McCloud The Solid Gold Swingers (1970–1977) Online

I won't add much to what have already said the other comment, but I will point out something. We have here Ross Martin in a character which is probably a sort of tribute of this other playing; remember EXPERIMENT IN TERROR, back in 1962, directed by Blake Edwards, starring Glenn Ford and where Martin was also a woman terrorizer and killer, and where he harassed Lee Remick. This was an awesome crime movie and this episode reminds me this movie, because of the Martin's character. That's all I wanted to emphasize on. For the rest, nothing special, the always exciting seventies and urban atmosphere. Directed by Lou Antonio, a TV vet director.

A chance glance at a balcony across the street while Dennis Weaver and Terry Carter are apprehending a burglary suspect and Marshal McCloud sees a dead woman's body across on the terrace. But when Chief Clifford and the rest get there, the body is gone. Not only that there are a whole lot of VIPs in the apartment where its owner US Senator Simon Scott is throwing a little shindig.

There are a few beautiful women there and turns out they are work for Joanna Barnes escort service, a very high end service that currently has curtailed operations somewhat as Barnes is on trial. She's also got a bulldog police sergeant from the DA's squad in Neville Brand who doesn't like Sam McCloud on the premises or anywhere near.

But that body that Weaver saw turns up in Central Park as part of a string of strangulations. They all work for Barnes, only Joanna Pettet manages to elude strangulation. Doing all the killing is Ross Martin who then goes back to the suburbs with his wife and kiddies.

It all ties together in a strange way and there is a method and a reason behind the killings. Also in this are Steve Allen as a talk show host and Denny Miller as a pro football player.

J.D. Cannon as Chief Clifford gets his usual case of ulcers with McCloud maybe a few more than usual. Things got a little too loose in the story line of this episode. But any excuse to see Joanna Pettet whom I consider one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the big and small screen should be taken.

Sam & Joe are corraling a robbery suspect when Sam sees a dead woman on a balcony. He barges into a party and begins questioning the guests when Chief Clifford arrives, because it turns out the apartment belongs to a Senator who doesn't take kindly to police harrassment. And then the body DISAPPEARS. Which absolutely infuriates Clifford... until the next day, when he's all smiles. It seems the Senator has pulled some strings to "help" Sam get back to Taos within a week. To keep Sam out of trouble, Clifford assigns him as a school crossing guard... but we all know by now Sam won't put up with that for long!

Before you know it, we have an entire string of high-priced call-girls all being murdered by what appears to be a maniac serial-killer. But since their former boss is under investigation, and a nasty detective in charge of the case takes such a instant dislike for McCloud, Sam begins to suspect there's more going on than is obvious.

My favorite scene is probably when Clifford, In a reversal of his earlier decision, tells Sam, "In spite of every instinct I've picked up in 22 years on the force, I'm officially assigning you to the case. But if you so much as begin to cause me your usual amount of embarrassment..." "Appreciate your CONFIDENCE, Chief."

I love the fact that, for the remainder of the story, McCloud & Clifford get along fabulously-- especially the moment when they BOTH kick in a door together.

Producer Michael Gleason turns in his 2nd of 4 scripts for the show, and it's more complicated (and confusing) than usual. I'm not even going to try to explain the rest of the plot, since the individual details of this story are more memorable than the whole mystery put together. Among the highlights are Ross Martin ("EXPERIMENT IN TERROR", "THE WILD WILD WEST", "THE RETURN OF CHARLIE CHAN") as a professional hit man with a drug habit who hides what he does from his wife and kids; Neville Brand ("THE UNTOUCHABLES") in his 2nd of 3 appearances on the show, this time as a cop on the take; Steve Allen (creator of "THE TONIGHT SHOW") as a singer; Joanna Pettet (1967's "CASINO ROYALE") as a call girl who Sam struggles to protect; Denny Miller (the remake of "TARZAN THE APE MAN") as a football player who's being blackmailed; and Teri Garr, making her 2nd appearance as a harried police sergeant. Although the name's changed from the previous year, she might as well be playing the same character, since both stories she's been in so far have her repeatedly writing up reports that Sam is too busy to do on his own.

Suffice to say, Sam wraps it up neatly by the end, climaxing in his commandeering a BUS to pursue a taxi-cab.