Murder Once Removed

John Forsythe plays a doctor who has a history of losing patients wherever he's practised. While he is supposed to be on his outcall rounds we see him making out with Lisa Manning (Barbara Bain) in the woods. He plays golf with her husband who is not prepared to give Lisa a divorce. The two men spar with each other on this matter and on the doctor's dubious backstory. There are hints that the doctor fiddles his patients' medical records with regards to electrocardiograms and blood samples. So we are teased as to how far the doctor will go to achieve his needs and desires. There's a small cast in this TV Movie so the story is sped through quickly. There's a policeman who is trailing a drug-addicted Vietnam veteran who both play their part economically in the story. My choice of the characters is Nurse Regis played by the matronly Reta Shaw with her throwaway lines. Her warnings that she doesn't trust doctors and that her dog Happy "howls every time we lose a patient" are delivered in a dry and dark and humorous way. I didn't see the end of the plot coming too far in advance so be prepared for some late twists and turns.

It is a low budget flick that you kinda start watching because it's snowing out there nothing else better to do, then you feel getting pulled into the story, chained by continuing dialogs that amp from one scene to the next seamlessly. It is remarkably well cust, directed and shot. Enjoy!..

This perfect suspenser - with a lot of twists - plays like a Columbo movie without Columbo.

Dr. Wellesley (John Forsythe) is on the verge of having an affair with Lisa Manning (Barbara Bain) as her husband won't give her the divorce she's been asking for. To put a stop to this, Mr. Manning (Richard Kiley) decides to blackmail the doctor about some mysterious deaths in his past. The doctor protests his innocence, of course, but Manning wants him away from his wife and out of town.

Right from the start, with the two men politely playing golf while calmly discussing murders and blackmail, this quality movie grips the viewer. The cast are top notch and it's always fun watching a TV murderer do their thing and then waiting to see if they'll actually get away with it.

The final third brings several surprises. Nothing here is quite what it seems. Very clever. And a lot of fun.

Originally aired on Friday, 29 October, 1971. It was scheduled after the 7th regular episode of O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, and against the 6th second season episode of The Odd Couple on ABC.

Frank Manning (Richard Kiley) goes to his doctor, Ron Wellesley (John Forsythe) for a simple procedure. Frank has also come to Dr. Wellseley's office to inform him that he suspects him in a pair of murders. He also lets him know that he's aware that he's been sleeping with his wife (Barbara Bain).

Frank then tells Wellesley that if he doesn't leave town, he'll blab.

What could possibly go wrong?

MURDER ONCE REMOVED is an exceptional made-for-TV movie with a perfect twist ending! John Forsythe is particularly good in his eeevil, conniving role. Wellesley will stop at nothing to carry out his plan of vengeance and death!

Joseph Campanella is great as Sgt. Proctor, a mutual friend of Manning and Wellesley who must snoop around for clues.

Highly recommended for the lover of suspenseful thrillers...

Ensemble cast deliver a taut, reasonably tense suspense TV movie concerning a physician (Forsythe) with a dark past whose current dalliance with a married woman (Bain) leads to murder, the framing of an innocent man (Burton) and a sequence of double-crosses that should keep most audiences both entertained and surprised.

Forsythe is economical as the suspicious Doctor whose patients seem to experience a higher fatality rate than usual, while Kiley is the well-informed cuckold, seeking to end the romance between Forsythe and his wife (Bain) through blackmail. Joseph Campanella is perhaps the film's highlight as the local detective who's one step ahead.

Compact thriller is short on time but punches above its weight for overall impact with a tidy conclusion that features more twists than a Chubby Checker tune, so check it out when you have 70 minutes spare.