Sharky's Machine is a 1981 action thriller film directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, based on the 1978 novel by William Diehl (who later brought us Primal Fear). The movie features several accomplished character actors, such as Vittorio Gassman, Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Henry Silva, Bernie Casey, Rachel Ward, and others.
Demoted to the vice squad of the Atlanta Police Department after a drug bust gone awry, Sergeant Tom Sharky (Reynolds) and his new "machine" of supercops discover a high-end prostitution ring linked to a crime kingpin by the name of Victor (Gassman). One of Victor's escorts, Dominoe (Ward), catches Sharky's eye, and heart, while he has her under surveillance. It turns out that Dominoe is in the midst of an affair with a corrupt gubernatorial candidate, which Victor objects to. Dominoe is seemingly killed by Victor's hitman brother, Billy Score (Silva), but all is not what it seems...
This film provides examples of:
- Creator Cameo: William Diehl, the writer of the original novel, appears early on as a pimp.
- Fingore: Sharky loses two of his fingers during the torture scene on the boat.
- Sleazy Politician: Hodgkins, who cheats on his wife with Dominoe and uses campaign funds to provide her with goods. Victor isn't entirely pleased with this.
