Stirling Silliphant fashions a compelling portrait of a pigheaded "rugged individualist" in this crime story about an extortionist. Leon Stevens, a one-note actor portrays the Trumpian jerk who is a wealthy success living on Sutton Place on the East Side who refuses McIntire's repeated requests to help catch the extortionist who is holding Leon and his ritzy neighbors for $250,000 or else, announced by exploding a hand grenade on Leon's doorstep.
The drama here centers on widower Leon's relationship with his young son, played well by a familiar face Peter Votrian (a prolific child actor who like Leon only had a minor, forgettable career in films & TV). Peter knows his dad is on the wrong track,but nothing and nobody can ever change his mind.
Easily stealing the show is Peter Falk as the unidentified extortionist, a loose cannon who cannot even be identified by a Mafioso type big shto Leon enlists to "put a hit on him". Ultimately McIntire outwits Falk and Franciscus, in a smaller role than usual, kills the sniper rifleman Falk has assigned to kill kid Votrian. The location photography and well-paced direction by Stuart ("Cool Hand Luke") Rosenberg make for suspense, but Silliphant cops out with a forced happy ending that doesn't ring true, especially as it lets Leon's character off the hook.