Eden Landing (James Garner) is the sheriff of a small California coast town. A dead woman is found on the beach. It's first believed her Doberman killed her but Eden finds out she was murdered, was pregnant and also a lesbian! As he tries to find out who did it someone is blocking him at every turn...and people are getting killed.
A very strange murder mystery. It was the last film shot on the old lots of MGM before they were sold and torn down. The architecture looks like the 1940s but the story is very 1970s. The attempts at humor in this fall flat and the story is needlessly convoluted. It looks--and feels--like a made for TV movie. But the mystery itself is interesting and it's worth seeing for the acting alone. Garner and Halbrook are good and the supporting cast is full of old MGM stars who seem to be having the time of their lives. Especially good were Peter Lawford and June Allyson. Katharine Ross (a good actress) is given a nothing role and sadly can't do anything with it. And wait'll you see the bathroom of the victim. Talk about 70s!
MINOR SPOILERS!!! Unfortunately there are some pretty negative things to deal with in this too. There's tons of sexism (especially in how Ross is treated) and some truly sickening homophobia. Sample line: "Isn't a pregnant lesbian a contradiction in terms?" I realize this was OK in 1972 but it comes across as pretty sick today.
Still it's worth a look for the cast alone. I give it a 7.
A very strange murder mystery. It was the last film shot on the old lots of MGM before they were sold and torn down. The architecture looks like the 1940s but the story is very 1970s. The attempts at humor in this fall flat and the story is needlessly convoluted. It looks--and feels--like a made for TV movie. But the mystery itself is interesting and it's worth seeing for the acting alone. Garner and Halbrook are good and the supporting cast is full of old MGM stars who seem to be having the time of their lives. Especially good were Peter Lawford and June Allyson. Katharine Ross (a good actress) is given a nothing role and sadly can't do anything with it. And wait'll you see the bathroom of the victim. Talk about 70s!
MINOR SPOILERS!!! Unfortunately there are some pretty negative things to deal with in this too. There's tons of sexism (especially in how Ross is treated) and some truly sickening homophobia. Sample line: "Isn't a pregnant lesbian a contradiction in terms?" I realize this was OK in 1972 but it comes across as pretty sick today.
Still it's worth a look for the cast alone. I give it a 7.