Intrigue abounds in sunny California when Jessica's niece, Victoria, is accused of the murder of a rich movie heiress in Beverly Hills.Intrigue abounds in sunny California when Jessica's niece, Victoria, is accused of the murder of a rich movie heiress in Beverly Hills.Intrigue abounds in sunny California when Jessica's niece, Victoria, is accused of the murder of a rich movie heiress in Beverly Hills.
Photos
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the third time for Genie Francis playing Victoria, Jessica's niece. The first was Birds of a Feather (1984) (season 1) where her, then, fiancé is Howard Griffin, played by Jeff Conaway. They are married in Corned Beef and Carnage (1986) (season 3). Howard Griffin is still married to Victoria here, but Howard is now played by Dean Butler.
- Quotes
Victoria Griffin: [on phone with Kevin] But I told you, I'm seeing my husband's play tonight.
Kevin Tarkington: Vicky, I'm very disappointed in you. I, uh... I thought you were much more flexible, if you know what I mean.
Howard Griffin: [taking phone from Victoria] This is Vicky's husband. If you ever come near her again, I will personally eliminate some of your favorite body parts, if you know what *I* mean!
- SoundtracksMurder She Wrote Theme
Written by John Addison
It's open house at the Tarkington estate in Beverly Hills, California, as the wealthy Deborah Tarkington (Jo De Winter) seeks a buyer for her residence, she willing to sell to anyone with $3.9 million except for Alex Burton (George Maharis), a former actor who had worked in films for her director father, Harry Tarkington, after Alex broke Deborah's heart, by dumping her years ago.
Victoria Brandon Griffin (Genie Francis in her third outing as an "MSW" niece) represents Deborah Tarkington as novice Real Estate agent, at least for a brief stint, ending this day at midnight. As her option faces expiration, this open house sets the stage for rival Real Estate agents to swarm in for the sale.
Didi Blair (Brenda Vaccaro) befriends Victoria from the front but schemes behind her back to outmaneuver her attempts to sell the residence. Claire Hastings (Vicki Frederick) also searches for buyers to attempt to represent Deborah for her agency, along with Claire's husband, Arnold Hastings (Dack Rambo), whom Deborah discovers to represent Alex Burton, and thereby has Arnold hastily evicted from her premises.
Howard Griffin (Dean Butler), meanwhile loses his acting job upon a daytime serial, when Director (Robert Rigamonti) notifies him that he is written off the program, after Doctor (Murray Leaward) pronounces his character dead, along with his contract.
When Aunt Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) arrives in Beverly Hills, Victoria is busy trying to sell the Tarkington estate before her deadline, and Howard is busy looking for acting gigs, discovering one in a theatre workshop, and inviting Jessica and Victoria to attend the opening. But Victoria has a lead from used car dealer Seymour Densch (Marty Ingels), to look at the very expensive "Fixer-Upper" and cannot attend.
After the show, Jessica arrives at Harold's apartment until a telephone message from Seymour Densch to cancel their appointment. So, they rush over to the mansion, in time for Victoria to stumble across a body, and to hoist a fireplace poker to ward off these "Intruders," who are immediately followed by police officers, as Rent-A-Cop (R.J. Adams).
Jessica then follows Victoria to be interrogated by Detective Lieutenant Redick (Chad Everett), who inspects the case with Jessica's interference: "Oh, but Howard isn't a suspect. He was on stage at the time of the murder," she says, to Detective Lieutenant Redick's response, "I'll decide who the suspects are."
Victoria, out on bail the next morning, removes her signs from the Tarkington premises, as Deborah's son, Kevin Tarkington (Ken Olandt), encourages her to represent him as Deborah's sole heir. Howard disapproves of this notion and confronts Kevin, as Jessica conducts an investigation of her own, she obtaining a clue from Tarkington Housekeeper (Andrea King), as well as baiting other potential suspects along the way.
Jessica is determined to clear Victoria's name and to see her established as a Real Estate agent, as well as to see Howard to realize his acting dreams, along the lines of "The Fixer-Upper."
The cast is rounded out by Woman Client (Sally Champlin), Wife (Carol Swarbrick) and Husband (David Stenstrom), Buyer (Mitchell Edmonds), Medical Examimer (Jonathan Palmer) and Mark (Craig Shoemaker).
- WeatherViolet
- Oct 17, 2009