The Days Dwindle Down

This story was one of the best Murder She Wrote episodes as Jeffrey Lynn, Martha Scott, and Harry Morgan all play the same roles they did in a film Strange Bargain made three decades earlier. With the passage of real time giving the players aid no amount of makeup could, a whole story is reinvented with flashbacks from the old film worked into the plot.

Jessica Fletcher usually doesn't investigate 30 year old murders, but the story that Jeffrey Lynn tells her about in jail for a crime he didn't commit certainly intrigued her. With these three and a few others she backtracks and proves what actually happened.

The film was Strange Bargain and by making such a bargain Lynn really put himself in a jackpot. Good thing Angela Lansbury was around to straighten it all out.

Back in 1949, a lower-budgeted crime film came out...one that is pretty obscure today. "Strange Bargain" was a dandy picture...one I strongly recommend you watch.

So why did I mention this? Well, the folks who made "Murder, She Wrote" were able to re-assemble most of the cast of the old movie and used it to make "The Days Dwindle Down". To do this, they used a few scenes from the old movie and used them in a few flashback scenes to explain the 30 year-old crime.

So why would they use an old film? Well, Jessica is approached by a wife (Martha Scott) because her husband (Jeffery Lynn) served 30 years in fail for a murder he didn't commit...and she wants Jessica to investigate.

So is it any good? Well, I give this one a 9...so obviously I liked it. I also liked seeing all the old actors playing their old selves in the show. But what I really appreciated is how well it was all integrated with the old movie.....which was very clever.

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

Season 3, and 'Murder She Wrote' in general, showS no signs of dwindling in "The Days Dwindle Down", one of the most interesting episodeS of Season 3 and of all 'Murder She Wrote' episodes put together. Not just for the archival footage of 'Strange Bargain' for the flashbacks, but also being one of few episodes with Jessica investigating a case so old in a quest to prove the innocence of a convicted man.

The flashbacks serve a crucial purpose and add hugely to the story in revealing as much about the past as possible. The mystery is hugely intriguing from start to finish with some tense conflict and some well executed surprises, the ending is one that one doesn't see coming at all.

Production values are slick and stylish as ever with 'Murder She Wrote'. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.

Writing is thought-provoking, light-hearted and amiable and one really cares about the case being solved and for the right person to be found out.

Angela Lansbury is spot-on, and the supporting cast is one of Season 3's strongest with standout turns from Harry Morgan and June Havoc.

In conclusion, terrific episode, one of my favourite Season 3 episodes. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Jess is staying at the fancy Parkside Hotel in Santa Monica, California, courtesy of her publisher. She is having a lunch meeting with a publicist in the hotel dining room, who is trying to convince her that publicizing her "solved cases" would be better than publicizing her upcoming novel. A hotel staff member, Gloria, overhears this and later visits Jessica in her room with a request: to prove that her husband Sam who has just gotten out of jail after serving 30 years for a murder he didn't commit was innocent. Sam seems to have given up on life, so Gloria's hoping Jessica can help figure out what really happened, and thus help them live out the rest of their years in happiness.

An offbeat and a fairly good episode. It's quite ambitious with its flashback - taken from a 1949 film- and adds some substance to the proceedings. It's a serious episode, well-acted, though a little confusing with its twists, but that's more my fault with my brain not keeping up!

I just saw a rerun of this episode, and do not remember ever seeing it at the time it was originally released. However, I was impressed with the theme of this particular episode. As a long-time fan of 1940's and 1950's actors and actresses, I could tell almost immediately that clips from an old show or movie had been "woven" into the plot of this episode. I have never seen the 1949 movie, for which this "ending" was created -- but after watching this Murder, She Wrote episode, I now want to see the original movie. I bet it was a GREAT thriller of the past! I recommend this particular episode, not only to Angela Lansbury fans, but to movie buffs as well!