History Film / DirtyHarry

[[caption-width-right:330: Dirty Harry [[SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou is about to shoot you.]]]]

* OffOnATechnicality None of the evidence Harry gets from Scorpio in the first movie can be used, since he used torture getting it. Still, he should have been able to charge him with assault, attempted murder and kidnapping-on himself.

**** The fact that Scorpio has a fresh knife would exactly like the one Harry gave the guy in the balaclava and the same voice would be enough for a conviction.

* ShoutOut (In ''The Dead Pool''p, the chase scene [[spoiler: with the explosive [=RC=] car]], is a shout out to The Chase Scene in ''{{Bullitt}}'').

* BottomlessMagazines: Subverted. If you count how many rounds Harry expends in a scene, you'll notice he almost never shoots over his 6 bullet limit and you almost always see him reload.

* BreastAttack: In Sudden Impact Jennifer Spencer is on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge on a group of people who had raped her and her sister years before. Before she kills them she shoots them in the groin. One woman was involved - she shoots her in the breast.

* ShoutOut (In The Dead Pool, the chase scene [[spoiler: with the explosive [=RC=] car]], is a shout out to The Chase Scene in ''{{Bullitt}}'').

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Andy Robinson plays the gleefully bigoted, murderous psychopath Scorpio. Whereas the vegetarian, liberal pacifist Robinson is a gentle and, by all accounts, sweet-natured guy who'd never even held a gun before this role (for which he had to be coached out of his habit of screwing his eyes shut and flinching whenever he fired it).

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Andy Robinson plays the gleefully bigoted, psychopathic Scorpio in Dirty Harry. Whereas the vegetarian, liberal pacifist Robinson is a gentle and, by all accounts, sweet-natured guy who'd never even held a gun before this role (for which he had to be coached out of his habit of screwing his eyes shut and flinching whenever he fired it).

* GoryDiscretionShot: In ''Dirty Harry'', the [[spoiler:10-year-old's injuries are not shown,]] though Harry is noticeably Squicked about it.
* HandCannon (.44 Magnum, "the most powerful handgun in the world", In ''Sudden Impact'' he uses a .44 [=AutoMag=]) because [[MoreDakka Caliber Size Marches On]].

* TheRedStapler: Sales of Harry's iconic Smith & Wesson Model 29 [[IncrediblyLamePun shot through the roof]] after the movie's release.

* TakeThatCritics: The film critic murdered in ''The Dead Pool'' is based on Pauline Kael, in response to her accusing the first film of promoting "fascism." Something about this woman seems to rub directors the wrong way (probably her habit of [[YouKeepUsingThatWord indiscriminately throwing around the term "fascist"]] to describe things she doesn't like), since she got another TakeThat in ''{{Willow}}''.
* TelevisionGeography: Just try to go to the same places in San Francisco that Scorpio had Harry do for the money drop, in the same order, on foot and under an hour. It's impossible.
** [[FridgeBrilliance Considering that Scorpio said he was going to let the girl die anyway, that was probably his intention]].
* ThrowItIn: Andrew Robinson improvised several lines in the first film, including the "hubba hubba" bit over the telephone and "my, that's a big one" when Harry pulls his gun in the park. The flip that Scorpio does when shot by Harry in the stadium was also Robinson's idea.

* OneSteveLimit: Averted, with Lt. Briggs (''Magnum Force'') and Captain Briggs (''Sudden Impact'') being entirely different characters played by very different actors.

** Presumably goes for Eastwood himself, too, given the actor has a reputation for being a fairly nice guy, whereas Harry is.. Well, Harry.

* OhCrap: in ''Sudden Impact'', when the man that raped Jennifer Spencer and his friends are about to repeat the "experience" when one of them says "Crap". Cue Harry Callahan with a {{BFG}}, ready for the men to make his day.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: Dirty Harry fought obvious stand-ins for the Zodiac Killer (in ''Dirty Harry'') and the Symbionese Liberation Army (in ''The Enforcer''). This is lampshaded in the 2007 movie ''{{Zodiac}}'', where David Toschi, the detective who served as the inspiration for Dirty Harry, sees the movie and has to face the fact that RealLife crimes can't be solved by just shooting someone.

* OneSteveLimit: Averted, with Lt. Briggs (''Magnum Force'') and Captain Briggs (''The Enforcer'') being entirely different characters played by very different actors.

* OnceAnEpisode: Harry will run into someone committing a robbery and stop them.

* RapeAndRevenge: Forms the plot of Sudden Impact.

* RealLifeRelative: ClintEastwood and SnadraLocke (Jennifer Spencer, RapeAndRevenge-driven serial killer of ''Sudden Impact'') were in a domestic partnership at the time of filming ''Sudden Impact''.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: Dirty Harry fought obvious stand-ins for the Zodiac Killer (in ''Dirty Harry'') and the Symbionese Liberation Army (in ''The Enforcer''). This is lampshaded in the 2007 movie ''{{Zodiac}}'', where the detective who served as the inspiration for Dirty Harry sees the movie and has to face the fact that RealLife crimes can't be solved by just shooting someone.

* CaptainErsatz: Lieutenant Briggs in ''Sudden Impact'' is essentially Captain [=McKay=] from ''The Enforcer'' especially given that they're played by the same actor.

* CaptainErsatz: Captain Briggs in ''Sudden Impact'' is essentially Captain [=McKay=] from ''The Enforcer'' especially given that they're played by the same actor.

** Here's a weird one: CorruptCop "Red" Astrachan is named after a variety of apple. Weirder still is that he's not the only guy in an action series to have that distinction, and [[{{Rambo}} he isn't even he the most famous]].

** Here's a weird one: CorruptCop "Red" Astrachan is named after a variety of apple. Weirder still is that [[{{Rambo}} he's not the only guy in an action series to have that distinction]].
* TakeThatCritics: The film critic murdered in ''The Dead Pool'' is based on Pauline Kael, in response to her accusing the first film of promoting "fascism." Something about this woman seems to rub directors the wrong way, since she got another TakeThat in ''{{Willow}}''.

* ''Dirty Harry'' (1971): Callahan tracks down a SerialKiller who goes by the name Scorpio.
* ''Magnum Force'' (1973): Callahan goes up against some [[KnightTemplar renegade cops]] who have formed a death squad.
* ''The Enforcer'' (1976): Callahan and his new female partner go after a terrorist group that has kidnapped the mayor.
* ''Sudden Impact'' (1983): Callahan investigates a series of killings done by a rape victim on her [[RapeAndRevenge quest for revenge]].
* ''The Dead Pool'' (1988): Callahan investigates a series of celebrity deaths who had been predicted to die in a ''dead pool'' racket -- and finds that his own name is on the list.

* OnceAnEpisode Harry will run into someone comitting a robbery and stop them.
* PoliceBrutalityGambit (Pulled by Scorpio in the first movie.)
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Scorpio says he would consider it a pleasure to "kill a catholic priest or a nigger."

** Callahan also resorts to lethal force only in self-defense and when facing extremely dangerous criminals (like psychopathic Scorpio). He is perfectly happy if the criminals end up behind bars instead of six feet under. The first scene when ''do I feel lucky'' speech appears shows this well. Callahan actually taunts the robber to grab the gun, so he might could him in self-defense, but leaves calmly when the robber yields, even though seconds earlier the latter tried to kill and even managed to wound Harry.

* Villainous Breakdown: Scorpio seems to suffer it every time his plans are thwarted, like when he is caught and shot in the leg by Callahan in the stadium.

** According to Wikipedia, the director (Ted Post) would often want to do retakes when Clint was happy with a shot

** Harry did have some valid and very legitimate concerns about their choice of a female partner for him. They were promoting an officer who had never made an arrest to be a detective, and he wasn't sure that someone with zero street experience could cut it as a detective - regardless of gender.

** Which doubles as the IdiotBall for her superiors who assign unexperienced policeman to a MaverickCop whose partners wind up wounded or killed in action and who tends to take the most dangerous cases.

--->Di Georgio: Ah that's one thing about our Harry. Doesn't play any favorites! Harry hates everybody. Limeys, Micks, Hebes, Fat Dagos, Niggers, Honkies, Chinks, you name it.

-->--'''Harry Callahan''', ''Sudden Impact''

* YouNeedABreathMint: Harry tells Captain [=McKay=], after McKay gives Harry a too close dressing down, "Your mouthwash ain't cutting it".

* CallingYourBathroomBreaks: Kate does this drunkenly during a deleted scene in ''TheEnforcer''
* CaptainErsatz: Captain Briggs in ''Sudden Impact'' is essentially Captain McKay from ''The Enforcer'' especially given that they're played by the same actor.

* YouNeedABreathMint: Harry tells Captain McKay, after McKay gives Harry a too close dressing down, "Your mouthwash ain't cutting it".

Not to be confused with DirtyHarriet.

** Callahan also resorts to lethal force only in self-defense and when facing extremely dangerous criminals (like [[CompleteMonster psychopathic Scorpio]]). He is perfectly happy if the criminals end up behind bars instead of six feet under. The first scene when ''do I feel lucky'' speech appears shows this well. Callahan actually taunts the robber to grab the gun, so he might could him in self-defense, but leaves calmly when the robber yields, even though seconds earlier the latter tried to kill and even managed to wound Harry.