Murder Once Removed

There are a surprising number of made-for-TV movies out there that, for some reason or another, have entered the public domain and have been issued on many cheapo DVD labels. "Murder Once Removed" is one of those. I watched it on a 10-pack DVD box set, and fortunately (unlike many other movies in the public domain) the picture and sound quality wasn't bad. Watching it, I wondered how this movie could get neglected enough so that the copyright wasn't removed. It's not a classic, but it gets the job done all right. It's only 75 minutes long, so it tells its story in a lean manner with very little unwanted fat. The story is pretty enticing, making you wonder what the doctor character will do next in every situation he's in. And the last part of the movie gives us not one, but several surprising twists. As I said, this isn't a classic, but it's well done enough that it's definitely worth the one or two dollars you'll have to pay to buy the DVD.

This perfect suspenser - with a lot of twists - plays like a Columbo movie without Columbo.

Dr. Wellesley (John Forsythe) is on the verge of having an affair with Lisa Manning (Barbara Bain) as her husband won't give her the divorce she's been asking for. To put a stop to this, Mr. Manning (Richard Kiley) decides to blackmail the doctor about some mysterious deaths in his past. The doctor protests his innocence, of course, but Manning wants him away from his wife and out of town.

Right from the start, with the two men politely playing golf while calmly discussing murders and blackmail, this quality movie grips the viewer. The cast are top notch and it's always fun watching a TV murderer do their thing and then waiting to see if they'll actually get away with it.

The final third brings several surprises. Nothing here is quite what it seems. Very clever. And a lot of fun.

Originally aired on Friday, 29 October, 1971. It was scheduled after the 7th regular episode of O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, and against the 6th second season episode of The Odd Couple on ABC.

As basic entertainment, this is kind of fun. It's a nicely plotted film if you don't think too much. The plot involves a doctor who has psychotic tendencies and acts on them fairly frequently. Because he doesn't get caught, he feels vindicated. He applies this logic to other murderers as well. He is played pretty well by John Forsyth. He has a relationship with Barbara Bain from the Impossible Missions Force, and hopes to marry her. I'm surprised his last name isn't Bluebeard, because he seems to have a thing for trophies. The acting is credible in the made for TV venue. It's nicely done. As a previous writer said, it's a little like those Link/Levinson productions, ala Columbo. It moves along nicely and there are lots of surprises.

Now for the other part. There are so many coincidences and potential pitfalls that it would be really hard to make the plot work. Anything could mess it up. There's also the fact that the person murdered first knows about Forsyth's history and still allows him to perform surgery. He also baits him about his past. There had to be other avenues he could have taken, knowing what he knows. There's also a frame up that really would have to be so obvious to anyone with a shred of investigative insight.

The characterization is good. I really liked the nurse, Rita Shaw, who has a handle on everything. She is Forsyth's main adversary, and he doesn't even know it. She has always played those kinds of characters and, like people in her profession, she's the guts of the operation.

I would recommend this film if you aren't too picky. It will keep you involved.

Ensemble cast deliver a taut, reasonably tense suspense TV movie concerning a physician (Forsythe) with a dark past whose current dalliance with a married woman (Bain) leads to murder, the framing of an innocent man (Burton) and a sequence of double-crosses that should keep most audiences both entertained and surprised.

Forsythe is economical as the suspicious Doctor whose patients seem to experience a higher fatality rate than usual, while Kiley is the well-informed cuckold, seeking to end the romance between Forsythe and his wife (Bain) through blackmail. Joseph Campanella is perhaps the film's highlight as the local detective who's one step ahead.

Compact thriller is short on time but punches above its weight for overall impact with a tidy conclusion that features more twists than a Chubby Checker tune, so check it out when you have 70 minutes spare.

Years ago, mysteries like "Murder Once Removed" were common TV fare, and frankly, I liked it that way.

This is a particularly neat one starring John Forsythe, Richard Kiley, Joe Campanella, Barbara Bain, and Reta Shaw. Forsythe plays Dr. Wellesley, who has a less than stellar past, which he's been reminded of by the husband of the woman (Bain) he's in love with (Kiley).

Wellesley plans to get rid of his competition and plans the perfect murder, framing a young Vietnam vet (Wendell Burton) whom he's weaning off of a heroin addiction. The camera has Forsythe in tight closeup most of the time, and with its hard lens, it's unforgiving.

Very entertaining, and it's nice to see all those old TV stars once again, including Forsythe, who didn't usually play someone evil, the terrific Kiley, the always reliable Reta Shaw as Dr. Wellesley's nurse and Barbara Bain as the very attractive object of the doc's affections. Now 84, Joseph Campanella was once a mainstay of prime time TV, and he still pops up occasionally.

Someone said the script was far-fetched -- maybe, but it's very intriguing. Enjoy.