Jessica sets out to clear the name of a friend who is a prime suspect in a murder case.Jessica sets out to clear the name of a friend who is a prime suspect in a murder case.Jessica sets out to clear the name of a friend who is a prime suspect in a murder case.
Photos
- A.D.A. Mel Comstock
- (as Pat Harrington)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe characters of "Helmsley Post" -an aggressively macho writer of war stories - and "Adrian Winslow" - a waspish, perhaps homosexual author of historical novels - may be intended as outrageous caricatures of the real-life writers Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal, whose long-standing literary feud had been very much in the news shortly before this was filmed. The name "Post" for the Mailer character is another clue.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Horace Lynchfield: Now, what I need is some cigarettes and a stiff drink. Let's get out of here, okay?
Jessica Fletcher: Oh! At the risk of sounding like a nag, Horace, you're gonna have to do something about your drinking.
Horace Lynchfield: Are you saying to cut back? That would be like depriving a race car of its gasoline.
Clerk: Oh. May I help you?
[Horace pulls out his gun-shaped lighter, the clerk sees it, screams and presses the alarm]
Jessica Fletcher: You might also consider giving up, uh, cigarettes.
- SoundtracksMurder She Wrote Theme
Written by John Addison
Adrian Winslow (Robert Reed), a past award recipient, arrives, but cannot be bothered by novice short-story writer Debbie Delancey (Talia Balsam), who presents a copy of her project to the receptive Jessica.
Last year's winner, Lucinda Lark (Constance Forslund), author of the best-seller "Woman Unleashed," is also on hand to greet Horace and the others, as well as Hemsley Post (Kenneth Mars), who shrouds his new manuscript in secrecy, a definitive novel about the Vietnam War, as presented from a combat soldier's perspective.
Tiffany Harrow (Morgan Brittany), the awards' event Coordinator, attempts to convince Hemsley Post to allow her a preview of his manuscript, by planning a visit to his apartment after the evening's program.
Alexis Post (Diana Muldaur), Hemsley's ex-wife, owner of a fashion design company, visits Hemsley to demand $264,000 from his advance salary from his publisher.
Frank Lapinski (Vincent Baggetta), an impoverished unpublished writer, claims authorship the of the manuscript, as based upon his experience in the armed services in Vietnam.
After the less-than-amiable reception, at which, because of flying tempers, umbrellas are mixed up, and Jessica attempts to return one the next morning to its rightful owner.
But, upon her arrival at the residence of the umbrella owner, Jessica is greeted by a team of law enforcement officers, headed by Assistant District Attorney (A.D.A.) Mel Comstock (Pat Harrington Jr.) and Lieutenant Meyer (Ron Masak, in his first of many "MSW" appearances), who hover over a body stabbed by the sword within an umbrella handle.
When the police arrest an innocent suspect, Jessica attempts to prove them wrong, by picking up on a trail of clues, including lipstick on the linens, eyeglasses on the blanket, a hotel room key #2441, and a missing manuscript. A.D.A. Mel Comstock, believing the eyeglasses to belong to Jessica, slips them into her purse without her knowledge.
And when A.D.A. Mel Comstock hands the prisoner to Lieutenant Meyer, who escorts the suspect through the courthouse, he hands custody to Bailiff (Bill MacDonald), who is interrupted by another Assistant D.A. (Mark Harrison), who tells the Baliff that there are more pressing concerns than the prisoners, and allows the suspect to walk freely.
While Jessica attempts to advise the released suspect of correct protocol, she discovers the eyeglasses and consults an Optometrist (John C. Becher) to go along with her plans.
The cast is rounded out by Ernie (John Brandon), Clerk (Lana Schwab), Lady (Nancy Marlow), Cop (Biff Yeager) and Reporter (Michael Kearns), who reveals a "Footnote to Murder."
- WeatherViolet
- Oct 12, 2009