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AKA:
Einsame Job, Der (West Germany)
Operation Undercover (UK)
Rapport confidentiel (France)
Rapporto al capo della polizia (Italy)
Limited edition of 1500 copies.
What a revelation this album is! And what a blast!
To watch this 1975 police thriller, one would never guess that a blazing, 60 minute plus soundtrack album could be had from the score heard in the film. But the set of tapes of this score which Elmer Bernstein himself stored held not only a handful of cues that were not used at all but a whole host of cues which were evidenced only by fleeting seconds. Walks down New York streets, visits to various clubs – many of these scenes actually received full three minute plus pieces featuring Elmer Bernstein in a wild, 1970s New York jazz groove. But you'd never know it from the film. Until now, Report to the Commissioner has been primarily remembered for two particularly exciting chase scenes which received blistering Bernstein accompaniment. Regrettably, only mono tapes survived for the score, save for one reel which allowed us to include three exceedingly cool Bernstein pieces in the bonus track section. But great effort was put into all of this and everything sounds fantastic! This is most definitely not one of Elmer Bernstein's sweeping love stories or big sky westerns, but if you'd like to join Elmer for a walk on the wild side, this is truly an outrageous and fun stroll!
This taut, action-loaded drama boasts spellbinding suspense and unsettling notions that stay with you long after it's over. Michael Moriarty stars as a naïve rookie cop whose youthful idealism involves him in an interdepartmental power play leading to the death of another young officer (Susan Blakely), whose extremely deep undercover work has lead to her move-in with a handsome drug czar (Tony King).
In one of the film's two thrilling chase scenes, a legless man on a wheeled platform engages in a high-speed pursuit through New York's pockmarked streets. In the other, cop and criminal fly over the rooftops, marquees and taxi hoods of Times Square; after cornering one another in a Saks Fifth Avenue elevator stalled between floors, they engage in a shocking life-and-death, muzzle-to-muzzle confrontation. Yaphet Kotto is unforgettable as "Crunch" Blackstone.
- Varèse Sarabande
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