Sharky’s Machine (1981) is an American neo-noir crime thriller directed by Burt Reynolds, who also stars as Atlanta police sergeant Tom Sharky. After a botched narcotics operation, Sharky is moved to the vice squad, where he uncovers a high-class prostitution ring connected to political power, organised crime and murder. The film is based on William Diehl’s 1978 novel and has a harder, darker tone than many of Reynolds’ better-known roles from the same period. With Rachel Ward, Vittorio Gassman, Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Bernie Casey and Henry Silva in the cast, Sharky’s Machine mixes police procedural, surveillance thriller, violent action and romantic obsession into one of Reynolds’ most distinctive directorial efforts.
Sharky’s Machine is closely tied to Atlanta, and the city is not just a background but a major part of the film’s identity. The production was filmed in and around Atlanta, using the city’s streets, hotels, stadiums and modern downtown architecture to give the story a recognisable urban setting. The Westin Peachtree Plaza is the film’s most famous location, used for the high-rise material connected to Dominoe’s apartment and the climactic fall, one of the most remembered stunt moments in the film. Other Atlanta locations connected to the production include Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and real downtown streets, giving the film a strong local texture. The result is a crime film that captures Atlanta during a period when the city was becoming increasingly visible on screen, with glass towers, traffic corridors and public spaces forming the backdrop for Sharky’s investigation into corruption, vice and violence.
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Hyatt Regency Atlanta has been used in several films, it appears in Sharky’s Machine, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, Keeping Up with the Joneses and Blockers.
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