Rehearsal for Murder

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.

A superior T V movie, has Robert Preston as a playwright, trying to convince his friends, that his wife has been murdered,and not as the police think, that she committed suicide. He rents a theatre, then proceeds to put on a basics of a new play, in order to bring the killer to justice. Any film like this with such a good twist in the tail, is well worth watching.

The writers, Richard Levinson and William Link, openly declare their intentions within their own dialogue: "In a murder mystery, you take the audience by the hand....and you lead them in the wrong direction. They trust you, and you betray them". And that's what they set out to do as well. Clever script, fine ensemble acting (with a pre-stardom Jeff Goldblum making a strong impression). The direction is a little flat and cramped (except for the transitions in & out of the enacted play), but in this case it seems to fit the theme. Do NOT get spoiled on this. *** out of 4.

Back in the early 2000s, you could find the weirdest combinations of movies together on one DVD. Many titles ghosted around in the "public domain" and were put on discs together with other & totally unrelated films. I found in my closet a DVD called "3 classic thrillers collection". Sounds intriguing enough, but it's a crummy disc with "Mr. Scarface", "Dementia 13", and this "Rehearsal for Murder" on it. None of them are thrillers, none of them are classics, and I really can't see any link or connection between them. I probably bought it for Fernando di Leo's "Mr. Scarface" (a.k.a. "I Padroni della Cittá") or for Francis Ford Coppola's witty horror debut "Dementia 13" and ignored "Rehearsal for Murder" during all these years.

Unjust, I now discovered, as "Rehearsal for Murder" is a compelling, smart, and more than competent made-for-TV thriller/whodunit. The film eventually caught my attention because the screenplay was written by the duo Richard Levinson and William Link. These two were known and very skilled in the field of murder mysteries and convoluted thrillers and created the legendary character/franchises "Columbo" (with Peter Falk) and "Murder, She Wrote" (with Angela Lansburry). Levinson and Link - even their surnames sound like a solid alliance - also scripted a handful of terrific late 70s/early 80s TV-thrillers, of which "One of my Wives is Missing" is undoubtedly the best. "Rehearsal for Murder" is not too far behind, though.

Levinson & Link (yes, I love using their alliterating names) stayed on familiar turf for this, as the plot revolves around Alex Dennison, a theater play writer who's still grieving over the death of his fiancée one year earlier. He doesn't believe Monica committed suicide and is certain that she was murdered. Alex narrowed down the number of potential suspects to the five people who were the closest to them as a couple, and as collaborators in the play that premiered on the night of her death. He lures all of them (3 actors, 1 director, and a producer) to the theater, supposedly to proofread the script of a new play, but he cleverly incorporated their motives into the fake play and wants to confront them.

The concept and set-up are already great, but the unforeseeable plot twists make it even better. I can't reveal too much, but you'll see. The revelation at the end, and some of the circumstances of Monica's death are quite far-fetched and implausible, but still I found it acceptable. Good cast, too, with familiar faces like Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Macnee, and William Daniels.

I was confused not to see lieutenant Columbo in this film, written by the Levinson Link piece of work, which, of course looks very lie a COLUMBO series episode, except the very short cop appearance. Besides, that's a real good time waster for perfect crime schemes lovers. And what a surprise to see Pat Mc Nee here. I have nothing more to tell about this feature.