Magnum remained mildly popular among shooters for many years after its introduction, but did not come to the attention of the general public until 1971, when it was prominently featured in the American feature film Dirty Harry starring Clint Eastwood. In one of the classic lines in cinema, title character "Dirty" Harry Callahan describes his Smith & Wesson Model 29 as "the most powerful handgun in the world". Although the more powerful .454 Casull wildcat cartridge was announced in 1959, the .44 Magnum was the most powerful production cartridge until the 1980s when the first production .454 Casull revolver was produced. The .44 Magnum was also bought and used by the character Travis Bickle in the 1976 film Taxi Driver during his assault on a brothel. The Taxi Driver soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann also features a song titled "The .44 Magnum is a Monster". Demand for the Model 29 increased so much that they were selling for up to three times suggested retail price. When the Model 29 could not be obtained, customers sought other handguns chambered in this caliber, such as the Ruger Redhawk. See also 10 mm caliber .357 Magnum, the first "magnum" cartridge and the immediate predecessor of the .44 Magnum .41 Remington Magnum, developed as an intermediate between the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum .445 SuperMag .44 AutoMag LAR Grizzly Win Mag Table of handgun and rifle cartridges References External links Ballistics By The Inch .44 Magnum results .44 Magnum firearms Magnum pistol cartridges Pistol and rifle cartridges Remington Arms cartridges Smith & Wesson cartridges Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1955