If you walked into a movie theater in 1972 expecting a standard "man vs. nature" horror flick, you probably walked out feeling a little lied to. People see the title They Only Kill Their Masters and immediately think of a blood-soaked slasher or maybe a precursor to Cujo. It sounds aggressive. It sounds like a revolution of the beasts. But honestly? It’s a small-town police procedural with a Doberman Pinscher as the prime suspect.
It is one of the strangest artifacts of 1970s cinema. James Garner, playing the quintessential laid-back lawman, is basically doing a dry run for his iconic role in The Rockford Files. He’s Abel Marsh, a Chief of Police in a sleepy California coastal town who just wants to go on vacation. Instead, he finds a corpse. Specifically, the body of Jenny Campbell, a local woman seemingly mauled to death by her own dog.
The film doesn't rely on jump scares. It relies on a weirdly stellar cast and a script that feels more like a cozy mystery you’d find on a dusty bookshelf in a beach rental. It’s got James Whitmore, June Allyson, and even Peter Lawford. Seeing these Golden Age stars pop up in a gritty-ish 70s mystery about dog attacks is jarring in the best way possible.
🔗 Read more: Mary Lynn Rajskub Brooklyn 99: Why She Was the Only Choice for Charles Boyle
The Plot That Most People Get Wrong
The core hook of They Only Kill Their Masters is the Doberman. The town wants the dog destroyed. They see a killer. Abel Marsh, however, sees a dog that doesn't fit the crime. This isn't just a "who-done-it." It's a "did-the-dog-do-it."
Most viewers today assume the movie is a horror film because of the marketing. In reality, it’s a critique of small-town prejudices and the secrets people keep behind closed doors. Marsh starts digging into Jenny's life and realizes she wasn't exactly the saintly neighbor everyone thought. She had "reputations." She had secrets. The dog, Murphy, becomes a catalyst for exposing the rot in Eden Landing.
It’s slow. Like, really slow. If you’re used to modern pacing where a murder happens every ten minutes to keep the "engagement metrics" up, this will feel like a long walk on a foggy beach. But that’s the point. The atmosphere is thick. You can almost smell the salt air and the stale coffee in the police station.
Why the Doberman Pinscher Defined the Era
You can't talk about They Only Kill Their Masters without talking about the 1970s obsession with Dobermans. Back then, they were the "scary dog" of choice, long before Pit Bulls or Rottweilers took over that unfortunate title in the public imagination.
Films like The Doberman Gang (also released in '72) leaned into the idea of these dogs as intelligent, cold-blooded soldiers. This movie flips that. It treats the dog with a weird amount of empathy. Marsh spends a significant amount of time just hanging out with the dog, trying to understand its temperament.
- The breed was often used as a symbol of status and protection for the wealthy.
- The 70s saw a rise in "animal attack" cinema, but this film subverts it by making the animal the victim of circumstance.
- James Garner’s chemistry with the dog is actually better than his chemistry with some of the human leads.
It’s kinda funny how the movie uses the dog as a red herring for the entire first act. The tension doesn't come from the threat of being bitten; it comes from the bureaucracy of the town trying to force Marsh to close a case that doesn't make sense.
James Garner and the Birth of the "Reluctant Hero"
James Garner was the king of the "I’d rather be fishing" archetype. In They Only Kill Their Masters, he perfected the Abel Marsh persona—a man who is incredibly good at his job but visibly annoyed that he has to do it.
He’s not a gritty detective. He’s not Dirty Harry. He doesn't want to kick down doors. He wants to know why a "killer" dog would let him pet it. This performance is the bridge between his work in Maverick and the later success of The Rockford Files. You see the same squint, the same dry delivery, the same weary skepticism of authority figures.
📖 Related: Why In the Heat of the Night A Matter of Justice Remains the Show's Most Relatable Hour
The supporting cast is where things get truly bizarre for a modern audience. You have June Allyson, who was the "girl next door" of the 1940s, playing a character with a much darker edge than her MGM days ever allowed. It was a common trend in the early 70s—taking classic stars and putting them in cynical, modern scenarios. It adds a layer of "Old Hollywood" gravitas to what could have been a cheap B-movie.
The Cinematography of a Gray California
Most people think of California movies as bright, neon, or sun-drenched. This film looks... damp. It was shot in a way that emphasizes the grayness of the coast. The lighting is naturalistic. It feels lived-in.
Director Fielder Cook wasn't a "genre" guy. He was a veteran of live television drama from the 50s. That’s probably why the movie feels more like a play than an action film. The framing focuses on faces and conversations. When the "action" does happen, it’s brief, messy, and decidedly unglamorous.
There is a specific scene where Marsh is investigating the victim's house, and the way the shadows play off the 70s wood paneling is genuinely unsettling. Not because of a monster, but because of the loneliness it conveys. It’s a movie about lonely people doing desperate things.
The Ending That Split Audiences
I won't spoil the specific identity of the killer here, but the resolution of They Only Kill Their Masters is what cements it as a cult classic. It isn't a grand conspiracy. It’s a messy, human tragedy.
Some people hate the ending. They want the dog to be the villain. Or they want a massive shootout. Instead, you get a quiet revelation that forces you to re-evaluate everything you saw in the first hour. It’s a very "70s" ending—cynical, slightly depressing, and utterly grounded in reality.
Real-World Influence and Legacy
Believe it or not, this movie had a minor impact on how people viewed forensic science in film. While it’s not CSI, the way Marsh looks at the "bite marks" and consults with experts was fairly advanced for a general audience mystery at the time.
👉 See also: Karen Hill and Henry Hill: What Really Happened After the Credits Rolled
- The "Sleuth" Factor: It arrived during a peak year for mysteries, competing with heavyweights like Sleuth.
- Dog Training: The dogs used in the film were trained by Karl Miller, a legend in the industry who later worked on Cujo and Beethoven.
- The Title's Origin: The phrase "They only kill their masters" is a bit of folk-wisdom (or myth) about Dobermans that the movie explores and eventually deconstructs.
It’s a film that asks: Who is the real beast? The dog acting on instinct, or the humans acting on greed, jealousy, and fear?
How to Watch It Today
Finding a high-quality version of They Only Kill Their Masters can be a bit of a hunt. It pops up on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) occasionally. It’s available on some digital storefronts, but it hasn't received the massive 4K restoration treatment that other 70s classics have.
That’s a shame, honestly. It’s a snapshot of a transition period in Hollywood where the old guard was meeting the new, cynical "New Hollywood" aesthetic.
Practical Takeaways for Fans of the Genre
If you’re planning on diving into 70s mystery cinema, or if you just watched this and want more, here is how to navigate the era:
- Look for the "Garner Style": If you liked Abel Marsh, move straight to The Rockford Files. It’s the spiritual successor.
- Don't trust the trailers: 70s trailers were notorious for marketing dramas as horror films to get kids into seats. Always check the director's background.
- Watch the background actors: Many of the "townspeople" in these films were actual locals or character actors who populated every TV show from 1965 to 1985.
- Pay attention to the score: The music in this film, by Perry Botkin Jr., is subtle. It doesn't tell you how to feel, which is a rare trait in modern cinema.
To truly appreciate They Only Kill Their Masters, you have to stop expecting a horror movie. Treat it as a character study of a man who likes dogs more than people. In a world of over-the-top CGI and frantic editing, there is something deeply satisfying about watching James Garner sit on a porch and talk to a Doberman named Murphy.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Search for the TCM schedule: They often run James Garner marathons where this film is a staple.
- Compare with The Doberman Gang: Watch both movies back-to-back to see the two polar opposite ways Hollywood treated the same breed in the same year.
- Check out "The Rockford Files" Pilot: See if you can spot the character beats Garner took directly from his time as Abel Marsh.