User Reviews

"Heck I'd even play the maid...."

Lyrics that nobody would ever expect Hungarian princess Zsa Zsa Gabor to sing, and here she is, plain as day, in a French maid's outfit, flirting with Gene Barry outlandishly, and trying to be hip as she utilizes modern English lingo to vamp him. In the opening scene, she gets laughs just by walking into the scene with her short skirt, apron and feather duster and she's NOT going to a Halloween party. But there's a quick scene as she spots a dead body hanging over a dressing screen which conveniently falls over. Burke and his crew are soon on the spot, interviewing secretary Paul Lynde (!) and much younger wife, the alluring Lizabeth Scott, that smoky voice purring in a kittenish voice as she goes about her regular routine irregardless over the fact that she knows that she is now a suspect.

Lynde's character, ironically named Arthur, is a delightfully over-the-top drama queen who spends the initial investigation crying in grief, and after a while, he too is on the list of suspects as his real relationship to the deceased (an exotic animal hunter who collects his heads) is revealed. There's also a secret ex-wife (Mary Astor), the son the deceased refused to acknowledge (John Saxon) and the taxidermist (Chill Wills) who had a huge fight with him the day of the murder. Barry eventually ends up with several suspects confessing to the crime, but they have motives for confessing, and when the real killer is revealed, their motive will give some people the motive for applause.

The mixture of mystery and comedy is well done, and the all-star list of guests is phenomenal. A few other familiar faces pop up in smaller roles, the most recognizable being Alvy Moore from "Green Acres". I view episodes of shows like this like mini-movies. The preview of the next episode is also all-star, ironically featuring future "Green Acres" leading lady Eva Gabor, and she is NOT dressed as a maid.