Rehearsal for Murder (1982) (TV)

Director:

David Greene

Writers:

Richard Levinson (written by) and
William Link (written by)

Release Date:

26 May 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A year after his fiancée's death, a playwright schedules a rehearsal for his new play, which proves to be a trap for her killer.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Play Writing

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Robert Preston	...	Alex Dennison
Lynn Redgrave	...	Monica Welles
Patrick Macnee	...	David Mathews
Lawrence Pressman	...	Lloyd Andrews
William Russ	...	Frank Heller
Madolyn Smith Osborne	...	Karen Daniels (as Madolyn Smith)
Jeff Goldblum	...	Leo Gibbs
William Daniels	...	Walter Lamb
John Finnegan	...	Damon
Nicholas Mele	...	The First Officer
Vahan Moosekian	...	The Moving Man
Charles Robinson	...	The Second Officer (as Charlie Robinson)
Wallace Rooney	...	Ernie
Buck Young	...	Lieutenant McElroy

Also Known As:

Cold Reading (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U | USA:Not Rated | Iceland:12 | Australia:PG

Company:

CBS Entertainment Production

Quotes:

Alex: Permit me my element of surprise, Lloyd. In a mystery, the audience should never know what's coming next.

This movie deserves to be on Broadway!

This has remained one of my favorite movies of all time. Written by Richard Levinson and William Link, the creators of "Columbo" and "Murder, She Wrote," the story takes place in an empty theater as playwright Alex Dennison stages an elaborate plan to reveal the truth behind his movie star fiancée's supposed suicide. Cast and crew from her first, and only stage play performance are gathered together a year after her death under the pretext of a reading of his new play. As the scenes are read, it becomes evident that Alex has an ulterior motive in inviting these people for this "rehearsal." When the group learns that Alex believes Monica was actually murdered, and that one of them is the prime suspect, it is only through various methods of duress that they reluctantly go along with his scheme. Very much like a stage play, each character is introduced, playing what seems to be a stock part: the ingénue yearning for stardom; the producer keeping his eye on the bottom line; the stage director trying to make a name for himself; the embittered ex-lover; the leading man with an eye for the ladies, and so on. At the center of the story, Robert Preston is perfect as the distinguished playwright who has suffered a tragic loss; determined to prove that the woman he loved was murdered. At times, you can't be certain that he hasn't simply gone over the edge in his grief.

Jeff Goldblum's face is the only one on the DVD cover, and although he was excellent playing the part of supporting actor Leo Gibbs, this movie truly is a shining example of ensemble performance, with great performances by William Daniels, Lawrence Pressman, Patrick Macnee, and Madolyn Smith. The only discordant note is Lynn Redgrave. Admittedly, playing a character that is only seen in flashbacks and manufactured scenes from a play, it is hard to get a sense of Monica Welles' true nature. Still, the movie was not so much about her, but rather about how others may have seen her from different perspectives, along with their possible motives.

There are many twists and turns, but the clues are there for anyone to see, especially in dialogue. The first and most notable one, is when Alex tells the group about his new play. "Unusual form, a mystery," Alex notes, "You take the audience by the hand, and you lead them... in the wrong direction. They trust you, and you betray them! All in the name of surprise." These words sum up the story perfectly and succinctly, and I'm glad I have the chance to give this movie a hearty recommendation.