They Only Kill Their Masters

They Only Kill Their Masters
Directed by James Goldstone
Written by Lane Slate
Starring James Garner
Katharine Ross
Hal Holbrook
June Allyson
Tom Ewell
Peter Lawford
Music by Perry Botkin, Jr.
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • November 22, 1972 (1972-11-22)
Country United States
Language English
Box office $1,005,000 (US/ Canada rentals)[1]

They Only Kill Their Masters is a 1972 mystery film starring James Garner and Katharine Ross, with a supporting cast featuring Hal Holbrook, June Allyson, Tom Ewell, Peter Lawford, Edmond O'Brien, and Arthur O'Connell. The title refers to Doberman dogs that might have been responsible for a woman's murder currently under investigation by the local police chief (Garner). The film was written by Lane Slate and directed by James Goldstone.[2]

Plot

Abel Marsh is a sarcastic, thick-skinned police chief in a small West Coast seaside town — the fictional Eden Landing, located somewhere between San Francisco and Los Angeles, where everyone knows each other. When one of its citizens is killed under mysterious circumstances many rumors arise, the most notorious of them being that the victim was killed by her own Doberman Pinscher.

The police chief is initially inclined to believe this scenario, but new facts discount this hypothesis. New developments complicate the investigation, especially when crucial evidence starts to disappear. The county sheriff is also trying to take control of the investigation, igniting conflict with Chief Marsh.

Cast

Production notes

The movie was filmed from late July to early September in 1972. It was the last major film shot on MGM's backlot before it was sold. Several former MGM stars accepted supporting roles in the film because it gave them the opportunity to be in the last film shot on the backlot. Other scenes were filmed at the Paradise Cove Pier, Paradise Cove in Malibu. Two years later, when Garner started to film The Rockford Files, his trailer was located at the same place.

There were several TV sequels made to the movie, starring Andy Griffith as Abel Marsh. The first movie was called Deadly Game and was written and directed by Lane Slate,[3] as was the follow-up Girl in the Empty Grave.[4] The character was renamed "Sam Adams" for Adams of Eagle Lake, also written by Slate.[5] The character changed names yet again for the TV movie Winter Kill, becoming "Sam McNeill".[6]

See also

References

  1. "Big Rental Films of 1973", Variety, 9 January 1974, p.60
  2. "They Only Kill Their Masters". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  3. "Deadly Game (1977)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  4. "The Girl in the Empty Grave (1977)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  5. "Adams of Eagle Lake (1975)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  6. "Winter Kill (1974)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
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