For this episode, Jessica Fletcher is in London, England, where one of Jessica’s novels is being adapted for the stage. An old friend of hers is the star of the show, so when the show’s producer is murdered and her friend is the prime suspect, Jessica helps investigate.
Just the facts:
Click on the text below to reveal spoilers.
Click to reveal the victim
It was Martin Kramer, the theatre producer!Click to reveal the killer
It was Oliver, the stage manager!Click to reveal the weapon
It was a pair of scissors!Click to reveal the location
It was in the prop storage room in the theatre basement!Click to reveal the motive
It was because he was in love with the young actress Sally and he overheard the victim propositioning her!Click to reveal the major clue
It was the missing wig and raincoat, and the fact that few people would have known the combination to the prop locker!Cast of characters:
The episode starts with a number of actors and crew on stage, rehearsing a scene:
- Davis Gaines as Peter Drew, the director of the play.
- Ian Ogilvy as Lawson Childress, a stage actor playing a character named Harrison. He is a drunk and a former lover of the star of the show. This is Ogilvy’s fourth of five appearances on MSW; he previously appeared in “The Monte Carlo Murders“.
- Michael Palance as Franklin Smith, a stage actor who is worried he’s going to get replaced.
- Dedee Pfeiffer as Sally Briggs, another stage actor and dating Franklin.
- G. W. Stevens as Oliver Hopkins, the stage manager.
Off the stage at the same time are:
- Robin Sachs as Martin Kramer, the theatre producer.
- Jean Marsh as Glenda Highsmith, the star of the play and an old friend of Jessica’s (they met during Jessica’s first trip to England).
- Anne Meara as Mae Shaughnessy, a playwriter adapting Jessica’s book for the stage. This is Meara’s second and final appearance on MSW; she previously appeared in “Who Threw the Barbitals in Mrs. Fletcher’s Chowder?“
Additional characters include:
- Jim Piddock as Malcolm Brooker, a private investigator posing as a writer for Empire Magazine but really working for Martin Kramer. He is especially looking into Glenda Highsmith and the rumors of her affair with the Earl of Glenhaven.
- Norman Lloyd as Edward St. Cloud, Glenda’s solicitor. This is Lloyd’s third and final appearance on MSW; he previously appeared in “The Committee“.
- Tim Ransom as Brett Dillon, a young man living with Glenda. This is Ransom’s first of two appearances on MSW.
- Nick Meany as a Waiter at Binkie’s, the local restaurant all the theatre people go to.
- Edmund L Shaff as Lester Perth, whom Jessica calls for information about the Earl of Glenhaven. This is Shaff’s second and final appearance on MSW; he previously appeared in “The Error of Her Ways“.
The investigating team is comprised of:
- Jonathan Wood as Insp. Ernest Martindale.
- Pauline Brailsford as Detective Chief Insp. Ellen Jarvis.
- Sean Francis Howse as Policeman #1.
- Gale Van Cott as Policewoman.
Final thoughts and other trivia:
Although we know that the play’s title is Murder in White, and that it is based on one of Jessica’s books, we can’t really be sure what the title of Jessica’s original book is. What we can gather from the discussion is that the plot revolves around the murder of Amelia Fredericks, and that a white raincoat and what is in its pocket is a major clue.
Another thing I found interesting about this episode is that, while discussing Glenda’s birthday present, Jessica notes that it is September. This means that, although this episode aired in December, the events depicted in the episode must have taken place several months prior. This confirms my suspicions that the order of the episodes doesn’t necessarily correspond to the order of events in Jessica’s life.
Murder, She Watched 