Murder in Music City

...but don't forget the real country music stars, too. Starting off as a cheesy B-grade actioner, it becomes a showcase of Sonny Bono's 45 minutes of fame. His acting lines are actually dead hilarious, outweighing the mystery and suspense that was supposed to be present. Above everything else, as with the TV movies of the past 20 years, it's very tame with a cast that would be strictly appealing to smart adults. Here's a movie where Claude "Double-A Emcee-O" Akins can actually sing while being teary-eyed at the same time. Of interest: the character names are made from the first and last names of the head cast; "Sonny Hunt" is Sonny Bono, "Dana Morgan" is Morgan Fairchild. And gosh, if only Cher replaced Lee Purcell, we would have had the ultimate "Sonny & Cher" reunion set in Music City!

This is a movie worth while to have a good look at. The plot is a bit strange: a songwriters' lawyer buys a detective agency for him as a tax deduction. He gets involved in a case which is under supervision of an employee (only employee) of the detective agency. The acting is good. Though what I didn't understand was why Sonny had to brake into his own office (which his lawyer bought him). Also going into a case on your wedding day is a bit overdone. But that doesn't decrease the performance of acting. I watched it 3 times and enjoyed every scene. Even Ronnie Milsap is in it and sings the stars from heaven. The end is tragic, but you will enjoy the last song "it's only temporary" sung by the "big boss". really in one word: "moving".

I saw an old trailer of the movie and thought it would be a fun watch on a snowy day. I was pleasantly surprised how good the movie was. You have to remember it is the late 70's and it seems like a long TV show, but Sony Bono really carries the movie and you remember how talented he really was. The plot is not bad, a murder mystery that keeps you guessing. Definitely worth the watch. A lot of country music cameos like Charlie Daniels, Mel Tillis, Barbara Mandrel and others. No seventies show is complete without a Morgan Fairchild roll, and she does her stereotypical roll of the blonde bombshell well.

I'll give Sonny credit for a much better job in this than any of his other acting roles. And Lee Purcell has pretty good chemistry with him. BUT the heart and soul of this movie is not the leads. It's the supporting cast. Claude Akins routinely elevates whatever he is a part of, and this is no exception. Romantically paired with the lovely and talented Belinda Montgomery, he shines as the retiring country music star who has found the love of his life. Belinda plays the genuinely loving wife who is poised to win country music's highest award for a new artist. Until...but hey, I'm not telling. That would spoil the whole thing. The lovers are backed up by some of country music's most enduring stars: Ray Stevens, Larry Gatlin, Mel Tillis, Ronnie Milsap and Charlie Daniels. And I believe Claude does his own singing in this one. Veteran actress Lucille Benson makes the most of a small role here. It's not Citizen Kane, but it's not supposed to be. It's a movie of the week. And a darn good one. Grab some popcorn and a soft drink and give this one a try.