The Monte Carlo Murders

This episode begins with a pre-title Prologue, containing footage of Peter Templeton's (Ian Ogilvy) scaling exterior walls of a Monte Carlo hotel, swinging from roof to roof, and entering the window of Barbara Calloway (Maryam d'Abo) to romance and to threaten with murder unless she stops cheating on him, and then to romance further.

Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) soon arrives in Monte Carlo to visit her dear old friend Annie Floret (Dina Merrill), a recent widow of hotel co-owner Andre, who now must operate the lavish resort building alone, and amid a series of difficulties.

Annie's young adult son, Richie Floret (Neill Barry), assists where needed but now becomes interested in photography, and developing photographs of surveillance and espionage in his campaign to blackmail those who try to destroy Annie.

Peter Templeton also serves on the hotel staff, as pianist, on a roster which also includes Chef Robert (Reuven Bar-Yotam), Suzette, the Desk Clerk (Diane Manzo), and Armand Beauclaire (Victor Touzie), a waiter who also spies upon guests, by planting telephone bugs, and recording sinister conversations.

Law enforcement officer of the hour, Inspector Morel (Patrick Bauchau), arrives early on the scene this time around, to bargain with Shop Proprietor (Jon Rashad Kamal) on Jessica's behalf, as she tours Monte Carlo's Old Quarter to purchase glassware.

Earl Harper (David Birney), meanwhile, causes trouble for Annie and Richie, by threatening to foreclose upon the hotel come Monday, as his balloon loan, charging outrageous interest amounts, cannot be met in time.

Financier Scott Larkin (Bo Hopkins), who operates a fleet of vessels, and seeks a measures to attempt to rise to Annie's assistance, leads to another objection of Earl, his rival, with whom he brawls.

And while Earl Harper sneaks around with Barbara Calloway, they fall out not only with Peter Templeton, but also with Earl's wife, Cynthia Harper (Lise Hilboldt), who happens to be seeing bodyguard Henry (Scott James) on the sly.

Jessica sports many fashionable afternoon dresses, jackets and evening gowns around Monte Carlo, often seeming to change costumes around every turn. But they're quite becoming to Angela, to afford a sleek and state of the art effect, and very stylish, while appearing comfortable.

Back to the plot, Albert DeVere (Gustav Vintas) approaches Jessica on the ballroom dance floor, after she concludes a number with Inspector Morel. She pleads that she feels too tired for another spin, causing the exiting Albert to continue to spy upon her from across the hall...and around lobby corners the next day, when he approaches her for an autograph, against which she again pleads for want of time.

Cynthia Harper discovers the first body in a hotel room, demonstrating that Lise Hilboldt's ability to scream ranks right up there with the best of them, those hotel chambermaids, who often stumble across bodies. (It would have been nice to have seen Miss Hilboldt's role expanded a bit here, as well as Mr. Ogilvy's, naturally, but, alas, Peter Templeton is arrested for murder and carted off, causing Jessica to suspect others in the theft of the missing Alexandra Stone necklace.)

So, Jessica investigates a trail of clues involving the abundance of espionage transpiring around the hotel, when she stumbles across a second stabbing victim (but not by a pair of scissors this time), who breathes dying words to Jessica in French.

And, when Jessica finally gets around to autographing for Albert DeVere the French language version of one of her books, she suddenly realizes the key to solving the "The Monte Carlo Murders."

This episode represents the first of two "MSW" appearances for Gustav Vintas, the second of two each for Dina Merrill and Bo Hopkins, the third of three for Lise Hilboldt, the third of four for David Birney, and the third of five "MSW" guest roles for Ian Ogilvy.

This Murder She Wrote story might be the first one I've ever seen set in Monte Carlo where the center of the plot wasn't gambling. Jessica Fletcher has come to the Riviera to visit another old classmate Dina Merrill who is a widow trying to keep control of the hotel she owns. The mortgage is held by a real lizard of a human being in David Birney. So you know right away that Birney is slated to be the victim in this story.

There are two victims however Birney and a waiter at the hotel Victor Touzie who doubled as a spy for hire. It's what Touzie did as an avocation that sends Angela Lansbury on the track of the real killer who the Monte Carlo cops think is Neill Barry, Merrill's son.

Nicely done story with Birney a real standout.

Like most episodes of "Murder, She Wrote", the murder victim is very obvious. After all, for nearly half the episode, the guy took delight in being a giant jerk-face...and the only question was WHO was going to off this guy! But that's okay, as the show was still quite enjoyable and well worth seeing. But I should mention that the ending, well, it's weak. The two-time killer inexplicably, felt bad about the killings and quickly confessed to Jessica his misdeeds...and this was without the police being nearby to save her in case the killer decided to off her as well. Still, setting the show in Monte Carlo was a nice change of pace and even a weak episode of "Murder, She Wrote" is still very good.

I enjoy the odd MSW and only watched this as I saw Ian Ogilvy was cast it. Sadly, we saw only about five minutes total of him.

Poor acting and overacting as per usual and stereotypical characters. The spoilt son who doesn't want to be involved with the hotel as he's a 'photographer'. Very strange photos he was developing. The ponytailed body guard, the flighty wife of the nasty man....the most annoying was the chef; French of course. The silly scenes with Jessica in the kitchen sniffing the pot to identify an ingredient. OTT and cringeworthy.

Where's Ian?

Annie, the hotel owner. . Armand! Ian was wasted in this.

This episode is a rather slick affair with grandiose scenery but some good suspects. This time, Jessica probes a Monte Carlo murder for which her hotelier friend (Dina Merrill) is a suspect. There's a good performance by David Birney, who plays an oily character. He, of course, becomes a victim, and he has got plenty of enemies. One of them being Ian Oglivy, whose character amusingly has a surname of Templeton ( perhaps a nod to Simon Templar).