Burt Reynolds as Sharky

I wonder why certain great films never seem to show up on tv.  So I was pleased to find

online a new blu-ray release of 'Sharky's Machine' starring Burt Reynolds. It was made

in 1981 and was filmed in and around the City of Atlanta.

In the movie plot Sharky (Burt Reynolds) is demoted to the seedy world of the Vice Squad

after a bust up goes horribly wrong. And in his first case in Vice, his team lead by Charles

Durning, just happen to stumble across a mob murder tied to prostitution and government.

Vittorio Gassman is the mobster that's pulling all the strings in the City, even pocketing a local

politician (Earl Holliman) who is running as Governor, while orchestrating his campaign for

his own ends.

Gassman's top hitman 'The Screaming Assassin' is played brilliantly by actor Henry Silva.

And in the bloody climax of the movie he becomes almost ghost like.

In the Youtube clip above we get one of those quiet moments in the middle of the film. I'm not sure

what they call these quieter segments in the movie industry but my guess is that it allows the cinema

goers in the theatre a chance to get their breath back again. And it's in this top scene that Sharky

is on a stake-out keeping an eye on the beautiful Rachel Ward. And not surprisingly it's a favourite

scene for fans of this movie. It also features that classic Hart & Rogers song 'My Funny Valentine'

as a jazz score.

The film was also Directed by Burt Reynolds.

( Video kindly uploaded to Youtube by Jan Shaw )