Best Crime Movies of 1976

Lionel Twain invites the world's five greatest detectives to a 'dinner and murder'. Included are a blind butler, a deaf-mute maid, screams, spinning rooms, secret passages, false identities and more plot turns and twists than are decently allowed.

The lone inhabitants of an abandoned police station are under attack by the overwhelming numbers of a seemingly unstoppable street gang.

Cosmo Vittelli, the proprietor of a sleazy, low-rent Hollywood cabaret, has a real affection for the women who strip in his peepshows and the staff who keep up his dingy establishment. He also has a major gambling problem that has gotten him in trouble before. When Cosmo loses big-time at an underground casino run by mobster Mort, he isn't able to pay up. Mort then offers Cosmo the chance to pay back his debt by knocking off a pesky, Mafia-protected bookie.

Charles Dreyfus, who has finally cracked over inspector Clouseau's antics, escapes from a mental institution and launches an elaborate plan to get rid of Clouseau once and for all.

A somewhat daffy book editor on a rail trip from Los Angeles to Chicago thinks that he sees a murdered man thrown from the train. When he can find no one who will believe him, he starts doing some investigating of his own. But all that accomplishes is to get the killer after him.

Spiritualist Blanche Tyler and her taxi driver/unemployed actor boyfriend encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir in California.

Dirty Harry Callahan returns again, this time saddled with a rookie female partner. Together, they must stop a terrorist group consisting of angry Vietnam veterans.

In Philadelphia, a small-time bookie who stole mob money is in hiding and he begs a childhood friend to help him evade the hit-man who's on his trail.

The investigation of two horrific mass murders leads to the capture and trial of the psychotic pseudo-hippie Charles Manson and his "family".

A New York detective investigates a series of murders committed by random New Yorkers who claim that "God told them to."

A Texas Ranger hunts for a hooded serial killer terrorizing the residents of a small town, set in 1946 Arkansas. Loosely based on a true story.

Two rich children devise a way to escape their grandfather and visit their mother. Unfortunately for two hapless safe crackers, they become part of the plan.

A young woman stumbles into a nightmare land of hijacking and humiliation while driving cross-country from California to New York.

The true story of Irish outlaw Daniel Morgan, who is wanted, dead or alive, in Australia during the 1850s.

A dabbler-in-crime and his assistant hire an ex-police reporter to recover some stolen papers.

After his release from prison, notorious ex-con and moonshine distiller Gator McKlusky moves in with his father in a cabin in the Okefenokee Swamp. His bootlegging plans are cut short, however, when a federal agent tells McKlusky that he will lose custody of his 9-year-old daughter unless he helps bring down local crime lord Bama McCall. McKlusky enlists the help of reporter Aggie Maybank and a few local eccentrics to bring down McCall's empire.

After Rocky gets out of prison, he makes up for lost time by terrorizing some prostitutes. But the women are not going to take it and make it their business to get revenge on him.

Two hoplessly out of their class con-men attempt to pull off the largest bank heist of the l9th century—by gaining the enmity of the most famous bank robber in the world and the affection of a crusading newspaperwoman.

Fact-based story of the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh Jr., son and namesake of the famed pilot, and ensuing trial of accused and convicted killer, Bruno Hauptmann.

Private detective Johnny Wadd is hired by Jean Osborne to investigate the murder of her brother Tom. Johnny soon discovers that the culprit is a woman calling herself the Black Widow who operates an underground S & M club. Infiltrating the club, Johnny sets a trap for the evil dominatrix just in time for the police to arrive.

Harry "Frosty" Knight, an New York City private eye who must find a missing young man -- heir to a fortune left by his father -- but soon finds himself framed for murder.

Financier persuades his mistress to marry a rich industrialist for his money, then discovers that he and the new wife are to be murdered by her new husband.

A young woman with a long rap sheet who steals cars for a living is befriended by a public defender who tries to steer her straight. But her goal is to steal and subsequently sell enough cars (sometimes the same car more than once) to buy a new Ferrari.

Two UCLA coeds have engine trouble in small Southern town. When they spurn the local sheriff's advances he arranges for them to be taken to the women's prison on trivial charges (the judge is a cousin), where they must endure atrocities at the hands of the administrators of the prison and the prison guards.

A kid from the neighborhood goes to work for the Mafia as a collector.

An electronics genius, who is an ex-con, and four of his lady friends devise a plot to steal millions of dollars from the Chicago Transit Authority. A detective, who had been keeping tabs on him since he got out of prison, suspects that he is up to something and tries to catch him at it.

Mayhem starts when a gang of bikers is accused of a sadistic rape in a small town.

A young country-star wannabe takes off from her carhop career to join with a young, modern Billy the Kid wannabe for an adventure in theft, murder and mayhem.

After a terrorist attack against a train, the police arrest the young laborer Stefano Baldini, member of a group of militant leftists. Entrusted for interrogation to Sergeant Pendicò and special agents Lorusso and Spasiani, Stefano dies, after four days, in unclear circumstances. Doubting the official version of the police, the second time in which a young person died in custody, journalist Cristina Visconti tries, with the aid of the sister of Stefano, to discover the truth. They rub up against a conspiracy of silence that encircles the acts of Pendicò and his associates. Frustrated beyond reason, Cristina tries a desperate ploy: publishing a story without evidence in the newspaper, accusing the three agents of having caused the death of Stefano with their blows. Cristina is put on trial for defamation. Can she avoid going to jail and also reveal the facts surrounding Stefano's death?

A gang of young and ruthless bikers terrorizes the streets of Rome for no other reason than kicks and to kill their copious amounts of spare time. They purposelessly gang-rape random girls, beat up pedestrians, deal hard drugs, organize illegal street races, menace witnesses, murder city employees and commit violent heists even though they don't need any money as they're all the offspring of rich & eminent citizens. The tough police inspector De Gregori rapidly becomes very frustrated because each time he arrests the arrogant gang leader Stefano, his daddy's attorneys arrange a release warrant the exact same day. But when the gang's aggressions gradually become viler and De Gregori's own wife becomes the target of an assault, he decides to enforce the law slightly more drastic.

Several episodes of the 1966 TV series "The Green Hornet" edited together and released as a feature.

An ex-con man and his five trained Dobermans help a Treasury Dept. agent stop a racketeer and his gang.

Craig Alexander, a con-man "psychic" on the carnival circuit receives the opportunity to pilfer some legendary rubies in Kenya. His luck holds and he winds up the sole beneficiary of the ill-gotten wealth, which he parlays into an astrological broadcasting empire. But once he reaches the top, there's only one direction he can go...

In a small town in California, the quiet citizens find their lives disrupted by boisterous, lawless oil-field workers who have infested their community. One resident, Ben Arnold, enlists his brother Aaron, a Vietnam veteran, to assemble a group of men to restore law and order to the town. Though Aaron's crew succeeds, the newfound power goes to some of their heads, and Aaron and Ben must again reclaim the town for the citizens.

A trio of thugs go on a kidnapping rampage, first with a busty hitchhiker and then with a family of four--including two horny daughters.

Haunted by visions from his abusive childhood, Montana deputy sheriff Lou Ford gradually exhibits the signs of a homicidal schizophrenic.

Fearful that their star witness might be murdered, two attorneys hire a protector to bring him from Los Angeles to New York. Jesse Crowder (Fred Williamson) is a no-nonsense tough guy. He buddies up with the witness, an accountant, and they hit the road. Outwitting their foes means taking all manner of conveyance, including automobile, train, and airplane.

The Taking of Christina is based on a true story. A short time before her wedding day, a young woman is kidnapped and taken by her captors. As the days pass, she convinces them that she really cares for them.

A young drifter and small-town waitress witness a corrupt sheriff murder his own deputy. Framed for the murder and pursued by the sheriff, they run for their life to try and stay alive.

A troupe of former circus performers plot to steel a valuable artifact from an embassy in Washington, DC.

Warhawk Tanzania plays Luke Curtis who along with his friend Rodan (Wilfredo Roldan) takes a break from the city streets to train in kung fu in China. Whilst there, Rodan steals an ancient amulet which prevents an evil spirit from leaving his tomb. The evil spirit, now free, possesses somebody and follows the pair back to New York City, where it lurks in the subways killing and mutilating its victims. Can kung fu master Luke Curtis right Rodan's wrong and put a stop to the killings?

A wife who has been sexually compromised by her husband forms a women's group to take revenge on men.

A woman living in a boarding house is kidnapped by a small-time criminal. Soon others in the gang try to take her away from him so they can get the ransom.

A man dreams that his girlfriend is kidnapped by white slavers; but is it a dream or a premonition?

What is meant to be a pleasure cruise becomes a nightmare as murder follows murder on a small ship. With tension mounting, passengers and the crew turn on each other in a desperate attempt to identify the killer.

A Swiss bank discovers some of its clients are becoming the victim of a brilliant blackmailer. The bank's president contacts David Christopher, a former agent with the U.S. Treasury, to help discover who the blackmailer is and to foil his plot. As Christopher delves into the mystery, he uncovers a complicated web of intrigue, car chases, and shoot-outs that takes all of his wits to unravel.

Cindy Lou Sutters casts a striking redhead she dubs Red Heat to star in her latest movie. After Red Heat catches her boyfriend with another woman, she goes crazy and stabs him to death. Red Heat proceeds to embark on a murderous spree throughout Las Vegas. Sutters recasts the lead for her feature and gets down to the basics of making the movie. Meanwhile, a thief on a motorcycle robs everyone he encounters.

A white cop and a black reporter join forces to investigate apparent vigilante killings in the South African underworld.

Fass Black, an accomplished black man in Los Angeles, is bullied to play another record labels music at his disco club, but continually refuses because it ain't groovy enough.