They Call It Murder (1971 TV Movie) User Reviews

Good TV Pilot

[boblipton · 6/10 · 30 November 2021]

Jim Hutton, the district attorney of a small county some place in southern California (with some exteriors shot in San Anselmo in Marin County) is confronted with a puzzling murder: a man shot in a pool by two guns -- so it's unclear which one killed the man -- with lots of suspects, no motive, an annoying defense attorney among them, played by Lloyd Bochner, and a growing pile of corpses.

Erle Stanley Gardner started out as a lawyer, but was bored by the practice of law. He started writing in 1921. When he became a full-time writer in 1933, he felt that any year in which he wrote fewer than 1,200,000 words was a bad year, and he used eight or so pen names to avoid flooding the market. That may seem like a lot of books, short stories, radio scripts, travel books, and articles on forensics. In the 1940s, he founded the Court of Last Resort, a forerunner of such organizations as the Innocence Project. He died in 1979, at the age of 80.

He's best remembered for creating Perry Mason, who appeared in more than 80 novels, a dozen movies, and hundreds of episodes of the TV series and succeeding TV movies. This TV movie is from a lesser known series. In an inversion oft he Perry Mason formula, District Attorney Doug Selby, confronted with a puzzling mystery, faces off in court against defense attorney A. B. Carr, This is the only screen version of the characters; doubtless it was intended for a series, but after Raymond Burr, who could believe such a thing. Nonetheless, it has a fine and confusing plot, Ed Asner as a brutish police chief, Leslie Nielson with an Irish accent, and Vic Tayback as an insurance investigator. Very watchable.

Murder and insurance

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 3 October 2020]

In what looks like a pilot for a possible television series Jim Hutton plays the District Attorney in a small southern California county who partners closely with County Sheriff Robert J. Wilkie in the investigation. Hutton is even in on the final shootout.

For Bob Wilkie sad this pilot wasn't picked up. Wilkie played dozens of bad guys in westerns and this would have been a career change for him.

A body is found in the pool where Leslie Nielsen resides with daughter-in-law Jessica Walter. Nielsen is in a wheelchair as a result of an accident where his son was killed several months earlier.

There's an insurance settlement in the offing. But the insurance company PI Vic Tayback smells a rat.

Of course the murder and the accident are linked but you watch the movie to see just how. I guessed the right perpetrator, but not the extent of the con that was being played, A few murders happen before the solution is found.

Also note good performances from JoAnn Pflug as a reporter and Nita Talbot who is an actress worried about keeping up with the younger women coming up in her profession.

There's also Ed Asner who is an obnoxious and bumbling city police chief. His role seemed superfluous to the story.

Might have made a good series.

Crossed wires on this call.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 10 December 2020]

Starting off like "Sunset Boulevard" with a dead body in a swimming pool, this quickly turns into a messy mix of two cases, the other involving insurance fraud, and becomes frustrating to try to keep up with the two plots. Will they somehow tie in together? Clues indicate that they just might, but then it switches gears once again. If you can't follow the story, then just find enjoyment in the huge cast of 70's favorites.

The future Ellery Queen, Jim Hutton, headlines the investigator who has far too many people to talk to, yet somehow they all get a decent amount of screen time. There's Leslie Nielsen as a wheelchair bound millionaire, complete with a silly Irish accident, Jessica Walter as his wife, daughter of the man in the pool, Carmen Matthews as his widow, Joanna Pflug as a hard-boiled reporter, Helen Kleeb as the housekeeper, sharing her secret (and it isn't a Hidden Valley Ranch dip recipe or papa's secret recipe) and most memorably Nita Talbot as an alcoholic actress with a secret.

In minor roles, there's also TVs future Mel, Vic Tayback, and Lou Grant, Ed Asner, unfortunately not appearing together. I did enjoy the wistful music score, some great southern California mountain road footage, particularly a chase over some very curvy roads, and the irreverent style of humor which guides the film's structure. But if this was meant to be a pilot, it needed a stronger introduction, so it's easy to see why this was red lighted.

IMDb should reconsider their 'weighted average' system

[couzijn · 17 February 2008]

All men who watched this movie rewarded it with a median '6', 66% of them reward it above '5', yet according to IMDb men show an 'weighted average' of '4,3'. This implies that IMDb weighs negative opinions MUCH stronger than positive opinions. Without giving ANY explanation for their choice.

All women reward the film with a median '10', 100% of women reward it above '6' and women show an average of 7,1.

Yet IMDb mainly shows a 'user rating' of '4,3'.

This example seriously invalidates the IMDb rating system.

For the intelligent, this situation sends the message that you should NEVER let your choice of film be guided by negative opinions on IMDb. They are seriously distorted, and are highly unlikely to represent your own taste.

There is an audience for every film. Not every film is for every audience. Such is life. It is sheer idiocy to value the opinions of those, for whom the film is clearly NOT intended, MORE than the opinions of audience members who actually LIKE the film.

In sum: IMDb should reconsider their 'weighted average' system. Intelligent IMDb readers are able to make their own considerations - you don't need to do this for them.

They Call It TV Movie

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 27 November 2023]

Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, this was directed by Walter Grauman and written by Sam Roffe, who created Have Gun, Will Travel. The producers - Paisano Productions - had tried to launch a Doug Selby series for six years, while its series Perry Mason was popular. This is the only effort that came of all that hard work.

In the small town of Madison City, Doug Shelby (Jim Hutton) and Sheriff Brandon (Robert J. Wilke) have recently won the election pledging to keep the filth of neighboring Los Angeles out of their city. There's also Chief Larkin (Ed Asner), who loves L. A. and a murder. That's right - a body has been found in the pool at Jane Antrim's (Jessica Walter) home. She that place with her disabled father-in-law Frank (Leslie Neilsen), a man who was put in a wheelchair by an accident. That also killed Jane's husband Brian, who was also Frank's son. For some reason, the insurance won't pay up. And now that body isn't drowned but has been shot twice, with two different bullets, in one entrance wound.

This is very Perry Mason, which makes sense, as Erle Stanley Gardner also created that character. Where his TV show was memorable, this movie, unfortunately, isn't.

Suicide is a very drastic way to avoid being killed

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 23 May 2009]

**SPOILERS** Mind numbing murder drama that has so many side stories that you start to get lost almost as soon as the murder victim ex-convict Morton Rome is found floating at the bottom of the Antrim family swimming pool.

Who killed Morton Rome is what Madison City D.A Doug Shelby wants to know but gets nowhere in interviewing the people at the Antrim home who were there at the time of Rome's murder. That's until private dick Jeff Poland shows up investigating an insurance fraud, of some $500,000.00. This fraud, in Poland's mind, has to do with the tragic car crash death of Brian Antrim. It's Brian's bereaved widow Jane who's the person who's to get the entire cash payment if her husbands death proves to be on the up and up! Something which Jeff Poland, smelling a rat, doesn't think it is. Brian was killed in a car accident that left his dad Frank, a passenger in Brain's car, wheel-chair bound for life and with a very serious drinking problem.

It's Shelby's job to somehow connect all this to Rome's murder that has him stymied all throughout the film by bumbling Keystone Kop and Police Chief of Madison City Otto Larkin. From Chief Larkins unprofessional-ism as a lawman he seems to have been put into the screenplay for nothing more then comic relief. This bumbling buffoon of a lawman gets himself, among other things, handcuffed by the prime suspect in Rome's murder, his partner in crime and also ex-convict Pete Cadriff, who ends up making his escape with the chief's personal, with his name written on it, squad car! Despite the movies utterly confusing storyline the killer of Morton Rome as well as two other persons is very obvious to those of us watching the film from the moment he shows up on the screen. Nevertheless were sidetracked with a number of mindless incidents that involve a far out sanitarium where the therapy has to do with the patients and doctors not speaking to each other.

***SPOILERS***There's also the aging, and sagging, movie sexpot and horror queen Rona Corbin who was a patient at the sanitarium and possibly knows, by him being there a patient himself, who the killer, or killers, of Morton Rome really is. This all, Rona Corbin's observations, leads us and D.A Shelby nowhere in that she's far more interested in her looks, that takes yearly face-lifts to keep up, then who Rome's killer is.

In the end D.A Selby does get his man or woman, or both, but it takes Selby an extra ten or so minutes for him to explain to the audience as well as himself, from the script he's been handed off-screen by the films screenwriter, that actually made the movie even more confusing then it already was!

A movie that needs a 5-minute oration to tell you how it happened....

[billsoccer · 5/10 · 21 September 2020]

... shouldn't be watched! I've never seen anything so convoluted in a verbal summation of a movie. Most of the facts of the case are given to you in this end of the movie summation, which you have no idea how became up with it!!!

Ingenious mystery

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 23 January 2013]

Wow - this one has so many twists and turns it will make your head spin. It's a thickly plotted mystery that requires your full attention, and it is remarkable how well all the pieces of the puzzle fit together at the end. I think the best mysteries are those that seem incredibly complicated before they are solved, but quite simple afterwards; "They Call It Murder" has those qualities. Effective way of "summing up" the case at the end, too - the big screen is divided into two or three smaller screens. Entire cast is competent, with perhaps a slight edge going to Lloyd Bochner as the kind of lawyer that justifies the old joke about "What do you call a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?". Obviously designed as a pilot for a TV series - unfortunately it didn't materialize. *** out of 4.

The D.A. Draws A Circle

[profh-1 · 4/10 · 6 August 2022]

HOW many District Attorneys would go out in the field to do their own investigating? At least "J. L. McCabe" had Jake Styles.

Earl Stanley Gardner flipped his own PERRY MASON format with his "Doug Selby" series of novels. After 6 years of trying to get it made, this pilot was finally made in late 1969-early 1970... but NBC let it sit on the shelf for almost 2 years before finally airing it. I can see why, though.

Like "IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT", I feel this is a murder mystery that goes on too long with too many twists to keep straight. Also, not enough quirkiness and character humor to make a successful "NBC Mystery Movie".

What a FABULOUS cast, so many actors I know and like from so many things. But a dull mystery done without any style at all, and convoluted beyond all belief. I LOVE murder mysteries, but I had a hard time sitting throught this.

I like Jim Hutton, but he was SO much better as the "quirky" ELLERY QUEEN 4 years later! Near the end, he pulls his car over and says to himself, "So THAT's how it was done!" Almost a precursor to Ellery turning to the audience.

Jessica Walters was a beautiful lady, but really got typecast as "INTENSE". She's less so in this. She also starred in a SHORT-lived NBC Mystery Movie series, "AMY PRENTISS", which I suspect also didn't have enough humor.

2 funny things I noticed watching this. I've always liked Nita Talbot, but until today, I somehow never noticed she somewhat resembled Polish actress Ingrid Pitt (but with a very-different accent).

The other... Lloyd Bochner always made a specialty of "SLIMY". If he only had a moustache in this (which he does quite often), he'd have been a DEAD RINGER for actor Warren William, who played the mid-30s "SHYSTER" version of PERRY MASON. Earl Stanley Gardner hated those films, and after 6 of them (4 with William), the last being in 1938, PERRY was not seen again on film until Raymond Burr's series. But I find it VERY interesting that Gardner wrote the book this movie was based on-- "The D. A. Draws A Circle"-- in 1939-- one year after that last PERRY movie. I wonder if the slimy defense attorney in this film played by Bochner may have been INSPIRED by the SHYSTER version of PERRY played by Warren William? It would almost be Gardner's way of getting back at Warner Brothers for their refusing to let him act as consultant on their PERRY movies.

Enjoyable TV thriller/whodunnit; Hutton, Bochner in good form

[adrianovasconcelos · 7/10 · 18 April 2024]

District Attorney Doug Selby (competently played by Jim Hutton) faces a unique murder case involving a dead body in a pool with two bullets in its heart. After some detailed examination and theory debunking as to which of those bullets might have gone in first, it becomes clear that the D. A. is not helped by the blundering Police Chief Otto Larkin, who keeps stupidly disrespecting the very law he is supposed to uphold - it could be a comic relief, but does not quite work - and in time comes under attack himself from a vehicle trying to bump him off a cliffy road.

Standout performance from Lloyd Bochner as lawyer A B Carr, self-effacing but effective in his legal assistance.

Well, all is not bad news: Selby is surrounded by pretty women: the elegant Jessica Walter, who in 1971 also played an evil part in PLAY MISTY FOR ME; Nita Talbot, absolutely gorgeous as a second rate movie star who keeps undergoing rejuvenating surgery; and Jo Ann Pflug, simply to die for.

The explanation as to how all the murders took place struck me as lengthier than necessary, but otherwise I enjoyed it all. 7/10.

Well done period piece

[deconstructionist · 8/10 · 13 February 2006]

This 1971 TV movie appears to have been a pilot for a proposed series based on "Perry Mason" creator Erle Stanley Gardner's much lesser known "Doug Selby D.A." novels. It's a shame this never made it because "They Call It Murder" shows a good bit of promise. Jim Hutton is excellent in the title role as the earnest young D.A. (His son Timothy's resemblance is remarkable) and he was always an underrated actor.

The supporting cast is also strong an notably features Ed Asner as a bumbling and blustering small town chief of police. In this episode the "guest stars" are Jessica Walter (who was intriguingly distant yet seductive) and Leslie Nielsen (was this guy EVER young?) and while it wasn't real difficult to finger the culprits the motive and means were creative yet not so far-fetched as to be beyond the rules of "fair play."

TCIM, of course, appears dated now with a very early 70s look (and outlook)and pacing that is several gears slower than contemporary mystery/suspense. It could be said that the movie drags in places but it could also be argued that that the languid pace adds to the atmosphere. . As with all mysteries it is a formula driven show but it is a well done one. This has more in common with 40s film noir than formula dramas of today such as the L&O faux realism template.

TCIM relies more on plotting and character psychology and less on fist fights and car chases than the typical 60s/70s era shows of this genre did. (Although there is a little of that it appears superfluous and forced; that would be my only complaint.)

I came across this in a $1 bin of overstock DVDs. It's a very low budget DVD that appears to have been transferred from second generation (or worse) tape and has uneven sound and almost no packaging but it's well worth the dollar.

A fine outing by Jim Hutton

[reve-2 · 8/10 · 4 September 2000]

This made for TV movie predates the Jim Hutton version of the Ellery Queen TV series by a few years. However, Hutton obviously used this role as his model for playing Queen in the series. He has a lot of fun with his role as DA and it is contagious. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Hutton as he appeared in virtually every scene as the relentless DA, investigating a murder that soon expands to even more homicides. This film is based on an Erle Stanley Gardner work and contains all of the elements of fine mystery writing which we would expect from Mr. Gardner. A good cast of names and faces familiar to TV watchers serves to keep up the interest and suspense as this excellent mystery unfolds. I would have preferred another actor in the role of the defense attorney played by Lloyd Bochner. But, I admit that I am nit picking here. I simply don't like Mr. Bochner since he plays every single role in exactly the same manner, smug and arrogant. Just once I would like to see him exhibit some semblance of warmth or humor. For me his performance was the only negative in this most enjoyable movie.

I Call it Awesome!

[Coventry · 8/10 · 6 November 2021]

Quite many of these obscure cable-television thrillers from the early 70s are really, really good. "They Call it Murder" is even better than good. As far as yours truly is concerned, this is a downright great thriller with a captivating & puzzling plot, a fantastic ensemble cast, and a mystery climax that would even cause Agatha Christie herself to nod her head with approval. I don't want to reveal too much about the plot, but it starts with a dead body in the pool of a wealthy but eccentric family, and it ends with the utmost twisted and convoluted insurance scams you'll ever witness. The cast this modest little TV-thriller managed to gather is truly impressive, and they are all giving away stellar performances in roles that seem very fitting. Jim Hutton as the persistent DA, Lloyd Bochner as the insufferable upper-class attorney, Ed Asner as the somewhat doofus Chief of Police, Leslie Nielsen as the arrogant patriarch (who talks with a bizarre Irish accent that makes him sound like a Leprechaun), Michael Pataki as the small-time crook, and the stunningly beautiful Jessica Walter as the quiet widow with a dark secret. The latter will always remain one of my favorite actresses thanks to her glorious roles as the psycho in "Play Misty For Me", and Lucille Bluth in "Arrested Development".

exercises the grey-matter

[KDWms · 8/10 · 5 May 2003]

Do we have a misleading system here? I'm talking about this "weighted vote" process. Guess I'll have to read up on that. Other ratings don't often sway me. But I am, at least, curious about opposing viewpoints. So, after I thoroughly enjoyed They Call It Murder, I investigated its low "weighted" evaluation because it's so different from my own. Imagine my astonishment when I saw NO overall bad comments, and more than five times as many positive votes as negative ones. Now that I've further trivialized opinions, here's mine: I highly regard this film; consider that many familiar faces herein perform quite capably; and am thankful for the four-minute concluding summation because the script was too intelligent for me, as is often the case when I try to follow a thoughtful mystery. Henceforth, "weighted" numbers will have even less significance to me; and, perhaps, they shouldn't be too terribly meaningful to you, either.

Well written, well acted mystery which has you guessing!

[opsbooks · 10/10 · 16 October 2005]

Like other reviewers, I really enjoyed this straight down the line mystery movie, though it wasn't until I came to the IMDb page that I discovered where I seen Jim Hutton before - Ellery Queen, of course. He puts in an excellent performance.

Jim plays a DA unlike any you'd find in a movie or series these days. The local police department doesn't seem to have even one detective, just uniformed cops, led by Ed Asner, who are pretty useless. Our DA doesn't sit in his office often; he's out interviewing witnesses and almost getting run off the road.

There's a constant level of suspense all the way through this movie, and I came nowhere near picking the guilty party. The synopsis at the very end is a necessity.

The low rating for this movie may be due to the rather poor quality of the DVD source. But, with such a good script, it didn't seem to matter that much that it seemed to have been filmed on 2-color Technicolor! I'd recommend this movie to anyone interested in a fine mystery.

Rather well done

[Delrvich · 8/10 · 8 May 2021]

It was like an episode of Columbo without already knowing the murderer and Columbo.

Right up my alley!

[tweakgirl · 8/10 · 21 March 2023]

I love "made for tv" movies and old mystery shows. This one has it all. Great cast, brilliant camera angles, typical music for the time and decent script. Where in California was this filmed? The panoramic views are stunning! It's a shame this series never came to fruition.

Regarding the cast, Jim Hutton is pleasant as always. I can't count the number of tv movies Jessica Walters was in. She seemed to always play the villainess. Ed Asner's performance is the usual gruff sheriff. His Lou Grant series is still one of my all time favorites. I believe Jo Ann Pflug was on a game show or two but remember her most from tv movies.

This definitely one of the better pilots for an unrealized tv series.

Very good little mystery with excellent support by Robert Wilke, my favorite actor.

[sfkidjj · 9/10 · 2 July 2000]

A very good mystery. Good plot with my favorite actor, Robert J. Wilke as Sheriff Rex Brandon who should have received more recognition for his acting ability in his career. Jim Hutton was a lot better in this vehicle than his former "Ellery Queen" series. A good surprise ending.

scary

[jacobjohntaylor1 · 9/10 · 9 January 2024]

This is no 5.5. Not at all. It is a 9 out of 10. One very scary movie. Scarier Then A Nightmare on elm street. This is one of the scariest movies I have seen. Not has scary has Psycho. But it is still very scary. It is has great acting. It also has a great story line. This is scarier then Friday the 13th part V. This is scarier then The 2007 remake of Halloween. This is scarier then The silence of the lambs ever could. It is not has scary has Manhunter but still very scary. If this does not scary you not movie will. It not has scary has Red Dragon. But it is scary. Do not watch it alone. You have been warned.

They Had To Call It Something

[cutterccbaxter · 18 February 2024]

Jim Hutton plays a D. A. who wears glasses whenever he drives a car in They Call It Murder. He kinda falls for Jessica Walters. I kept thinking: "Don't do it, Jimbo." I thought he would be better off hooking up with Jo Ann Pflug (I'm glad her last name isn't a Wordle word because I never would figure it out) even though she may not be trustworthy as a member of the mainstream media.

For some reason I keep seeing movies where characters try to get run off the road by the bad guy. Why don't they just stop driving? It's hard to get run off the road if you aren't moving.

I had a sneaking suspicion Leslie Nielsen wasn't going to spend the entire movie in a wheelchair. And I was right!

I was glad the director made the editing decision to use picture within picture during the denouement. It helped to see what the heck Jim Hutton was talking about as he pieced together the crime(s). I would have been totally confused without it. In the end I was only partially confused.