"Murder, She Wrote" A Fashionable Way to Die (1987)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Nick Havinga

Writers:

Peter S. Fischer (creator) and
Richard Levinson (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Murder, She Wrote" (1984)

Original Air Date:

20 September 1987 (Season 4, Episode 1)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Jessica jaunts to Paris at the beckon of an old friend whose fashion boutique is in financial trouble. When a local loan shark is found murdered, Jessica must dig deep to ensure her friend is not fingered as the murderer.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Mystery Writer | Writing | Woman Detective | Amateur Detective

Cast

Angela Lansbury	...	Jessica Fletcher
Lee Bergere	...	Maxim Soury
Bill Beyers	...	Peter Appleyard (as Bill Beyers)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Danielle Brisebois	...	Kim Bechet
Randi Brooks	...	Lu Watters
Louise Dorsey	...	DeDe
Bonnie Ebsen	...	Yvette, the Maid
Taina Elg	...	Claudia Soury
Karen Hensel	...	Marie, the Maid
Louis Plante	...	Albert (as Louis R. Plante)
Juliet Prowse	...	Valerie Bechet
Barbara Rush	...	Eva Taylor
Alain Saint-Alix	...	Bellman
Julie Silliman	...	Margo
Jean-Paul Vignon	...	Emcee
Michel Voletti	...	Officer Luter (as Michael Voletti)
Fritz Weaver	...	Paris Inspector Panassic

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Three Shots for the Blue, White and Red

This episode marks the last appearance by Juliet Prowse, who began her film and television acting and dancing career in 1960. --and also the last appearance of Bill Beyers, whose brief acting career began in 1978, and who unfortunately passed at the young age of 37. --and also one of the last television roles for Lee Bergere, who began his film and television career in 1954.

Eva Taylor (Barbara Rush) has been a struggling fashion designer in her Paris, France, shoppe, "The Taylored Look," but now she finally faces an opportunity to achieve international acclaim, by showing her new season's line at Hotel Inter-Continental, with the capable assistance of her right-hand man, Peter Appleyard (Bill Beyers), and fashionable models, as Margo (Julie Silliman) and DeDe (Louise Dorsey).

Meanwhile, Eva's financial backer, Maxim Soury (Lee Bergere), who operates Maxim's Club, featuring his mistress, Valerie Bechet (Juliet Prowse), who insists that her daughter, Kim Bechet (Danielle Brisebois), model in the forthcoming fashion show (to keep an eye on her mother's lover, who seems to have an eye for Eva), coerces Eve to sign 50% of her profits to him, lest he withdraw his financial support.

Eva readily accepts Kim to model gowns, while Kim refuses to spy on Maxim at Valerie's request. But when Eva also announces recruiting the world-famous Lu Watters (Randi Brooks) to model in her show, Maxim has his ways of benefiting.

Eva's old friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) arrives in Paris in time for the festivities, and to learn of Eva's difficulties, over which Eva does not wish to burden Jessica.

Jessica enjoys the successful fashion show in Hotel Inter-Continental alongside Claudia Soury (Taina Elg), the wife of Maxim, who permits him to have his mistresses providing that their teenage daughters not be drawn into scandal.

But after the show, Jessica, Eva and Claudia stumble onto a body in an upstairs room.

Paris Inspector Panassic (Fritz Weaver) and Officer Luter (Michel Voletti) are called to investigate the crime, which turns complex by conflicting testimonies of Marie, the Maid (Karen Hensel) and Yvette, the Maid (Bonnie Ebsen), as well as that of Albert (Louis Plante) at Maxim's Club, plus those behind the scenes at the fashion show, who claim that Eva couldn't have been wearing her own cloak and hat, as reported.

Many dark secrets begin to emerge across the Paris nightlife, as Jessica discovers one clue after another amid "A Fashionable Way to Die."

The cast is rounded out by Fashion Show Emcee (Jean-Paul Vignon) and Hotel Inter-Continental Bellman (Alain Saint-Alix).