User Reviews

***SPOILERS*** It's when "Dapper Eddie" Higgins was gunned down at the 42nd street Commando Barber Shop in Midtwon Manhattan that an all out search was conducted by the NYPD for his girlfriend Linda Stephenson who's life was now not only in danger but who possessed a slew of document that can expose Higgins killer; His second in command John Cassidy. It's up to Det. Halloran to track down Linda and put her and the documents that "Dapper Eddie" gave her for safe keeping into protective custody. Finding Linda hiding out in her father, an old sea salt, Andy's lighthouse on New York Bay he's also surprised that he unknowingly lead Cassidy and his hoods, Sick Arch Brick & Grubber, straight to her!

We have Halloran Linda & Popa Andy barricaded upstairs in the lighthouse as Cassidy and his gang attempt to smoke them out and murder them before the calvary, NYPD, arrives. With only six bullets in his revolver Hollaron holds off the Cassidy mob killing two of them Grubber & Brick. It was the crazed and obsessive Brick who was so obsessed in killing Halloran who got the worst of it getting plugged by all his revolver's bullets as well as Andy's shotgun that finally put him to sleep forever. But it also left Halloran defenseless with no more ammunition to hold off Cassidy and his partner Sick Arch.

Tense climax with Halloran holding off Cassidy & Co. having them thinking that he was armed to the teeth in keeping them at bay. Not being all that bright to begin with Cassidy hearing the police sirens, that were really coming from the lighthouse's stereo system, he dropped his sub-machine gun giving Halloran all the help and time that he needed to get the cuffs on him and Sick Arch and then calling, on the lighthouse Jakie talkie, for help.

An offbeat episode about gangsters puts Franciscus in the spotlight, with some interesting locations used. A mobster is snuffed out by machine gun while being serviced in a barber shop, and the hunt is on for his college student girlfriend who's holding papers that incriminate her killer, a rival gangster.

The stock bad guys trail Franciscus to a photogenic lighthouse on a tiny island in Long Island Sound and set up a "Straw Dogs" shootout there with heavily outnumbered Franciscus, who is protecting the college girl and her kindly lighthouse keeper dad.

Resourceful James does a fine job as action hero in this one, especially when he repeatedly shoots typecast Johnny Seven, the usual maniacal killer. Diana Van Der Vlis adds a touch of class as the girl, and there's even a quick coda at NYU off Washington Square to wrap it all up.

Title derives from Stirling Silliphant, reliably adding another dimension as the lighouse keeper is working on a large net to potect birds, meant to guard them from crashing into the lighthouse when the powerfu light is turned on.