the script treats her like little more than a prop. The villain in the film is hate worthy, though not formidable, but his "henchmen" provide good conflict for the "I do my own stunts" Reynolds. I give the film a 7 out of 10.