Lois Nettleton plays a scared and confused wife. When her husband apparently falls from a cliff and is injured, she runs for help. However, the husband's body isn't there--and no one can find him or even prove he was there in the first place. So she hires Frank Cannon to find him. The problem is, she is talks over the details with him, it's obvious she's not being forthright about her husband. In fact, through the first half of the episode, she was a horrible client and in real life I wonder if any private detective would work with someone like this--a possible weak point in the story. In the end, it turns out that there is a conspiracy afoot--a very elaborate one and one in which the wife is NOT involved--though it sure looks that way. In fact, the real guilty party does a lot to get her convicted of a crime. What the crime is, how Cannon solves this and how a Rich Little-like impressionist is a key to solving the case--all this you'll need to see for yourself in this interesting episode. Worth seeing, though having Nettleton act so guilty at the beginning never really made much sense and should have been re-written.
2 Reviews
WHY DO RICH GUYS FALL OFF CLIFFS??
tcchelsey5 March 2022
An outstanding whodunit, and the perfect cast. Credit Robert Lewin, who also wrote for BARETTA and many episodes for STAR TREK, NEXT GENERATION. He was a veteran of DAN AUGUST, starring Burt Reynolds.
Lois Nettleton, looking guilty from the start, is suspected of pushing her wealthy husband off a cliff, or at least something to do with the crime. She was truly one of the few clients Cannon ever had who you had doubts about. Lois is dynamic in this role.
Did we mention there's 350,000 dollars at stake? Hmmm?
Big, tall and serious Simon Scott, frequently cast on the show, assists Cannon with the mystery and beware of twists... Scott worked with William Conrad for years at Warner Brothers/ABC tv. This story will keep you guessing, and that's the fun part. There's some nice scenery, right up until the victim plunges to his untimely death. Was that an inside joke, or what?
Look for young Kevin Dobson (pre KOJAK) as a hotel guard, also Bert Freed, who could convincingly play cops and sneaky bad guys.
Another appearance by famous bit player Bob Hawks, this time playing a forest ranger. He held the record for appearing in hundreds of tv shows with just about every tv star.
Directed by Robert Douglas, another old friend of Bill Conrad at WB, behind many classic tv shows and a well known actor. He usually played villains, opposite the likes of Errol Flynn and Robert Taylor. He had a memorable supporting role in THE FOUNTAINHEAD (1949), starring Gary Cooper.
Truly a director's director and an actor's actor.
By the way, the hotel Cannon is staying at is the Universal Sheraton in North Hollywood, not too far from Beverly Garland's hotel, who would appear later in the season. Stay tuned.
Recommended for mystery buffs. 10 Stars. SEASON 2 EPISODE 10 CBS/Paramount dvd box set No. 1 of 2. 3 dvds per box, 10 hrs.
Lois Nettleton, looking guilty from the start, is suspected of pushing her wealthy husband off a cliff, or at least something to do with the crime. She was truly one of the few clients Cannon ever had who you had doubts about. Lois is dynamic in this role.
Did we mention there's 350,000 dollars at stake? Hmmm?
Big, tall and serious Simon Scott, frequently cast on the show, assists Cannon with the mystery and beware of twists... Scott worked with William Conrad for years at Warner Brothers/ABC tv. This story will keep you guessing, and that's the fun part. There's some nice scenery, right up until the victim plunges to his untimely death. Was that an inside joke, or what?
Look for young Kevin Dobson (pre KOJAK) as a hotel guard, also Bert Freed, who could convincingly play cops and sneaky bad guys.
Another appearance by famous bit player Bob Hawks, this time playing a forest ranger. He held the record for appearing in hundreds of tv shows with just about every tv star.
Directed by Robert Douglas, another old friend of Bill Conrad at WB, behind many classic tv shows and a well known actor. He usually played villains, opposite the likes of Errol Flynn and Robert Taylor. He had a memorable supporting role in THE FOUNTAINHEAD (1949), starring Gary Cooper.
Truly a director's director and an actor's actor.
By the way, the hotel Cannon is staying at is the Universal Sheraton in North Hollywood, not too far from Beverly Garland's hotel, who would appear later in the season. Stay tuned.
Recommended for mystery buffs. 10 Stars. SEASON 2 EPISODE 10 CBS/Paramount dvd box set No. 1 of 2. 3 dvds per box, 10 hrs.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
