Pathologist Peter Carey (James Coburn) moves to Boston for a job at a hospital there. He meets Dr. David Tao (James Hong) and they become friends. He also romances beautiful Georgia Hightower (Jennifer O'Neill). Also Tao does abortions on the side (they were illegal in 1972). Then a hospital administrators daughter dies of a botched abortion and Tao is arrested. He didn't do it and Carey sets out to find out who did.

OK thriller elevated by Coburn's great performance and beautiful Boston locations. The script has plot holes and moves kind of slowly but it's OK. O'Neill look incredible but is given nothing to do. Director Blake Edwards disowned this film in later years saying the studio interfered with it. It's not good but it's not that bad either.

A tightly wound thriller buoyed by a great James Coburn performance. He plays a doctor in Boston trying to find out who caused the death of the daughter of the hospital's chief of staff. He runs into one roadblock after another as he tries to clear a colleague (James Hong) of the crime. Coburn has never been so good and the supporting cast is first rate: Pat Hingle, Dan O'Herlihy, Michael Blodgett as a very sleazy masseuse. Jennifer O'Neill is the love interest & she's terrific. Directed with a lot of finesse by Blake Edwards with a very clever script by John Black (based on a book by Michael Crichton). Edward makes great use of the Boston locations, including some of the sleazier sections of town. The cinematography is by Frank Stanley.

This medical drama contains plotlines that certainly wouldn't be seen on that popular TV series at the time, let alone the "Dr. Kildare"/"Dr. Gillespie" series of films (1937-1947). The closest any movie series of the time came to dealing with issues like this was on daytime, ironically on "Another World" in 1964, not medical based dramas "The Doctors" and "General Hospital". The early 70's had some interesting medical based films, dark comedies like "The Hospital" and "National Health". With "Roe vs. Wade" about to be passed, this movie fighting for the cause of safe abortions was definitely ahead of its time, and better than the reviews I read lead me to believe.

While silver haired James Coburn isn't my idea of a romantic leading man (once again getting a younger woman, Jennifer O'Neill, to fall in love with him), he's quite good as a pathologist (think "Quincy") who helps old friend James Hong who has been accused of a young woman's death as the result of a botched abortion. Hong admits to performing these procedures, but his methods were based on safe practices, not butchery. The whole hospital, mostly the scandal fearing administration, seems to be against Hong which leads to issues for new arrival Coburn. But he perseveres and gets himself in danger as he nears discovering the truth.

The fact that the girl who died was the daughter of wealthy parents makes Hong's issues worse, and subtle prejudices are revealed when Coburn speaks to her socialite mother, Elizabeth, obviously seeking revenge. Coburn has a great chat with lab doctor Olive Dunbar, a great one scene cameo, and in a good supporting role, veteran actor Regis Toomey is quite commanding. A very intelligent screenplay indicates that this isn't pushing the agenda of legalizing abortions, but revealing the harshness of backroom abortions in comparison to safe ones. Well directed by Blake Edwards, a rare drama for him.