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MURDER, SHE WROTE: SING A SONG OF MURDER (TV)

Summary

One in this murder mystery series about an unassuming Maine mystery writer turned sleuth named Jessica B. Fletcher who uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases. In this episode, at the Mayhew Music Hall in London, aging actor Oliver Trumbell performs an unimpressive vaudeville routine, observed from backstage by his daughter Kitty and theatre co-owner Archie Weems. Archie introduces the familiar-looking singer Emma McGill and then argues backstage with his daughter Violet when she pushes him to sell the theatre to Danny Briggs or face financial ruin. The audience enjoys Emma's performance of "Good-bye, Little Yellow Bird," though backstage her dresser Bridget again hints that she should consider retirement. She refuses, however, urging Archie to keep the theatre open. Emma then leaves with Oliver, whom she is dating, and is nearly run down by a car, though she dodges it just in time. Elsewhere, in America, Jessica receives a call from solicitor Ernest Fielding, who informs her that her cousin Emma is dead. When Jessica arrives in London, she is met at the airport by Danny, who informs her that she has inherited the Mayhew and attempts to make an offer. Ernest intervenes, however, and takes her to the car, where she discovers that Emma is in fact alive.

Emma explains that she faked her death after escaping several attempts on her life, hoping that Jessica can solve the case. Despite Emma's distrust of the police, Jessica visits Scotland Yard and recruits the help of Inspector Roger Crimmins. Jessica then attends Emma's "memorial" and meets Oliver and Kitty, and Roger joins them to announce that Emma's body has been found, though Bridget seems interested only in her will. When Bridget later catches Emma hunting for clues, she suggests that Violet killed Emma in order to facilitate the sale of the music hall. Oliver tells Jessica that he is trying to move on with his life and heads for a meeting with a director, and Kitty suggests that they take a weekend holiday. As Roger and Jessica stake out Emma's old flat, they witness Bridget in Emma's fur coat being run down and killed by a car. Jessica tells Archie about her cousin's faked death, realizing that the killer thought Bridget was Emma and therefore knew about the ruse. Under Jessica's questioning, Emma admits that she left a phone message for Oliver to reassure him of her safety, but she swears that he would not hurt her. Archie informs Danny and Violet that Emma is indeed alive, and Danny vows to get her signature on the bill of sale at any cost. Roger and Jessica listen to Oliver's answering machine and hears the message from Emma, as well as a call regarding an audition for a Shakespeare play.

Jessica and Roger find Oliver at the Cumberland Theatre and inform him and Kitty that Emma is alive, to which they both react with shock. Oliver claims that he did not hear Emma's message, but Roger arrests him for Bridget's murder, sure that he is lying, as he clearly did hear the audition message. Oliver swears that he was at a hotel waiting for the play director at the time of the murder and Kitty states that she phoned him there, but Roger questions the timeframe. Elsewhere, Danny finds Emma at her hideout and attempts to force her to sign the papers, but she incapacitates him with a vase to the head and Jessica and Roger arrive just in time, though Jessica states that he is not the guilty party. Oliver is released and Kitty is relieved, but Jessica then accuses her of the attempts on Emma's life and the death of Bridget, pointing out that she must have heard Emma's message as well if she knew to phone her father at the hotel that night. Kitty tearfully admits it, saying that Emma was holding him back from the distinguished stage career that he truly wants, and he embraces her, disturbed but touched at her devotion. Commercials deleted.

Details

  • NETWORK: CBS
  • DATE: October 27, 1985 8:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:48:00
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: B:80112
  • GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense
  • SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1984-1996
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Peter S. Fischer … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
  • Robert F. O'Neill … Producer
  • Mike Stevens … Associate Producer
  • John Llewellyn Moxey … Director
  • Richard Levinson … Created by
  • William Link … Created by
  • David Bell … Music by
  • John Addison … Theme Music by
  • Angela Lansbury … Cast, Jessica Fletcher / Emma McGill
  • Sarah Douglas … Cast, Violet Weems
  • Olivia Hussey … Cast, Kitty Trumbull
  • Barrie Ingham … Cast, Insp. Roger Crimmins
  • Glynis Johns … Cast, Bridget O'Hara
  • Patrick Macnee … Cast, Oliver Trumbull
  • Greg Martyn … Cast, Danny Briggs
  • Kristoffer Tabori … Cast, Ernest Fielding
  • Kenneth Danziger … Cast, Archie Weems
  • Gillian Eaton … Cast, Landlady
  • Terence Scammell … Cast, Director
  • Richard L. Davies … Cast, First Tough
  • Neil Hunt … Cast, Second Tough
  • John Straightley … Cast, Sergeant
  • David Grant Hayward … Cast, Policeman
  • Ron Southart … Cast, Plainclothesman