Review of Pretty Maids All in a Row

I'm not at all sure what tone director Roger Vadim and producer-writer Gene Roddenberry were aiming for here, and I'll bet the actors didn't even know. It's probably your only chance to see John David Carson in action--he was the second choice for 'Keith' on TV's "The Partridge Family"--and the reason why he failed to make the cut is abundantly clear: he's a colorless young actor with one dull expression for every emotion. Carson plays an awkward virgin in high school who gets tips on picking up girls from coach Rock Hudson, all while a serial killer is on the loose. I'll admit the identity of the killer wasn't obvious to me, but the revelation--and the build-up to it--show no sense of intrigue or imagination. This is quite a curiosity: full of talent, but a big fizzle. James Doohan has a small role (nice of Roddenberry to remember his friends), but Angie Dickinson, Telly Savalas, Roddy McDowall and Keenan Wynn are wasted. ** from ****