Hellinger's Law

From 1981, Hellinger's Law, directed by Leo Penn, was actually a tv pilot for a series that was not picked up.

It starred Telly Savalas as Nick Hellinger, a criminal attotney. When a syndicate accountant is accused of killing a local TV news personality, Hellinger takes the case.

In actuality, the accountant was undercover for the Justice Department.

It's a shame this wasn't picked up, as Telly Savalas was always wonderful, plus it had a script by the prolific mystery screenwriter Peter S. Fischer. Here, though a strong attorney, Savalas played his character more subtly, rather than with his trademark tough Kojak persona.

The strong cast included Morgan Stevens, Ja'net Dubois, Roy Poole, Rod Taylor, and Melinda Dillon. Since Leo Penn directed, young Sean Penn had a bit part.