The New Centurions

The New Centurions, directed by Richard Fleischer and adapted from the debut novel of Joseph Wambaugh, who served 14 years as a real LAPD officer, is a police drama starring George C. Scott as a seasoned officer nearing retirement. The film follows three young police academy graduates through their personal and professional struggles over the years. During filming, Robert Towne, who would soon become famous for Chinatown, was hired for two weeks to write additional scenes for Scott's character, but asked to have his name removed from the credits after seeing the finished film. The film marks William Atherton's film debut. The film holds a 60 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Who it's for: anyone curious about a realistic 1970s police drama based on a novel written by a real officer, with an uncredited contribution from a screenwriter who'd soon become famous. Who it's not for: viewers wanting an optimistic, heroizing police narrative, since the film directly confronts heavy themes like alcoholism, marital collapse, and suicide.