Accused murderer Frankie Steele walks free, thanks to the efforts of San Francisco defense lawyer Joe Ricco. Then a pair of cop killings strikes the city. All signs point to the newly released Steele as the perpetrator. Has Ricco sprung a killer? Dean Martin keeps his affable ease but abandons his hipster Matt Helm-series swagger to portray Ricco in his final leading-role film, a whodunit mystery set in the city that also was the gritty center of action for the era’s Bullitt and Dirty Harry. Convinced that Steele isn’t behind the murders, Ricco launches an inquiry and runs up against a police lieutenant assigned to birddog him, evidence planted by a racist cop and several assassination attempts on Ricco himself. As the mystery deepens, so does the danger. And behind it all is someone the attorney never suspected. The pre-Laverne & Shirley Cindy Williams plays Ricco’s office assistant.
Acting
Martin's surprisingly restrained final leading performance.
Cinematography
Fog-soaked San Francisco locations rival Bullitt's energy.
Direction
Bogart balances cozy TV mystery with racial politics.
Director
Paul Bogart
Dean Martin
Joe Ricco
Eugene Roche
George Cronyn
Thalmus Rasulala
Frankie Steele
Denise Nicholas
Irene Mapes
Cindy Williams
Jamison
Geraldine Brooks
Katherine Fremont
Philip Michael Thomas
Purvis Mapes (as Philip Thomas)
George Tyne
Lt. Barrett
Robert Sampson
Justin
Michael Gregory
Tanner
Joseph Hacker
Markham
Frank Puglia
Uncle Enzo
Rose Gregorio
Angela
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Dean Martin's final leading role in a theatrical film—he pivoted to roasts and Vegas residencies immediately after.
Released between Bullitt (1968) and the Dirty Harry sequels, it attempts the same San Francisco noir but with a Black protagonist falsely accused—rare for the era.
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