Fort Apache, the Bronx (1981) on Netflix
Murphy and Corelli police the South Bronx from the 41st Precinct, a station the officers call Fort Apache. Murphy's life brightens when he meets Isabella, a nurse, until a new captain arrives.
- Netflix3.7/5
- IMDb6.7/107,893 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes80%
Trailer
Plot summary
In the South Bronx, the 41st Precinct is known to the officers who work there as Fort Apache, an outpost in territory that feels foreign to them. Murphy, a long-serving NYPD officer, patrols the neighborhood's wrecked buildings and garbage-strewn streets with his partner Corelli, catching pimps and robbers while the precinct waits to be demolished. Most of the officers do not come from the Puerto Rican community around them. Murphy's life improves when he begins seeing Isabella, a nurse. The department appoints a new captain, Connolly, whose arrival threatens the neighborhood's fragile balance, and Murphy and Corelli also have to reckon with fellow officers who are corrupt.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Fort Apache, the Bronx (1981)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Police officer Tom Walker, who had been stationed at the 41st precinct, published the non-fiction book Fort Apache in 1976 and later sued the film's producers and writers for copyright infringement, citing shared details such as the opening murder of a black and a white policeman; he lost in federal district court and on appeal.
- Paul Newman called the New York Post "a garbage can" after it captioned an on-set photo as showing a crew member warding off Hispanic youths protesting the film, which he said actually showed the crew member fending off photographers; the Post then banned him from its pages, even removing his name from TV listings.
- Paul Newman filed a claim against Time-Life, saying it undersold the film's TV rights by selling them to HBO for $1.5 million without offering them to others and underreported foreign receipts by more than $3.75 million; he was owed 15% of the TV rights and 12.5% of the foreign receipts, and the claim was settled out of court.
- Local community groups threatened to sue the producers over how the film depicted their Bronx neighborhood and ethnic minorities, mainly Blacks and Puerto Ricans; the pressure led to script changes and a note added to the title card at the beginning of the film.
