Pendulum

1969 "A motion picture with the hard edge of today!"
6.2| 1h42m| R| en| More Info
Released: 20 March 1969 Released
Producted By: Columbia Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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On the evening of his decoration for bringing a murderer to justice, Washington DC Police Captain Frank Matthews' wife, and her lover are murdered in bed. Jailed as the prime suspect, with the aforementioned murderer released on a technicality Matthews escapes in search of the man he believes to be the real killer.

Genre

Drama, Crime

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Director

George Schaefer

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures

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Pendulum Audience Reviews

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.
Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined
SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction
Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
rodrig58 Many very good actors in this production: Richard Kiley, Charles McGraw, Madeleine Sherwood, Robert F. Lyons, Frank Marth, Dana Elcar. Now, about the beautiful lead lady, Jean Seberg. She does not appear throughout the whole movie because she has to be killed halfway. She's OK in her role but, I think, Madeleine Sherwood, which appears even less, is better. Concerning Mr.George Peppard, he's very good, he has a great personality, very convincing, like in any other film I've seen him("Breakfast at Tiffany's", "Operation Crossbow", "The Blue Max", etc.). In conclusion, exceptionally played, carefully directed, with the exception of two things: the final scene, when Capt. Frank Matthews (Peppard) struggles with Paul Martin Sanderson, the real killer (Robert F. Lyons), assisted by the murderer's mother, Mrs. Eileen Sanderson (Madeleine Sherwood), is not at all credible or even exaggerated if not ridiculous. And, intelligent as Peppard's character, a much-experienced policeman, would have gone right after he learned of the murder to catch the killer. But, that's how the scenario is, the scene had to be left for the final.
Johnboy1221 This movie is incredibly underrated. The performances are all top notch, from Peppard and Seberg down to the smallest role, though Seberg's part is short. In my opinion, Madeleine Sherwood and Robert F. Lyons deserved Oscar nominations for their performances. They were flawless and mesmerizing as the white trash woman and her psycho son. I couldn't take my eyes off them when they were on screen. I so wish the movie was available on DVD! This film should have made a star of Robert F. Lyons. I have no idea why it didn't. It's well-written and believable, nicely directed. Someone please put this out on DVD! I want to watch this again and again.
dbdumonteil BIG SPOILER When the movie was released ,many people were disappointed because they did not expect Jean Seberg to disappear after 38 minutes ,a la Janet Leigh in "psycho" .You can also feel Hitchcock's influence in the bad son/alcoholic mother relationship which provides the low point of the movie though:it's a pity it's so underwritten because it could have taken the movie to another level.All in all,the movie holds up rather well today after 40 years but at the time it had to fight with blockbusters such as "Bullitt" and it lost.It's probably not a great thriller,but it's for sure an entertaining one.Good support by Madeleine Sherwood.
herbqedi Peppard is ideally cast as inflexibly hard-nosed cop who gets sucked through the looking-glass when indicted for his cheating wife's murder. Charles McGraw and Richard Kiley are both magnificent in the key supporting roles. Dana Elcar and Isabel Sanford also add poignantly amusing support. Director George Schaeffer's pacing and choice of score is perfect for the genre. And, many of the key ironies are even more appropriate today than when the film was made. Very highly recommended.