Smile Jenny, You're Dead (1974): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1974, Smile Jenny, You're Dead is a thriller, drama, crime and tv movie film directed by Jerry Thorpe, running about 100 minutes.

What it’s about. Harry Orwell has been retired from the force ever since he caught a bullet that lodged inoperably in his back. But that doesn’t mean the man called Harry O is out of the action. Moonlighting as a private sleuth, fighting off daily back pain and typically traveling by public bus instead of his own car (“It gives a man a chance to think”), he’s on the trail of the lowlife who murdered his pal’s son-in-law. It won’t be the only time the killer strikes before Harry closes in. David Janssen (The Fugitive) portrays dogged detective Harry in the telefilm that was the second of two pilots preceding his memorable Harry O series. Among the highlights: young Jodie Foster as Liberty, the wise-beyond-her-years homeless waif Harry befriends.

Who’s in it. Smile Jenny, You're Dead stars David Janssen as Harry Orwell, Andrea Marcovicci as Jennifer English, John Anderson as Col. John Lockport and Jodie Foster as Liberty Cole, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.1/10, Smile Jenny, You're Dead has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Smile Jenny, You're Dead page.

If you liked it. Fans of Smile Jenny, You're Dead tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, Parasite and Fight Club.