User Reviews

Haskell Drake is a journalist for the Boston Daily, and one that's being booted out by the powers that be, that no longer like his style of honest journalism. He heads to the Office of tycoon Lamar Bennett to confront him, but a disagreement causes a heart attack, landing Haskell in hospital. He's brightened by a visit from old friend Jessica Fletcher, she vows to get him his job back. Jessica attends a party, where first of all she witnesses Bennett sack his Editor, removing all the old guard, then she sees one of the new chiefs die of poisoning.

I like the episode, because the story is pretty good, Jessica goes to the aid of yet another friend. The trouble is that pretty much every character in this episode is dislikeable, firstly Haskell, Harry Guardino is so over the top in this episode, he's great in the other's I've seen him in, but his journalist is cliché ridden. Peter Mark Richman does a fair job as Bennett, but the problem here is that the character is such an obvious victim, he manages to upset everyone. The show works so much better when the victim is an unexpected one, Bennett was telegraphed.

Solid 7/10

This episode marks the most recent appearance to date for Morgan Jones, who has been acting since 1952. Eugene Roche, acting since 1961, and guest starring in four "MSW" episodes, Dorothy Meyer, acting since 1972, and performing one of here last television appearances here, plus Matt Roe, acting since this, his television debut performance, have unfortunately since passed.

"Boston Daily Sentinel" has been published for generations by the affluent Revere family, but now that Lamar Bennett (Peter Mark Richman) has taken control of the corporation, Walter Revere (Tim O'Connor) and his heirs, son Perry Revere (Ken Olin), and daughter Eleanor Revere (Katherine Cannon) find themselves severed from operations, as Publsiher Lamar Bennett intends to control the press.

Editor Billy Simms (Eugene Roche), Stan Lassiter (Glynn Turman), Harry (Erwin Fuller) and Kay Garrett (Sydney Walsh), the fiancée of Perry Revere, serve on the "Boston Daily Sentinel" staff, along with Bennet's Bodyguard Clyde Thorson (William Smith).

Reporter Haskell Drake (Harry Guardino) also has spent his career sensationalizing stories for the newspaper, but now he has been taken ill and hospitalized after a sudden attack. Reluctant to remain admitted to recuperate, Haskell welcomes his dear friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to conduct some of his legwork during one of her many excursions into Boston, Massachusetts.

When Jessica runs to the newspaper headquarters on a mission for Haskell, she steps into a board meeting, presided over by Lamar Bennett, who asks her to postpone her questioning until a cocktail reception, scheduled for later that evening, at which Bennett plans to announce his major decision for the policy of "Boston Daily Sentinel's" future.

Altercations abound at the reception, centering around the Revere family and several newspaper staff members, when everyone witnesses the collapse of a key figure, who doesn't recover from the effects of a combination of alcohol and medicine.

BPD Lieutanant A. Caruso (Gretchen Corbett) steps in to investigate the case under the theory that the resulting death may have been accidental, while Jessica joins forces with Haskell to prove this a homicide.

During the course of her investigation, while Haskell bickers with hospital staff members, Jessica suspects a secret link among the figures involved, that one may have parented another, thus possibly changing the playing field where "Boston Daily Sentinel" is concerned.

Through her research with the medical facilities, she learns that Methaltionide appears in the victim's system, which, of course, does not correlate with the prescribed medication.

Haskell Drake, meanwhile, continues to type away from his hospital bed, using this as his reporting office, while Jessica checks in with him after Extra editions hit the streets, to figure the perpetrator before their "Deadline for Murder."

The cast is rounded out by Dorothy Meyer as Nurse O'Hanlon, Mary Wickliffe as Nurse Phillips, Lisa Nelson as Police Woman, Barbara Allyne-Bennet as Edith, the Secretary, Tom Henschel as Dr. Framer, Morgan Jones as Sgt. Tierney, and Matt Roe as Guard.

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

While a vast improvement over the previous episode "Dead Man's Gold", which was a lesser episode of the earlier seasons, there are far better episodes of Season 3 let alone 'Murder She Wrote' in general than "Deadline for Murder". It's quite good, but comes up short of being great.

Not all the acting works, though most of it does. Tim O'Connor is dull and to me the character of Haskell Drake gets on the nerves and Harry Guardino tended to overdo it (a waste of a dependable actor usually). Some of the pacing in the first half is on the dull side too and lacks urgency, though it does pick up once the murder and investigation happens and even then there have been more investable mysteries on the show.

Production values are high in quality as to be expected, with slick photography. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.

Much of the writing is thought-provoking and amiable, and while the victim does have victim written over his forehead from the start and one that deserved to be offed (like a lot of episodes of 'Murder She Wrote' admittedly) the mystery does have some engaging moments and the murderer was not obvious nor was how the murder was done.

Angela Lansbury is great as always and Peter Mark Richman is rightly despicable. Solid support from Eugene Roche, William Smith, Ken Olin and Sydney Walsh.

In conclusion, worth watching but there are better episodes. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Another old Fletcher friend is the reason for her involvement in this story of Murder She Wrote. Harry Guardino veteran reporter for the Boston Sentinel sustains a heart attack while confronting his paper's new publisher, a Rupert Murdoch type played by Peter Mark Richman.

The Sentinel apparently was something like the New York Times of the Hub and it was taken over hostilely by Richman. Then at a reception Richman drops dead and it's foul play. And as usual there are any number of people who would like to have poisoned him.

One who didn't was Guardino who was laid up in the hospital and it is being the leg person for Guardino that Angela Lansbury operates. She was at the reception however and falls under suspicion.

Very rarely does Jessica Fletcher encounter downright hostility with law enforcement. But she does here with Gretchen Corbett. The woman really has a chip on her shoulder and is really mad when she fails to intimidate Lansbury.

I think Corbett is the one to watch in this particular story.

Lamar Bennet (Peter Mark Richmond) is a newspaper owner who is successful because sleaze sells...and he has no problem cheapening his paper in order to sell copies. He also is a garbage human being...treating those around him like dirt. So, it's not surprising at all when the man is murdered...using a strange method I've never heard of before or since. Naturally, Jessica just happens to be there...and she helps solve the crime as well as helps a newspaper man (Harry Guardino) to work on a story while he's recovering from a heart attack.

The story is reasonably good, the characters interesting and the method of murder is unique. All make it a decent episode...well worth seeing and intelligently written. My only quibble is Guardino's big heart attack scene...it did seem a bit unintentionally funny.

A veteran reporter who suffered a heart attack says his best medicine would be the removal of his publisher. Jessica gets involved after the man ends up dead.

When Jessica accepts to 'do some legwork' for an article Haskell plans on Lamar's sordid career, she finds the Revere family, which hopes in vain to buy back control of the newspaper, touchy about that subject. Haskell discovers Lamar probably has an illegitimate child, possibly Walter's son Perry's fiancée and newspaper colleague Kay Garrett.

Good episode due to some good performances by Joseph Campanella as a horrid newspaper publisher who is turning the established newspaper company into a Cheap news outlet, Harry Guardino who hams it up as the victim's opposition and Gretchen Corbett as a grumpy police detective. In addition to this, it has enough plot hooks to keep you watching.

Guardino may have been fine in other TV shows and films. However, here he goes over the top shtick as the reporter in the hospital. Drags entire episode down. Director bears some responsibility. Usually, friends of Jessica have some likability.