Vincent McEveety has been directing television productions since 1962, and takes on the reigns of 28 "Murder, She Wrote" episodes, in which he does a fine job of arranging "See You in Court, Baby," a script penned by series' Co-creator Peter S. Fischer, who authors several of its "Book-end" episodes.
If not for the above-the-title billing of Keith Michell, this varies from the typical Book-end outing, by opening with the action of Ed Kriegler's (Tom Isbell) sneaking onto the estate now controlled by his ex-wife, Amy Sue Kriegler (Heidi Bohay), who detects his presence as Ed rolls the sports car from the garage, as she screams revenge.
Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) then appears in cameo from her Cabot Cove residence, she commenting upon the changing times of couples' not taking their marriage vows as seriously as in her day. But rather than to mention the guest sleuth, she discusses high-ticket divorce lawyer Truman Calloway, Esq. (Robert Reed), who enables gold diggers to reap the wealth of their unsuspecting husbands in divorce contests, hence the title, "See You in Court, Baby."
Back in San Francisco, California, Dennis Stanton (Keith Michell) serves in the capacity of Insurance Claims investigator and guest sleuth, after Truman Calloway advises Amy Sue not to report Ed's incident to the police, but rather to her insurance company.
Rhoda Markowitz (Hallie Todd) is up to her customary snooping, as well, or at least until Dennis closes the door upon his meeting with Amy Sue. Rhoda also embarks in a fun scene from her reception desk, as she telephones a witness, making believe that she's calling from a zoo, and playing wild animal sounds on cassette. (James Sloyan does not appear here as Consuladated Casualty Insurance Agent Robert Butler, the one Dennis Stanton Book-end in which he is absent).
At the office of Truman Calloway, Jason Thompson (Peter Kowanko) meets with the attorney under the guise of "Johnny Trixler," for a consultation to discuss divorcing his wealthy wife of three years; Truman advises Jason "Johnny" that he usually represents the gold-digging wives instead of the no-account bums, or wealth-grabbing husbands, but he may consider the arrangement for a third of the spoils.
Karen Davies (Judith Chapman) serves as Legal Secretary to the thrice-divorced Calloway and also harbors a place for him in her heart, as he sees her romantically between marriages. But now that Truman has become engaged to the flighty Joyce (Victoria Boa), Karen's adoration of Truman may slip back into the unrequited category yet once again.
Charmaine Calloway Thompson (Vera Miles) arrives from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to request a meeting with ex-husband, Truman, as his first ex-wife, who had supported him through law school, by working two jobs, and had left him when Truman had become engrossed in his desire for wealth. She soon welcomes a child, born to her and her fiancée, Bill Thompson, who had served as a reporter in Vietnam, but has never returned after being listed as missing in action along with several troops in his company.
As a result, Jason Thompson, who has met with Truman as "Johnny Trixler" has set up that meeting to discover what he may learn about his mother's ex-husband.
Attorney Joe Briscoe (Charles Haid), meanwhile, is representing a famous Hollywood actor in a divorce case, while Calloway is representing the actor's gold-digging wife. When Joe Briscoe pleads with Calloway not to make him look bad in court, as this could be Briscoe's big chance to make a name for himself as a defense lawyer, the request remains unheeded.
One particularly good aspect of this episode's direction would be the clever use of its intertwining story lines, and another would be the chance it gives to allow character actors to shine, such as the wise-cracking Waiter (Christopher Halsted), who asks Dennis Stanton if President Jackson has a twin when Stanton pays him for information, or the cautious Security Guard (Ed McCready), who stumbles across the body slain with a letter opener during a particularly long take, or Desk Sergeant (Alexander Folk), who bides his time with Stanton, to stall him at the orders of Lieutenant Catalano (Ken Swofford), who investigates the murder.
And the list of suspects exceeds that of most Dennis Stanton Book-ends, as Dennis investigates the murder with additional clever scenes with Ed Kriegler at Kriegler Electronics, Charmaine Calloway Thompson at the park outside the elegant restaurant, Joe Briscoe, who pays Stanton a visit bearing a pistol, Karen Davies, who clears her office, Jason Thompson, who also has a lot of explaining to do, and, of course, with Rhoda Markowitz.
But Marcia McPhee (Nana Visitor) also gets into the act of the battle of the genders, by arriving from NYC as an Insurance Claims Investigator who has known Dennis from back in his old jewelry thief days and is determined to outsmart him at every turn, if possible, as in "See You in Court, Baby."
This episode represents the first of two "MSW" appearances for Tom Isbell, the second of two each for Heidi Bohay and Charles Haid, the second of three each for Judith Chapman, Vera Miles and Ed McCready, the third of three for Robert Reed, the fifth of seven for Alexander Folk, the third of seven for Hallie Todd (and her second of six as Rhoda Markowitz), the fourth of nine for Keith Michell (each in his role as Dennis Stanton), and the sixth of eleven "MSW's" for Ken Swofford (and his second of six as Lieutenant Catalano).
Robert Reed, acting on television and in film since 1957, and Ed McCready, acting since 1958, have unfortunately since passed.
If not for the above-the-title billing of Keith Michell, this varies from the typical Book-end outing, by opening with the action of Ed Kriegler's (Tom Isbell) sneaking onto the estate now controlled by his ex-wife, Amy Sue Kriegler (Heidi Bohay), who detects his presence as Ed rolls the sports car from the garage, as she screams revenge.
Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) then appears in cameo from her Cabot Cove residence, she commenting upon the changing times of couples' not taking their marriage vows as seriously as in her day. But rather than to mention the guest sleuth, she discusses high-ticket divorce lawyer Truman Calloway, Esq. (Robert Reed), who enables gold diggers to reap the wealth of their unsuspecting husbands in divorce contests, hence the title, "See You in Court, Baby."
Back in San Francisco, California, Dennis Stanton (Keith Michell) serves in the capacity of Insurance Claims investigator and guest sleuth, after Truman Calloway advises Amy Sue not to report Ed's incident to the police, but rather to her insurance company.
Rhoda Markowitz (Hallie Todd) is up to her customary snooping, as well, or at least until Dennis closes the door upon his meeting with Amy Sue. Rhoda also embarks in a fun scene from her reception desk, as she telephones a witness, making believe that she's calling from a zoo, and playing wild animal sounds on cassette. (James Sloyan does not appear here as Consuladated Casualty Insurance Agent Robert Butler, the one Dennis Stanton Book-end in which he is absent).
At the office of Truman Calloway, Jason Thompson (Peter Kowanko) meets with the attorney under the guise of "Johnny Trixler," for a consultation to discuss divorcing his wealthy wife of three years; Truman advises Jason "Johnny" that he usually represents the gold-digging wives instead of the no-account bums, or wealth-grabbing husbands, but he may consider the arrangement for a third of the spoils.
Karen Davies (Judith Chapman) serves as Legal Secretary to the thrice-divorced Calloway and also harbors a place for him in her heart, as he sees her romantically between marriages. But now that Truman has become engaged to the flighty Joyce (Victoria Boa), Karen's adoration of Truman may slip back into the unrequited category yet once again.
Charmaine Calloway Thompson (Vera Miles) arrives from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to request a meeting with ex-husband, Truman, as his first ex-wife, who had supported him through law school, by working two jobs, and had left him when Truman had become engrossed in his desire for wealth. She soon welcomes a child, born to her and her fiancée, Bill Thompson, who had served as a reporter in Vietnam, but has never returned after being listed as missing in action along with several troops in his company.
As a result, Jason Thompson, who has met with Truman as "Johnny Trixler" has set up that meeting to discover what he may learn about his mother's ex-husband.
Attorney Joe Briscoe (Charles Haid), meanwhile, is representing a famous Hollywood actor in a divorce case, while Calloway is representing the actor's gold-digging wife. When Joe Briscoe pleads with Calloway not to make him look bad in court, as this could be Briscoe's big chance to make a name for himself as a defense lawyer, the request remains unheeded.
One particularly good aspect of this episode's direction would be the clever use of its intertwining story lines, and another would be the chance it gives to allow character actors to shine, such as the wise-cracking Waiter (Christopher Halsted), who asks Dennis Stanton if President Jackson has a twin when Stanton pays him for information, or the cautious Security Guard (Ed McCready), who stumbles across the body slain with a letter opener during a particularly long take, or Desk Sergeant (Alexander Folk), who bides his time with Stanton, to stall him at the orders of Lieutenant Catalano (Ken Swofford), who investigates the murder.
And the list of suspects exceeds that of most Dennis Stanton Book-ends, as Dennis investigates the murder with additional clever scenes with Ed Kriegler at Kriegler Electronics, Charmaine Calloway Thompson at the park outside the elegant restaurant, Joe Briscoe, who pays Stanton a visit bearing a pistol, Karen Davies, who clears her office, Jason Thompson, who also has a lot of explaining to do, and, of course, with Rhoda Markowitz.
But Marcia McPhee (Nana Visitor) also gets into the act of the battle of the genders, by arriving from NYC as an Insurance Claims Investigator who has known Dennis from back in his old jewelry thief days and is determined to outsmart him at every turn, if possible, as in "See You in Court, Baby."
This episode represents the first of two "MSW" appearances for Tom Isbell, the second of two each for Heidi Bohay and Charles Haid, the second of three each for Judith Chapman, Vera Miles and Ed McCready, the third of three for Robert Reed, the fifth of seven for Alexander Folk, the third of seven for Hallie Todd (and her second of six as Rhoda Markowitz), the fourth of nine for Keith Michell (each in his role as Dennis Stanton), and the sixth of eleven "MSW's" for Ken Swofford (and his second of six as Lieutenant Catalano).
Robert Reed, acting on television and in film since 1957, and Ed McCready, acting since 1958, have unfortunately since passed.
