Footsteps in the Night

With Footsteps In The Night, Wild Bill Elliott said farewell to the silver screen. And the noted cowboy actor did it with his boots off so to speak.

His last film as Detective Lieutenant Andy Doyle of the LA County Sheriff has him investigating the case of Robert Shayne being murdered in his hotel room following a card game with Douglas Dick. Shayne was known as a miserly sort and he yelled loud and long about parting with a nickel. The quarrel was heard and Dick became a prime suspect immediately.

But when Dick is apprehended his story plus other things that didn't add up convince Elliott to look for alternative theories. What he finds I won't say, but it's astonishingly simple.

No doubt Elliott with these modern detective films was fulfilling a contractual obligation to Allied Artists. I've seen a lot of his work over the past couple of years. At one time he was poised to enter the big time as that other cowboy actor John Wayne did.

Again this is a good police drama. But not like anything else that wasn't being seen on the small screen at this time.