California Kid (TV Movie 1974)

California Kid: Directed by Richard T. Heffron. With Martin Sheen, Vic Morrow, Michelle Phillips, Stuart Margolin. A deranged desert town sheriff has a murderous habit of forcing speeders to their deaths, until a young man with a souped-up hotrod arrives to possibly end it.

“Did honorable Sgt Saunders go home after the war and run for sheriff of a small California town? Somehow this made for TV movie from 1974 eluded me. See pre-liberal panty-waiste Martin Sheen in a James Deanesk role avenging the murder of his motorist brother take on an anything but honorable Vic Morrow playing a sleazy and corrupt town sheriff who hates speedsters and will do anything it takes to run them off the road with the front bumper of his u0026#39;57 Plymouth. This jewel which takes place in 1957 but filmed in 1974 is filled with goofs and anachronisms galor and solid acting by the above as well as Nick Nolte and former Mama Phillips taking up time and space as the local coffee shop waitress and Rockford Files alum, Stewart Margolin playing it straight as Morrowu0026#39;s lacki deputy.”