Cannon (TV Series) He Who Digs a Grave (1973) User Reviews

Top-heavy with stars...and available on DVD

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 13 April 2017]

This is a two-part episode of "Cannon" and it is also unusual because of the number of big-name stars on hand...such as Anne Baxter, David Janssen, Murray Hamilton, Tim O'Connor and Barry Sullivan.

When the film begins, a woman and her lover are murdered. The hellish small town is like those you often see in shows like "Mannix", "Cannon" and "Quincy"....filled with prejudices and hatred towards outsiders. And, since the dead woman's husband (Janssen) is not from the town, they are quick to arrest him and assume he's guilty. Cannon has a seriously difficult time due to this, as he's an outsider who's come to town to try to help the outsider...and the local sheriff (Sullivan) seems willing to do ANYTHING to destroy Cannon's investigation...as are most of the townsfolk. The only one who seems reasonable is the mayor (Baxter)...but who knows...perhaps she's just as corrupt and awful as the rest of them.

This is a very good movie-like episode. My only complaint is that it has LOTS of twists...perhaps one or two too many. Still, nice acting and an interesting story involving an evil small town (yes, it is a bit of a cliché, I know) make it worth seeing.

CANNON HITS HIS STRIDE (Fall 1973)

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 29 March 2022]

Stephen Kandel is to be congratulated for writing this two hour episode, perhaps the best episode of the entire series.

Kandel (who passed at age 96 in 2023) was an accomplished tv writer, also having done many scripts for MANNIX and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE at the time. A hero to all of us teens in the day, writing episodes for BATMAN.

When I first saw this episode when it premiered, much publicized by CBS as a two hour special, I would have never guessed the ending. And to this day, the ending is totally unexpected, similar to a COLUMBO episode. A knockout.

This may have jumped the series into the top 5 spot, briefly, as ratings zig zag, but the show finished in the top 10 at end of the season, tied with MARY TYLER MOORE.

Director Richard Donner (SUPERMAN and LETHAL WEAPON) got some fine performances from the cast. Donner, in his early years, directed everything from GILLIGANS ISLAND to PERRY MASON. Here, Cannon heads to northern California, one of those tiny everybody knows everybody towns, to solve the murder of a wealthy young woman (who happens to be pregnant) and about to spill the beans... Guess what happens? Cathy Lee Crosby has a small role as the victim. She's good, as always.

Dynamic cast with Anne Baxter (looking beautiful) as the town mayor, crusty Barry Sullivan as the police chief and David Janssen as Cannon's old war buddy. Definitely an Emmy nominee story back in the day and with a host of red herrings. Not to miss beautiful Lee Purcell, who would return to the series.

A talented young actress. She had just appeared with Janssen in the memorable tv film, HIJACK. Now out on dvd.

Some familiar supporting players; Murray Hamilton, and veteran actor Royal Dano as the town doc, who has a lot to spill. To note, William Conrad was very good friends with both Barry Sullivan (who he worked with at Warner Brothers) and David Janssen (who he worked with on THE FUGITIVE). Anne Baxter is quite good here, appearing on all the top cop shows at the time. She next guested on COLUMBO. There was lots of PR about this episode, and some nice photos are still in circulation of Bill Conrad and Anne Baxter sitting in front of that beautiful white house, where her character lives.

Good bit from Virginia Gregg (DRAGNET) as a reclusive woman with a shotgun! Safe to say this was probably a Warner Brothers reunion, all the folks who worked with William Conrad when he was a producer and director. It's a shame Anne Baxter did not return to the series, much the same as I have said about Beverly Garland from Season Two. The chemistry was there.

Filmed at Grass Valley, California, not too far from Sacramento, about 400 miles north of LA. The 3rd season remastered dvd box set (2012) was cut down by CBS to one box instead of two, same for the following seasons.

It's a mystery as to why the box sets were not released earlier as TV LAND ran the heck out of the show in the 90s when William Conrad passed.

Outstanding whodunit on all levels.

Available on DVD or VHS?

[raw5300 · 24 December 2007]

If anyone has a quality copy of this two-part episode on VHS or, preferably, DVD, would you please contact me? It was filmed in my home town (Grass Valley, CA) and I've been looking for it for years! It was fascinating watching all the well-known celebrities (Anne Baxter, Barry Sullivan, David Janssen, etc.) traipsing around town, as well as a few reliable supporting actors (Royal Dano, Murray Hamilton, Dabbs Greer, etc.) whom I did not know at the time but came to be familiar with over the years. I do not believe this has had an official video release at any time over the years, so I'd be most grateful to anyone who can help me find it. Thanks!

Cannon at one of his best

[searchanddestroy-1 · 23 January 2014]

I now Watch the whole TV series again. I really like that big fat detective,I think he is quite cute, so offbeat, so unusual. Of course, many ofthe épisodes seem like the same. You could not miss that. But eachtime, I really enjoy them. And the fact that we find some guest stars,vets from Hollywood or future greats, is also very exciting. In thisepisode, that actually has a one hundred minutes length, we have AnneBaxter, David Janseen - far from his FUGITIVE character - Royal Dano,Barry Sullivan. And the tale, if not maybe so unusual, provides us somegood moments, such as the out of order elevator scene, when Cannon argues with irony about his overweight, and also the way our favourite detective nails Janssen in the end, in the pure Columbo style - the jacket button trick...

And the surprising last scene, where he kisses Anne Baxter on her lips...

A really delightful episode.