Now Available: 1970s New York City and a Panoply of Homely Mugs

For a brief, shining moment in the early 1970s, Walter Matthau was considered an action hero. Yes, he of the plentiful jowls, caustic demeanor, and perpetual hangdog expression. In “Charley Varrick” (1973), Matthau plays a former stunt pilot who engineers a heist that takes a complicated turn only a spoil-sport could give away. That year also saw Matthau packing heat in “The Laughing Policeman,” and then came “The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3” (1974), in which he also wields a gun. We are, suffice it to say, a long way from Oscar Madison, “The Sunshine Boys,” and “Grumpy Old Men.”Just in time for holiday gift-giving, Kino Lorber has released a 4K restoration of “Pelham,” prompting some regret that it isn’t appearing on bigger screens. Forget Matthau for a moment: Has there been a movie that has so lovingly dedicated itself to a nonstop panoply of homely mugs?Jerry Stiller, Martin Balsam, Keith McMillan, Hector Elizondo, Keith McMillan, Tom Pedi, and sundry bit players — they deserve as much screen acreage as can be allowed. Each actor is invariably shot in closeup and bestowed with nondescript lighting that reinforces their everyman status. Leonardo would’ve loved to draw these craggy, ragtag faces; Bosch, too. “Pelham” is, in fact, a cornucopia of character actors. Fans of 1970s movies and television will repeatedly sit up and exclaim, “Oh, that guy.”Notwithstanding the icy presence of Robert Shaw, just a year away from achieving immortality for his portrayal of Quint in “Jaws,” the movie belongs to Matthau. Truth to tell, he’s in fine comic form here, exemplifying mordant exasperation like a domesticated version of W.C. Fields. Galumphing through the proceedings with a bright yellow tie, Matthau wears his cynicism lightly even as his brusque manner exemplifies the savvy inherent in having a yiddishe kop.Matthau is Lieutenant Zack Garber, a much put upon lieutenant in the New York City Transit Police. In the middle of shepherding a group of Japanese officials through his department’s offices, Garber learns of a situation that’s gumming up the subways. Four men have hijacked a train and have taken hostages. Should the city not pay $1 million in ransom within the hour, Mr. Blue (Shaw) will shoot one passenger for every minute that passes the deadline.Screenwriter Peter Stone, working from the novel by John Godey, underscores the absurdity of the heist by making the hijacker’s plans seem completely creditable. Stone has the various players, particularly Garber and his trusty cohort Rico Patrone (Stiller), crack wise about this attempt to extort the city. But Mr. Blue hasn’t left anything to chance. Talk about precision tinkering: His machinations are a marvel of cinematic logic — that is to say, they make the ridiculous appear utterly feasible.Not a few observers have noted that the real star of “Pelham” is New York City. Those who bemoan the Disneyfication of Manhattan can indulge their nostalgia here, though the streets pictured are less mean or gritty than spectacularly mundane. Local color is provided by the good citizens who are kidnapped by Mr. Blue, a bevy of New Yorkers who both exemplify and transcend their by-the-number racial and ethnic stereotypes. A neat trick, that, and another indication of Stone’s skills as a screenwriter.“Pelham” has been remade twice, once as a television movie and then as a feature film, both versions having been rightfully consigned to the ash heap. The new Blu Ray includes interviews with Mr. Elizondo and composer David Shire, whose soundtrack comes barreling out of the gate as the first frames of the movie unfold. Mr. Shire’s heart-quickening score is altogether of a piece with an entertainment that hasn’t lost an iota of its raffish and winning audacity.

Now Available: 1970s New York City and a Panoply of Homely Mugs

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