Somebody Killed Her Husband (1978)

Ironic that Farrah Fawcett-Majors would break her "Charlie's Angels" TV contract to do this picture and her next (the ill-fated "Sunburn"): both look and play like TV-movies lost on the big screen. I was absolutely astounded that this film was shot by cinematographers Andrew Laszlo and Ralf Bode--two veteran lensmen and the thing looks dark and muddy like somebody's home movies. The script is updated "Charade" (in fact, in Japan it was called "Charade '79"), and Jeff Bridges looks ridiculous in a big bear-daddy beard and smooth chest. But forget all that. How is Farrah? She talks slowly--like a little girl--and tries holding her dazzle back. But a Farrah without dazzle has no purpose in a romantic comedy-mystery. She lugs an infant around and cries convincingly, but this meet-cute story has a chronic case of the cutes. It did nothing positive for her in 1978 and--apparently--has not involved audiences of this generation either. When people say "The Burning Bed" saved her career--this is from what they speak. *1/2 from ****