Harlan Rook

Harlan Rook is the main antagonist in the 1988 action film The Dead Pool, which is the fifth and final installment of the "Dirty Harry" film series. He is portrayed by actor David Hunt.

Harlan Rook was a psychotic killer who had mental illness of schizophrenia and took on identities and personalities of some celebrities and characters in film. He was in a psychiatric ward at a hospital for only a few days and was let go cause the psychiatrist didn't see any indication Rook was dangerous.

Rook had an obsession with some films, mosty directed by Peter Swann and even visited Peter Swan, giving him a script he wrote and telling Swan that it would be the ultimate "Peter Swan" film ever. Peter found Rook's persistance unnerving and later on had a restraining order against Rook.

This would infuriate Rook as time went by. Rook started to commit some murders cause of a list that Peter Swan started called the "Dead Pool", a list of celebrities that had problems with drugs, some with dangerous work and other things and might not last a year. One of those people on the list was rock star, Johnny Squares. Rook got himself a security jacket and used the alias Ed Butter to get on the set of the films by Peter Swan. One of the films that Peter Swan was filming at a meat locker in San Francisco. The film was called "Hotel Satan" and Johnny Squares was in the film. Johnny, who had drug problems went to his trailer to cool off and then shot up some heroin. Rook goes into the trailer while Johnny is stoned and force opens Johnny's mouth and puts a synthetic heroin into Johnny's mouth and Johnny dies. Rook tears off the "Hotel Satan" movie poster off the wall.

Rook, who had a copy of the "Dead Pool" list, would mail a copy of the list to the police with "R.I.P." next to each victim he killed and a letter was tipped off to reporter, Samantha Walker. Harry's name is on the list of the "Dead pool"

Rook's next victim was a film critic named Molly Fisher, who commented on Peter Swan's film "Hotel Satan" and other of his films on her show. Rook goes to Molly Fisher's home and grabs her, holding her on the couch, taking on Peter Swan's voice and personality and asks her who he is and she does not know and he names the films "Shadows of the Dead", "Hell Without the Devil", and "Night of the Slasher", movies directed by Peter Swan. She thought it was Peter Swan there and Rook asks her what she thinks of his films and she is scared and tells Rook she likes them and he yells "LIAR" and slashes her throat with a knife.

The next victim of Rook's is a television talk show host Rolan Kennard, who just recently on his show talked about movie violence. Rook used a toy remote control car armed with C-4, a plastic explosive and ended up blowing up Kennard in Kannard's vehicle.

Inspector Harry Callahan, who is investigating the "Dead Pool" murders along with his partner, Inspector Al Quan, first suspected Peter Swan the suspect cause of the security jacket left behind at Molly Fsher's place, but found out that Swan was at a party at the time of the murders.

Later on, Peter Swan would be hounded by reporters, including Samantha Walker, asking about the "Dead Pool" ist and tells them to talk to Harry Callahan and he will tell them he is not a suspect. Rook watched that news segment and got pissed off and then on his copy of the "Dead Pool" list, he writes "R.I.P. next to Harry's name cause he decides to kill harry next.

Rook would use his voice as Peter Swan and call Samantha Walker to see about an interview. Rook goes to the TV station and then he kills Samantha's partner and kidnaps her. Harry calls Samantha later on and finds out that she went to interview Peter Swan and calls Swan and Swan tells Harry that he knows nothing about it and realizes it is Rook.

Rook is holding Samantha at a warehouse near the docks and is still being Peter Swan and wants and interview. Harry Callahan arrives and Rook holds Samantha close with a knife and demands Harry throw over his gun and and Samantha hits Rook in the stomach and manages to get to Harry and they both run from Rook, who now has Harry's gun. Rook, shooting at Harry, gets some shots off. Harry gets Samantha to a safe place in a room in the warehouse. Rook chases after Harry to the docks and with the steam flowing out of the stacks, Rook can't see Harry. Harry walks through the smoke with a harpoon gun, the one used on the set of "Hotel Satan", from a scene filmed there. Rook tries to shoot Harry, but is out of bullets. Harry tells Rook "You are out of bullets, and you kow what that means... you're shit out of luck" and harpoons Rook to the side of the boat, killing Rook.