If the Frame Fits

Often in "Murder, She Wrote" killers confess their crimes when there really isn't much, if any, evidence to prove they did it. It's a major weakness of many episodes. Fortunately, when the killer does confess, it's only after the police and Jessica present them with irrefutable evidence...making it a good episode.

As for the killing, a series of valuable art thefts have occurred and the final theft appears to have been ill-timed. It's because it looks as if the thief was caught in the act and killed a woman to hide their identity. Of course, Jessica is on hand to help sort all this out and capture the real killer.

Aside from a decent plot, the episode has a few fun performances. Norman Lloyd plays a marvelous old curmudgeon, though John De Lancie REALLY shines as an effete and rather flamboyant rich guy. Well worth seeing.

This episode marks the only television acting role to date for Russell Merritt. Audrey Meadows, who began her illustrious acting career in television and film in 1954; Gordon Jump, who has been appearing in film and television since 1965; Cliff Gorman, who began his film and television acting career in 1968; and Christopher Allport, who has been performing in film and television since 1973, have unfortunately all since passed.

On a trip into Connecticut, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) visits the affluent community of Cedar Heights, to review a manuscript with Lloyd Marcus (Norman Lloyd).

The widowed Lloyd Marcus' family consists of spoiled daughters Julia Granger (Anne Schedeen) and Sabrina Marcus (Andra Millian), as well as Julia's husband, Donald Granger (Christopher Allport), who shares a secret interest with Sabrina, beyond standard in-law affection.

Several other Cedar Heights residents frequent its Country Club, some without a viable means of support, including Mildred Tilley (Audrey Meadows) and her husband, the Mayor Frank Tilley (Gordon Jump), Staffer Ellen Davis (Deborah Adair) and Golfer and Art expert Binky Holborn (John de Lancie).

Attendant Forbes (Aubrey Morris) assists Police Chief Cooper (Cliff Gorman) with investigation a rash of art thefts plaguing Cedar Heights in recent nights, in which a burglar prowls for valuable paintings, and cuts them from their respective frame, whether or not "the Frame Fits."

But on the evening of a country club reception, various residents disappear from sight long enough to become suspects in a murder, once a body is discovered with evidence of a burglary, by someone who tidies the room to implicate another in order to frame the intended stool pigeon "If the Frame Fits."

Jessica assists Police Chief Cooper in the resulting investigation, which includes conflicting allegations of intent, and conflicting theories regarding the burglaries and murder.

The cast is rounded out by Michael Morgan as Young Man, and Russell Merritt as Waiter.

Jessica Fletcher goes to Connecticut to visit an old friend Lloyd Marcus (Norman Lloyd.)

The well heeled area of Cedar Heights and its country club is in turmoil at the moment. There has been a spate of art thefts.

During the next attempted theft, Lloyd's daughter Julia Granger is killed. Lloyd found the body and as he hates his son in law Donald Granger. He rearranged the crime scene to frame Donald, who he regards as only marrying his daughter for money.

Jessica figures out that Lloyd tried to frame his son in law. So the real killer is still out there. While Donald seems to be very close to his late wife's sister, Sabrina.

This was a campy episode, it was an era of Dallas and Dynasty. So the wealthy had lots of hidden secrets with many not working for a living.

In the end Jessica thinks that there had to be more than one culprit for the crimes.

Jessica is spending her holidays with an old friend, Lloyd Marcus, to review a manuscript. However, the murder of Lloyd's daughter Julia shatters the planned tranquil evening. At first all the clues point to a robbery gone wrong, then to matrimonial homicide ( Her husband Donald becomes the prime suspect.) then Lloyd gets arrested, which prompts Jessica to dig through the frames of the murder to find the real killer.

Interesting characters, which includes the droll foppy Binky Holborn, and a snaky diversion in suspects makes this one a fairly good watch. Stolen artwork, dead woman, a button found in her hand and a broken clock are some of the clues at hand, though Jessica soon clears that early as a frame-up job. But who really done away with the lady?

After a boring party Jessica and old friend Lloyd Marcus arrive back at his house to discuss the novel of a so called friend. As the pair begin to talk a crash is heard upstairs, it seems the local art thief is at work, as a valuable painting is stolen. Not long after his socialite daughter Julia is killed, and another artwork taken, number one suspect is her cheating husband Donald.

A rather good mystery, quite a clever crime. This one fits together rather neatly, and Jessica has to be doubly clever, in solving two crimes, one of murder, one of art thief. Some of the characters are pretty good, John de Lancie's Binky is wonderfully theatrical, and great in the part, the wonderfully evergreen Norman Lloyd (responsible for producing one of the best ever episodes of Tales of the Unexpected Nothing' Short of Highway Robbery) is great. I was less impressed with some of the others, the mayor and mayoress for example are perhaps a little too big, but even they are no match the Detective's glasses and shirts.

A good mystery. 8/10