this 1972 film be the first and probably the best of four and vary 1970s movie by the same writer about sensationalistic small town murder solve by the local police chief against the backdrop of quirky town regular and a casual romantic interest . the others be represent ( 1 ) isn not it shock ( alan alda and 1973 ) while and ( 2 ) the girl in the empty grave and ( 3 ) deadly game ( both andy griffith and 1977 ) . here and chief abel marsh ( james garner ) return from a los angeles vacation to read in the paper about a local woman death while he be away . she be find dead at the beach and with her pet doberman murphy beside her and it bite mark on her arm . marsh find some suspicious sign at her house and learn that dobermans strike for the neck and not the arm . so he have the woman body exhume and autopsied . he discover that she be drown in fresh water but dump in the sea . he also learn that she be pregnant . her ex husband ( peter lawford ) tell marsh that she end the marriage because she be in love with a woman . although the killer strip the victim house of evidence and marsh find in some litter on the floor a photograph of an unidentified nude couple run toward the beach and away from the camera . he take in murphy . he also start a romance with katharine ross and who play the assistant to veterinarian hal holbrook and husband of june allyson . marsh arrives at the victim house to meet lawford . marsh find the house in flame and lawford unconscious inside and before be slug . there be a nice scene a marsh use the phone in the house ( his car tire and radio cord be slash ) to call for a fire truck and ambulance and only to have to sit outside and watch the house burn down and lawford die and because the assailant and who take off in lawford car and block with the car the one way tunnel between the town and the house and delay the reinforcement . further deduction lead marsh to a suspect and who drug and elude him in an implausible scene ( why would marsh take the bundle from the suspect and tie up his arm and instead of hand it off to the owner and who be stand right there . ) . marsh pursue the suspect and get close to the killer and with limited help from the bungle county police and apparently little or none from his own men . his relationship and such a it be and with ross and fall apart due to his work on the case and at least for now . unlike alda and garner be credible a a police chief . he use a gun and break up a bar fight and and comports himself with authority . unlike griffith and garner play the role straight . the support cast be good and even if not as well use a alda . there be more plotting and detective work in garner than the others . it strike a good balance between serious and light element than the dreary alda or silly griffith version . garner have pleasant music and some good use of location . but problem spoil full enjoyment of the movie . the plot depend on marsh not be able to distinguish a 30 year old woman from a 55 year old woman . why do the careful culprit leave the crucial photo behind . and there be no explanation for how the case could have initially be so badly mishandle ( mistake cause of death for bite mark and instead of drown ) . the director seem to go out of his way to present early scene a unpleasant and loud ( marsh bang incessantly on the police car horn outside the station while a wait room at the vet with countless barking and jump dog while sickly lime green counter trim and wallpaper in the victim house while marsh clumsily knock thing on the floor there ) . garner act so sullen and cynical that he lack his usual charm and energy . marsh catch phrase neat and city folk and and when you know where not to look and that tell you something about where to look and feel overused and phony and not natural . marsh wisecrack about triple bourbon for lunch and gleefully bring a second full pitcher of beer to his table and and always have a bottle handy . nothing be make of this . although likable and attractive actor and the relationship between garner and ross be hasty and unexplained in how it begin and especially end and with excruciate and slow pace scene in which he and do tight lipped slow burn and and she and inquisitive and confused and take forever to say nothing . line that be suppose to be significant be incomprehensible ( suspect tell marsh and youre shrewd and abel and but youre not very smart ) . marsh be too rough with ross and with murphy . there be little depth to the character or relationship . allyson be a mere stick figure plot device and with only a brief glimpse early and a few coarse and bitter line ( she be a bitch . while if youre so smart and you find the car . ) . the victim be leave obscure . marsh deputy play no meaningful role . the run joke of the gung ho county police incompetence be take too far when it cause a death . the plot relies on sensationalism and innuendo rather than clear and satisfying explanation . the killer confession be nearly incoherent ( . there be nothing left of him . nothing of me . i have no choice . ) . the movie seem to exploit homosexuality and threesome a plot gimmick . it can be crude and offensive and a when marsh joke to ross question about why he be still single and i be a faggot . have you see the woman in this town . while ross remark and i guess dyke do not use the pill . while a deputy laugh hysterically when discuss with marsh a young woman who have part of her anatomy bite off by a guy with her in the back seat of a car that hit a bump in the road while marsh mutter in response to lawford new teenage look floosie girlfriend question about whether there be motel in town with vibrator bed in the box and in the box and neat . city folk . while and dirty old townsman quiz marsh about do he get much . on his l. a. vacation .