Tue 31 Jan 2012
A TV Movie Review by Mike Tooney: REHEARSAL FOR MURDER (1982).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[8] Comments
REHEARSAL FOR MURDER. Made for television. CBS-TV. First broadcast May 28, 1982. Robert Preston (Alex Dennison), Lynn Redgrave (Monica Welles), Patrick Macnee (David Mathews), Lawrence Pressman (Lloyd Andrews), William Russ (Frank Heller), Madolyn Smith (Karen Daniels), Jeff Goldblum (Leo Gibbs), William Daniels (Walter Lamb). Writers: Richard Levinson, William Link. Director: David Greene.
And it’s likely this movie will surprise you. Of all the productions Levinson and Link did for television, this one comes off as probably their best. While there are several twists in the tale that seemingly come out of nowhere, in retrospect we must admit we were prepared for them with carefully placed clues.
It has been a year since Alex Dennison (Preston) lost the love of his life, Monica Welles (Redgrave). The coroner had ruled her death a suicide, but from the night she died until tonight Alex has had his doubts. He’s convinced it was murder, and he’s determined to catch her killer.
So Alex calls together everyone who was involved in the production in which Monica was appearing on that fateful evening, ostensibly to discuss a new play fresh from his typewriter but in reality to set a trap. Call it, if you will, the Hamlet gambit, a stratagem which several of the suspects tumble to early on:
“Now that you mention it … no.”
“Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2, a play within a play to catch his father’s killer: ‘I have heard that guilty creatures sitting at a play, have, by the very cunning of the scene, been struck so to the soul that presently they have proclaimed their malefactions’.”
“‘The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.’ Right?”
Exactly — but to discuss the plot any further would be to spoil the fun. You can watch Rehearsal for Murder on YouTube here — but beware of popup ads!
It almost goes without saying that Richard Levinson and William Link dominated American television crime dramas throughout the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, either as writers, producers, and/or creators of some of the most fondly remembered programs of the era, among them: 7 Alfred Hitchcock episodes; 3 Burke’s Law; 3 Honey West; Prescription: Murder, the Columbo pilot film, plus 66 more episodes; 194 Mannix; 23 Ellery Queen; several non-series TV movie mysteries, including Murder by Natural Causes and Guilty Conscience; the pilot for Tenafly; and 264 installments of Murder, She Wrote.
You might recognize William Daniels by his speech. He was uncredited as the voice of K.I.T.T., the supercar, in 84 episodes of Knight Rider.
Patrick Macnee will forever be identified with the character of John Steed in 160 episodes of The Avengers, as well as 26 segments of The New Avengers reboot.
Regular TV viewers might remember Lawrence Pressman from 97 episodes of Doogie Howser, M.D.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:50 pm
It is available on DVD from Amazon for less than $10
January 31st, 2012 at 11:33 pm
You can get it there for under $5, including postage, from a couple of third party sellers. I’ve seen this movie, and it’s everything Mike says it is, and more. It’s a bargain at $10, but it’s even better at $5.
February 1st, 2012 at 8:00 am
William Daniels is better known for playing John Adams in the original Broadway production of “1776” and Dr. Mark Craig (opposite his real-life wife Bonnie Bartlett) on ST. ELSEWHERE, for which he won two Emmys.
The Levinson-Link made-for-tv mystery movies were uniformly excellent, this one and MURDER BY NATURAL CAUSES and GUILTY CONSCIENCE.
February 1st, 2012 at 10:41 am
I just ordered this dvd from a third party for less than $5.00, including postage. I see IMDB.com gives it a good rating. Thanks for the tip.
By the way Steve, an attorney friend of mine once told me that I could probably sue you for thousands of dollars. It seems that most therapists and non-collectors considered collectors to be mentally defective and brain damaged. Therefore you have been taking advantage of my disability for almost 40 years, leading to a houseful of pulps, books, and dvds.
Once I win the case I intend to spend the thousands on more books and movies.
February 1st, 2012 at 4:26 pm
This won the Edgar award that year.
Levinson & Link won three Edgars (plus a special one in 79). They won an Emmy for MY SWEET CHARLIE. They were elected to Television Academy Hall of Fame. Won the MWA Ellery Queen award.
They had been writing partners since junior high school days (1946).
Levinson died from a heart attack in 1987.
They also created the series BLACKE’S MAGIC.
February 1st, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Walker (comment #4)
I’ve consulted my attorney, and he says I don’t have anything to worry about. He mumbled a lot of lawyerese along the lines of prior conditions, ipso facto, excelsior rex and so on.
He also wants to come over and help you read those books and magazines, and if you don’t mind, watch those movies on DVD every evening with you.
February 1st, 2012 at 5:32 pm
Michael
Thanks for the additional info on Levinson & Link. Somebody ought to be writing a book about them right now. The number of small screen detective stories with puzzle plots in them would have been a lot smaller over the years if they hadn’t been around.
February 2nd, 2012 at 8:28 am
One more: Link had a collection of stories published by Crippen & Landru, The Columbo Collection, which is well worth reading.