Cannon investigates an alleged murder-suicide involving rich and powerful families in a small town.Cannon investigates an alleged murder-suicide involving rich and powerful families in a small town.Cannon investigates an alleged murder-suicide involving rich and powerful families in a small town.
Cathy Lee Crosby
- Irene Kirk
- (as Cathy-Lee Crosby)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDavid Janssen, a guest star of this episode previously starred in The Fugitive (1963). William Conrad, who plays the title character, was the narrator on that series. Both were a Quinn Martin production.
- GoofsThe Holbrooke Hotel that Cannon is staying is only 2 floors high. So when Cannon complains to owners about the elevator being out of order and having to walk up and down 4 floors would of course be impossible.
- ConnectionsReferences Paper Moon (1973)
Featured review
CANNON HITS HIS STRIDE (Fall 1973)
Stephen Kandel is to be congratulated for writing this two hour episode, perhaps the best episode of the entire series.
Kandel (who passed at age 96 in 2023) was an accomplished tv writer, also having done many scripts for MANNIX and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE at the time. A hero to all of us teens in the day, writing episodes for BATMAN.
When I first saw this episode when it premiered, much publicized by CBS as a two hour special, I would have never guessed the ending. And to this day, the ending is totally unexpected, similar to a COLUMBO episode. A knockout.
This may have jumped the series into the top 5 spot, briefly, as ratings zig zag, but the show finished in the top 10 at end of the season, tied with MARY TYLER MOORE.
Director Richard Donner (SUPERMAN and LETHAL WEAPON) got some fine performances from the cast. Donner, in his early years, directed everything from GILLIGANS ISLAND to PERRY MASON. Here, Cannon heads to northern California, one of those tiny everybody knows everybody towns, to solve the murder of a wealthy young woman (who happens to be pregnant) and about to spill the beans... Guess what happens? Cathy Lee Crosby has a small role as the victim. She's good, as always.
Dynamic cast with Anne Baxter (looking beautiful) as the town mayor, crusty Barry Sullivan as the police chief and David Janssen as Cannon's old war buddy. Definitely an Emmy nominee story back in the day and with a host of red herrings. Not to miss beautiful Lee Purcell, who would return to the series.
A talented young actress. She had just appeared with Janssen in the memorable tv film, HIJACK. Now out on dvd.
Some familiar supporting players; Murray Hamilton, and veteran actor Royal Dano as the town doc, who has a lot to spill. To note, William Conrad was very good friends with both Barry Sullivan (who he worked with at Warner Brothers) and David Janssen (who he worked with on THE FUGITIVE). Anne Baxter is quite good here, appearing on all the top cop shows at the time. She next guested on COLUMBO. There was lots of PR about this episode, and some nice photos are still in circulation of Bill Conrad and Anne Baxter sitting in front of that beautiful white house, where her character lives.
Good bit from Virginia Gregg (DRAGNET) as a reclusive woman with a shotgun! Safe to say this was probably a Warner Brothers reunion, all the folks who worked with William Conrad when he was a producer and director. It's a shame Anne Baxter did not return to the series, much the same as I have said about Beverly Garland from Season Two. The chemistry was there.
Filmed at Grass Valley, California, not too far from Sacramento, about 400 miles north of LA. The 3rd season remastered dvd box set (2012) was cut down by CBS to one box instead of two, same for the following seasons.
It's a mystery as to why the box sets were not released earlier as TV LAND ran the heck out of the show in the 90s when William Conrad passed.
Outstanding whodunit on all levels.
Kandel (who passed at age 96 in 2023) was an accomplished tv writer, also having done many scripts for MANNIX and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE at the time. A hero to all of us teens in the day, writing episodes for BATMAN.
When I first saw this episode when it premiered, much publicized by CBS as a two hour special, I would have never guessed the ending. And to this day, the ending is totally unexpected, similar to a COLUMBO episode. A knockout.
This may have jumped the series into the top 5 spot, briefly, as ratings zig zag, but the show finished in the top 10 at end of the season, tied with MARY TYLER MOORE.
Director Richard Donner (SUPERMAN and LETHAL WEAPON) got some fine performances from the cast. Donner, in his early years, directed everything from GILLIGANS ISLAND to PERRY MASON. Here, Cannon heads to northern California, one of those tiny everybody knows everybody towns, to solve the murder of a wealthy young woman (who happens to be pregnant) and about to spill the beans... Guess what happens? Cathy Lee Crosby has a small role as the victim. She's good, as always.
Dynamic cast with Anne Baxter (looking beautiful) as the town mayor, crusty Barry Sullivan as the police chief and David Janssen as Cannon's old war buddy. Definitely an Emmy nominee story back in the day and with a host of red herrings. Not to miss beautiful Lee Purcell, who would return to the series.
A talented young actress. She had just appeared with Janssen in the memorable tv film, HIJACK. Now out on dvd.
Some familiar supporting players; Murray Hamilton, and veteran actor Royal Dano as the town doc, who has a lot to spill. To note, William Conrad was very good friends with both Barry Sullivan (who he worked with at Warner Brothers) and David Janssen (who he worked with on THE FUGITIVE). Anne Baxter is quite good here, appearing on all the top cop shows at the time. She next guested on COLUMBO. There was lots of PR about this episode, and some nice photos are still in circulation of Bill Conrad and Anne Baxter sitting in front of that beautiful white house, where her character lives.
Good bit from Virginia Gregg (DRAGNET) as a reclusive woman with a shotgun! Safe to say this was probably a Warner Brothers reunion, all the folks who worked with William Conrad when he was a producer and director. It's a shame Anne Baxter did not return to the series, much the same as I have said about Beverly Garland from Season Two. The chemistry was there.
Filmed at Grass Valley, California, not too far from Sacramento, about 400 miles north of LA. The 3rd season remastered dvd box set (2012) was cut down by CBS to one box instead of two, same for the following seasons.
It's a mystery as to why the box sets were not released earlier as TV LAND ran the heck out of the show in the 90s when William Conrad passed.
Outstanding whodunit on all levels.
helpful•90
- tcchelsey
- Mar 28, 2022
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- Holbrooke Hotel - 212 West Main Street, Grass Valley, California, USA(exteriors and interiors of Holbrooke Hotel)
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