These guys are nasty!
Very well done crime drama, and give credit to the acting, especially Tim O'Connor. He plays Matthews, a tabloid newsman who has gotten a few people angry. Subsequently, its the old stick him in a room with a prostitute routine. Only this time she's dead and so is his career.
Cannon has to match wits with the town locals, and of course these folks play dirty pool. O'Connor, a favorite of Quinn Martin, also appeared on BARNABY JONES ( both good guy/bad guy roles), best remembered as Carson on PEYTON PLACE in the 1960s.
I did take one star off, only because of the similarities to a SEASON 2 episode starring Barry Nelson, playing a newspaper editor who is accused of killing a girl, much younger than him.
Larry Forrester wrote this episode, and was famous. He wrote one of the great WWII movies, TORA, TORA, TORA in 1970. He was also behind such classic shows as HART TO HART and FANTASY ISLAND. Big guy Ramon Bieri plays Captain Stevens and Patricia Smith returns to the series, as Emily. Smith was also known for THE DEBBIE REYNOLDS SHOW and BOB NEWHART.
According to notes, Emily smokes Gauloises French cigarettes, which are considered strong with a combination of tobacco from Syria and Turkey. However, American made Marlborough still rank as the most potent cigarettes. Good trivia question!
Wallace Rooney plays Simmons, who played Bishop Michael in THE EXORCIST. Remember him?
Impossible to miss Barney Phillips, for the hundredth time, playing a desk sergeant (who Cannon plays a neat trick on), and famous bodybuilder Ed Fury (also as a cop), who appeared in many crime shows through the 1970s. Fury lived a long life and passed in 2023 at age 94!
SEASON 5 EPISODE 17 CBS dvd box set. First episode of 1976 and HAPPY NEW YEAR!