"Requiem for an Informer" is a very unique episode of "Police Story", though I do think the show was poorly named. The show begins with an armed robbery that results in a dead security guard. Naturally, the police are anxious to find the guys responsible but they have few leads. So, they report to squeezing their informants--trying to get them to dig for information. One of the is a junkie named Stan (Marjoe Gortner). He's been arrested but instead of prosecuting, Detectives Calabrese (Tony Lo Bianco) and Jameson (Don Meredith) realize Stan is a 'small fry'--a relatively harmless small-time drug addict. So, they convince Stan to work for them and contact them with any information he learns about on the streets. Oddly, and this is what makes the show interesting is that Detective Calabrese grows fond of Stan and actually cares about him. Eventually, this relationship results is a great lead on the armed robbers. However, and this gets to the poor title of the show, you KNOW Stan must die by the end of the show since the show uses the word 'requiem' in the title--and a requiem is a mass performed in the memory of the dead! Still, a nice episode--and the first really good on in the series.
3 Reviews
Great episode with great stars
udar5517 March 2009
The star power of the show is displayed right off the bat with this season 1 second episode starring Tony Lo Bianco (who was fresh off THE HONEYMOON KILLERS and THE FRENCH CONNECTION). Det. Tony Calabrese (Lo Bianco) is trying to get info on a bank robbing group lead by a guy nicknamed Baldie. He turns to a small time crook and junkie Stan (Marjoe Gortner) to try and get a feel for the word on the street. Over time, Tony begins to trust and care about Stan. This is a great episode with strong performances by both Lo Bianco and Gortner, but you can pretty much guess where it will end up. Lo Bianco's Calabrese character popped up sporadically over the series first three years. Co-starring Michael Ansara and Sharon Farrell.
Requiem for an Informer
Prismark108 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Detectives Calabrese (Tony Lo Bianco) and Jameson (Don Meredith) are on the hunt of some notorious bank robbers.
The only leads they have is that after a bank job they spend several days with some hookers. One of the gang members is called Baldie but he wears a wig when he is not robbing.
Calabrese gets small time crook and junkie Stan (Marjoe Gortner) to be his informer. It is all part of the good cop/bad cop routine that Calabrese and Jameson have perfected.
Stan does get the important details as he hangs around with hooker Bobbie who has been spending time with Baldy.
The episode turns into a character piece. Calabrese really cares about Stan. Not someone to discard and he hopes that Stan can get off drugs. Calabrese even helps him when Stan overdoses.
It is a different aspect to the cop series, where small time crooks are seen as people by the cops.
It is just a shame that the title of the episode is a spoiler.
The only leads they have is that after a bank job they spend several days with some hookers. One of the gang members is called Baldie but he wears a wig when he is not robbing.
Calabrese gets small time crook and junkie Stan (Marjoe Gortner) to be his informer. It is all part of the good cop/bad cop routine that Calabrese and Jameson have perfected.
Stan does get the important details as he hangs around with hooker Bobbie who has been spending time with Baldy.
The episode turns into a character piece. Calabrese really cares about Stan. Not someone to discard and he hopes that Stan can get off drugs. Calabrese even helps him when Stan overdoses.
It is a different aspect to the cop series, where small time crooks are seen as people by the cops.
It is just a shame that the title of the episode is a spoiler.
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