Not Rated | 1h 38min | TV Movie, Crime, Drama, Mystery | 1971
The 1970s was a great decade for American TV shows, particularly action-driven crime dramas featuring private detectives and cops. That decade represented a time of great creative freedom and, when it comes to film and television, brought a certain edginess, or grittiness, to the small screen that hadn’t been seen before.
TV crime dramas, like “Columbo” (1971–2003), “Kojak” (1973–1978), “The Streets of San Francisco”(1972–1977), and “The Rockford Files” (1974–1980), are still popular with both TV aficionados and families who used to gather around the TV for their regular evening shows. A relative turned me on to to a show that I recently checked out, and it caught me completely off guard. Produced as a TV movie that also served as a series pilot was 1971’s “Cannon” (1971–1976).
While most TV series’ featured characters who were within relatively normal ranges in terms of physique, William Conrad, the actor who portrayed the main character of the show, was rotund with a double chin and receding hairline, not the type that you’d expect to be a leading man. This observance is in no way a put-down. Rather, it makes for a fresh approach to building a character that stands out in the crowded field of ‘70s private investigators. Indeed, Cannon often uses his own girthy body as a prop for self-deprecating humor, yet wields it like a formidable weapon when he needs to.
The Pilot
The pilot kicks off with Cannon returning from a two-and-a-half month assignment overseas to his luxurious Los Angeles high-rise. Cannon’s attorney Herb Mayer (Lawrence Pressman) drops in to reconnect with him and deliver stacks of back mail.As Mayer informs him of some high-paying work opportunities (it’s revealed that he’s an “expensive private investigator”), Cannon fixates on one particular letter. It is from a woman named Diana Langston (portrayed by the lovely Vera Miles). She’s the wife of Cannon’s old war buddy, Ken (the briefly seen William Joyce). Unfortunately, Ken has met a foul end and everyone in her small New Mexico town seems to think that she did it.
In order to help Diana clear her name and find out what happened to his friend, Cannon travels to her small town, which is full of lots of bars playing country music, drunken cowboy gamblers, cops on the take, drunken barflies, and did I mention lots of drunks? So, Cannon swaggers into town in his city-slicker suit and immediately runs up against the town’s downhome boys.
But Cannon doesn’t care about that. He’s determined to help Diana get to the bottom of Ken’s murder, along with a basket of fried chicken or two. The chicken-eating scene in a bar is simply delicious.
Meanwhile, the town’s chief lawman, Lt. Kelly Redfield (whose real name is J.D. Cannon, ironically), is a corrupt cop who doesn’t like the cut of Cannon’s jibe. To Redfield, Cannon’s a retired big-city cop (Cannon used to be an LAPD detective), who thinks he’s above the small-town cops.
As Cannon begins to dig deeper into the mystery surrounding the murder, he becomes the target of nefarious forces and almost ends up getting murdered several times. Will his wits and gut instinct prevail in the end?
Watching Conrad’s performance is a real pleasure; he makes even the simplest of things, such as the act of eating chicken, look interesting and realistic as if you were in the room witnessing it.
This TV pilot moves along at a brisk pace, has some oddball characters that elicit guffaws here and there, and features a great plot, with a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming until its dramatic climax.
The “Cannon” pilot is an engrossing and highly entertaining whodunit with some great drama, gritty action sequences, surprisingly enjoyable humor, and a satisfying ending. It’s no wonder the series got picked up later that year.
