A Question of Honor on AllMovie

The made-for-TV A Question of Honor was based on Point Blank, a novel by former cop Sonny Grosso and Philip Rosenberg. Ben Gazzara plays Joe DeFalco, a 15-year veteran of the NYPD who'd like to end his career in a blaze of glory. This leads him to act upon a tip intended for another officer, which will enable him to arrest a notorious dope dealer named Danzie (Paul Sorvino). Unbeknownst to DeFalco, Danzie is working hand-in-glove with the Feds in an effort to weed out crooked cops. Before he can absorb what's happening, DeFalco is being blackmailed to do Danzie's "dirty work." This is a tale of misguided ambition: DeFalco's lust for fame and fortune, and the Feds' overzealous desire to uncover police corruption-which, at least according to the events depicted herein, has the effect of forcing honest cops into dishonesty. Both the novel and the film were based on an actual incident, which culminated in the 1972 suicide of DeFalco's real-life counterpart. A Question of Honor debuted on April 28, 1982.