A police precinct in Boston is grappling with a rather awful case of two kids who are setting tramps on fire (so usual stuff then) when they receive a phone call threatening to kill local politicians unless the city stumps up with a lot of cash. When a police commissioner is shot dead, the police including Detectives Carella (Burt Reynolds) and McHenry (Raquel Welch) now know this is a real threat. The search is on for the mysterious bald, deaf man (Yul Brynner) who seems to be behind it...
A gritty and chaotic film, reflected in the police station itself as the police wrestle with a complicated case working around a couple of wisecracking redecorators who drip paint everywhere. The police are often shown to be a bit inept, and there is a lot of comedy in this film. There is maybe a little too much goofiness to suit the seriousness of the crimes but this is an enjoyable watch.