Coogan’s Bluff

Deputy Walt Coogan is dispatched from Piute County, Arizona to New York City to extradite escaped killer James Ringerman. NYPD Detective Lieutenant McElroy informs him that Ringerman is recovering from an LSD overdose and will not be released without extradition papers stamped by the New York State Supreme Court. The situation immediately highlights the legal hurdles that complicate a straightforward arrest across state lines.

Coogan flirts with probation officer Julie Roth and takes her out for lunch. The casual moment provides a personal contrast to the looming danger of the case. Their interaction hints at potential complications as the pursuit unfolds.

He goes to the prison hospital and bluff his way into Ringerman's custody, convincing attendants to turn him over. He then sets out to catch a plane back to Arizona with Ringerman. The plan is interrupted when Ringerman's allies intervene and the escape begins.

Ringerman's girlfriend Linny and associate Pushie ambush Coogan, enabling Ringerman to escape with his stolen weapon. Detective McElroy becomes furious and warns Coogan against overstepping the city’s boundaries. The pursuit shifts from a controlled handover to a dangerous manhunt.

Detective McElroy confronts Coogan and warns him not to play policeman in New York. The admonition underscores the tension between street-level instincts and the formal justice system. Coogan remains determined to chase Ringerman despite the risk.

Coogan visits Ringerman's mother and learns Linny's name, a crucial clue linking Ringerman to his girlfriend. This discovery broadens the search beyond Ringerman himself. The home visit ties the case to Ringerman's family connections.

While at Julie Roth's apartment for supper, Coogan learns that Linny is on probation and finds her address in Roth's home files. The new information gives him a concrete lead to Linny and, by extension, Ringerman. The intimate setting amplifies the personal stakes of the pursuit.

Coogan tracks Linny to a nightclub, where she offers to lead him to Ringerman. Instead, she takes him to a pool hall, and he is attacked by Pushie and a dozen men in a bloody fight. He fights back valiantly but is eventually overwhelmed by the odds.

After the fight, sirens approach and the attackers scatter. The beaten Coogan kills Pushie and two others before the police arrive; Detective McElroy later finds the bar in pieces and Coogan's cowboy hat on the floor. The incident intensifies the pursuit and the moral stakes.

Coogan confronts Linny, who guides him to Ringerman hiding at the Cloisters with Coogan's stolen weapon. Ringerman empties the gun trying to shoot Coogan and tosses it before fleeing on a motorcycle. The city’s landmarks become the backdrop for the fugitives' last stand.

Coogan pursues Ringerman through Fort Tryon Park and eventually closes in on the fugitive. The pursuit tests Coogan's endurance and determination as Ringerman attempts to escape by speed and stealth. The chase culminates in Ringerman's capture.

Coogan hands Ringerman over to McElroy, who tells him to go to the DA's office and let the system handle the case. The exchange marks a shift from personal vigilante justice to formal legal processing. Coogan's actions are acknowledged but the system remains in charge.

Some time later, with Ringerman in cuffs, Coogan prepares to leave for the airport via helicopter from the Pan Am building. Julie Roth runs up to deliver a long goodbye kiss, and she waves from the helipad as the helicopter lifts off. The ending frames a personal victory set against the costs of the pursuit.