"Smile Jenny, You're Dead" is the second pilot movie for the eventual TV series, "Harry O". The network apparently liked much of what they saw in the first movie about a low-rent detective but also thought it could use some re-tooling and so they ordered this follow-up film.
The story begins with Jennifer (Andrea Marcovicci) having an argument with her soon to be ex-husband. He's angry and slaps her...and a psycho who is obsessed with Jennifer sees it. Apparently, she is a super model and the stalker has been secretly following her and is determined to watch out for her...and soon he confronts the husband and murders him.
Harry Orwell (David Janssen) knows the family, so he goes to Jennifer's job and informs her of the murder and her need to identify the body. However, all sorts of weird things happen...and Harry think perhaps someone is stalking her. And, when he gets Jennifer's key and checks out her apartment, the psycho is there...though he is able to escape. How? Because he shot at Harry!
Soon one of Jennifer's friends is found dead by an apparent suicide. But Harry thinks it's all too convenient...and it turns out the shot taken at Harry matched the 'suicide gun'. So now, the nut has killed two...and who knows what he's going to do next?!
In addition to this plot, there's one about a little homeless girl (Jodi Foster). Harry does his good deed by helping reunite her with her mother.
Despite the first pilot ("Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On") having a higher score on IMDB, "Smile Jenny, You're Dead" is a much better movie. It lacks the plot holes and inconsistencies of the first movie and based on this, I can see why the TV series was okayed following this film. Well made and well worth seeing, though the ending seemed a bit sensationalistic but weak.
The story begins with Jennifer (Andrea Marcovicci) having an argument with her soon to be ex-husband. He's angry and slaps her...and a psycho who is obsessed with Jennifer sees it. Apparently, she is a super model and the stalker has been secretly following her and is determined to watch out for her...and soon he confronts the husband and murders him.
Harry Orwell (David Janssen) knows the family, so he goes to Jennifer's job and informs her of the murder and her need to identify the body. However, all sorts of weird things happen...and Harry think perhaps someone is stalking her. And, when he gets Jennifer's key and checks out her apartment, the psycho is there...though he is able to escape. How? Because he shot at Harry!
Soon one of Jennifer's friends is found dead by an apparent suicide. But Harry thinks it's all too convenient...and it turns out the shot taken at Harry matched the 'suicide gun'. So now, the nut has killed two...and who knows what he's going to do next?!
In addition to this plot, there's one about a little homeless girl (Jodi Foster). Harry does his good deed by helping reunite her with her mother.
Despite the first pilot ("Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On") having a higher score on IMDB, "Smile Jenny, You're Dead" is a much better movie. It lacks the plot holes and inconsistencies of the first movie and based on this, I can see why the TV series was okayed following this film. Well made and well worth seeing, though the ending seemed a bit sensationalistic but weak.