The Streets of San Francisco: Clown of Death on AllMovie

In an intriguing change of pace, gimlet-eyed SFPD detective Mike Stone (Karl Malden) dons the greasepaint, red nose and floppy shoes of a circus clown. It's all part of an undercover assignment to ferret out the murderer of two retired circus riggers whose deaths occur just before a gala Big Top performance at San Francisco's Cow Palace. Featured in the cast as "Sparky" is former Sugarfoot star Will Hutchins, who in real life had retired from acting to pursue a career as a professional clown.