
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.

as Joe Ricco

as George Cronyn

as Frankie Steele

as Irene Mapes

as Jamison

as Katherine Fremont

as Purvis Mapes (as Philip Thomas)

as Officer Hanley

as Lt. Barrett

as Justin

as Tanner

as Markham

as Uncle Enzo

as Sally (as Ella Edwards)

as Angela

as Nino

as Mrs. Callahan

as Arkansas

as Lt. Harmon Jackson

as Judge

as Doctor

as Officer Riley

as Calvin Mapes