Jack Crawford (character)
Jack Crawford | |
---|---|
Hannibal Lecter character | |
First appearance | Red Dragon |
Created by | Thomas Harris |
Portrayed by | Dennis Farina (Manhunter) Scott Glenn (The Silence of the Lambs) Harvey Keitel (Red Dragon) Laurence Fishburne (Hannibal) |
In-universe information | |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | BSU Agent-in-Charge |
Significant other | Phyllis "Bella" Crawford |
Nationality | American |
Jack Crawford is a fictional character who appears in the Hannibal Lecter series of novels by Thomas Harris, in which Crawford is the Agent-in-Charge of the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI in Quantico, Virginia. He is modeled after John E. Douglas, who held the same position.[1]
Red Dragon
Jack Crawford first appears in the novel Red Dragon, in which he calls upon Will Graham, his former protégé, for assistance in solving the murders being committed by a serial killer dubbed "The Tooth Fairy." Graham, as a profiler, has a reputation for being able to think like the criminals whom he hunts, thus assisting the FBI in a criminal's ultimate apprehension. Graham had retired after being attacked and nearly killed by Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a Baltimore psychiatrist who had previously treated the victim of a murder that Graham was investigating, after Graham intuited that Lecter was the killer he sought. Crawford convinces Graham to come out of retirement to help solve the "Tooth Fairy" murders, and soon they both realize that they would need Lecter's help again. Crawford helps shelter Graham and his family after Lecter sends the killer, Francis Dolarhyde, his old nemesis' address. With Crawford's help, Graham eventually solves the case, but Dolarhyde disfigures him before Graham's wife kills him. Crawford feels responsible for Graham's misfortune, and resents Lecter for the rest of his life.
The Silence of the Lambs
Jack Crawford appears again in the novel
Throughout the novel, Crawford is struggling under a double burden, as he is caring for his terminally ill wife, Bella, at home while leading the investigation into the 'Buffalo Bill' case. Bella dies near the end of the novel.
Hannibal
Crawford appears as a relatively minor character in the book Hannibal. He is portrayed as very sympathetic toward Starling, yet increasingly distant due to failing health and his powerlessness against the corrupt bureaucrats set to destroy her career. Late in the novel, Crawford is forced into leave from the FBI, and soon dies of a heart attack.
Film and television adaptations
The Crawford character appears in the film adaptations of Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs; he does not appear in the adaptation of Hannibal, although a deleted scene explains that he has died. He has been portrayed by four different actors:
- Dennis Farina in Manhunter, the 1986 film adaptation of Red Dragon.
- Scott Glenn in The Silence of the Lambs.
- In the supplemental section on the special edition DVD of The Silence of the Lambs, Scott Glenn revealed that he was given an audio tape by FBI agent John Douglas as a form of research for his character. The tape was an audio recording serial killers Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris had made of themselves raping and torturing a 16-year-old girl as they drove around Los Angeles.[2] Upon questioning Douglas as to his motives for presenting these tapes, Douglas simply said to Glenn, "Now you are part of my world." This experience preyed upon Glenn's mind all throughout filming, and he refused to return to the role in Hannibal because he didn't want to place himself in such a mindset again. To this day, he says that the tapes still cause him anxiety and bad dreams.[3]
- Harvey Keitel in the 2002 adaptation of Red Dragon, which uses the novel's original title.
- Laurence Fishburne in the television adaptation Hannibal.
Hannibal television series storyline
The TV series portrays Crawford as deliberately pushing the limits of Graham's sanity in order to fully exploit his protegé's gift for profiling serial killers. At the end of the first season, he reluctantly arrests Graham after finding evidence that he is responsible for several murders; he is unaware that in actuality Lecter is the true culprit and had framed Graham.[4]
When Graham is exonerated in the second season, Crawford helps him with an elaborate plan to entrap and capture Lecter, which puts Crawford's career in jeopardy when his superiors at the FBI learn of it. In the second season finale, Crawford attempts to arrest Lecter, but Lecter escapes after severely injuring him.[5]
The third season reveals that Crawford survives his injuries, but is forced into retirement from the FBI. At about this time, Crawford's wife, Bella, dies of
Three years later, Crawford asks Graham, who has retired from the FBI, to help catch a serial killer dubbed "The Tooth Fairy" who kills entire families.[9] Along with Graham and Dr. Alana Bloom, Crawford arranges to use Lecter as bait for the killer, Francis Dolarhyde. Following Lecter's subsequent escape, a cut epilogue shows Crawford continuing to hunt for him.[10]
Paul Doro of
References
- ^ Olsen, Ilene (April 23, 2015). "Criminal profiler; John Douglas, recalls career with the FBI". Powell Tribune.
- ^ CrimeLibrary.com. p. 10 Archived 2014-02-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Saxon, Edward, Demme, Jonathan.1991. The Silence of the Lambs. United States: Orion Pictures.
- Savoreaux". Hannibal. Season 1. Episode 13. June 20, 2013. NBC.
- Mizumono". Hannibal. Season 2. Episode 13. May 23, 2014. NBC.
- ^ "Aperitivo". Hannibal. Season 3. Episode 4. June 26, 2015. NBC.
- ^ "Dolce". Hannibal. Season 3. Episode 6. July 9, 2015. NBC.
- ^ "Digestivo". Hannibal. Season 3. Episode 7. July 18, 2015. NBC.
- ^ "The Great Red Dragon". Hannibal. Season 3. Episode 8. July 25, 2015. NBC.
- ^ "The Wrath of the Lamb". Hannibal. Season 3. Episode 13. August 29, 2015. NBC.
- ^ Doro, Paul (March 25, 2013). "Review: Hannibal". Shock Till You Drop. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2013.