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!
10 Reviews
A novel approach
bkoganbing27 July 2017
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.
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.
I like how they integrated the old footage with the new.
planktonrules10 November 2022
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.
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.
Interesting fact
freilly-230 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The flash back scenes in this movie appear to be from a 1949 movie called Strange Bargain with three of the same actors from this Murder she wrote episode. The actors are Martha Scott, Jeffrey Lynn and Harry Morgan. I believe that they used this movie to show the same actors as very younger people. I wish I could get a copy of this old movie. It is interesting that they did this. The scenes appear to be cuts from this movie. I love how murder she wrote uses so many inventive techniques to relay a story. This is what always makes it so interesting. Of course the other thing that makes them so good is the use of so many famous old time actors.
No signs of dwindling here
TheLittleSongbird15 August 2017
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
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
A cry for help sees Jessica investigate a thirty year old case.
Sleepin_Dragon19 November 2017
When Jessica is out to lunch, her presence is noted by Hotel employee Georgia Wilson, who later approaches Jessica in her suite and asks for her help. Georgia explains that her husband Sam has just been released after thirty years in Prison for a crime he didn't commit. Georgia is desperate for the couple to spend their remaining time together in happiness, and only Jessica can find the truth about the shooting of Richard Jarvis. Jarvis having paid Sam $10,000 to make his suicide look like murder so his family could inherit.
Arguably the show has continued at a particularly high standard, many shows by the time they reach a third series begin to tire, recycling old ideas, but in fairness to Murder she Wrote, it just got better and better, along with episodes The Corpse Flew First Class and Crossed up, I'd place this as one of the best. Shades of the great movie Double Indemnity.
I loved the story here, Jessica finding justice for someone that has suffered for thirty years, not a passing accusation. The black and white shots could have almost been taken from a 1950's film, they look superb. I particularly liked Martha Scott (Georgia) throughout, such a classy performance.
An excellent episode, 9/10
Arguably the show has continued at a particularly high standard, many shows by the time they reach a third series begin to tire, recycling old ideas, but in fairness to Murder she Wrote, it just got better and better, along with episodes The Corpse Flew First Class and Crossed up, I'd place this as one of the best. Shades of the great movie Double Indemnity.
I loved the story here, Jessica finding justice for someone that has suffered for thirty years, not a passing accusation. The black and white shots could have almost been taken from a 1950's film, they look superb. I particularly liked Martha Scott (Georgia) throughout, such a classy performance.
An excellent episode, 9/10
The Male Secretary gets billing over the Secretary and the Nurse
safenoe24 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
First things first, I'm surprised (well maybe we shouldn't be) that in the end credits the Male Secretary (Mark Pilon) gets higher billing over the Secretary (Cynthia Leighton) and the Nurse (Martitia Palmer). Also it seems odd that Mark's role should be titled "Male Secretary". It's not like we say "Female politician" in the credits if you know what I mean.
Anyway, when I saw this episode I had no idea it was a sequel to the 1949 film Strange Bargain, with the star from the film Jeffrey Lynn, Martha Scott and Harry Morgan reprising their roles. When I saw the black and white flashback footage, I thought, wow, the make-up job on Harry Morgan is remarkable to make him look so young!
Anyway, when I saw this episode I had no idea it was a sequel to the 1949 film Strange Bargain, with the star from the film Jeffrey Lynn, Martha Scott and Harry Morgan reprising their roles. When I saw the black and white flashback footage, I thought, wow, the make-up job on Harry Morgan is remarkable to make him look so young!
The days dwindle down
coltras3520 August 2023
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!
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!
Plot is Based on False Information
WYAdams14 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is supposedly based on the 1949 crime thriller "Strange Bargain." It starts out with Mrs. Wilson coming to Jessica claiming her husband spent thirty years in prison for a murder he didn't commit.
I watched the movie (available on YouTube) before the episode to get background information and found out that Mr. Wilson was not implicated, nor did he go to prison, he and his wife drove off happily into the sunset (figure of speech). Mr. Jarvis's wife confessed she had murdered her husband because he was too cowardly to go through with his suicide scheme. It turns out he paid Sam Wilson $10,000 to come to his house, fire two shots through the window and dispose of the gun.
When Sam went to Mrs. Jarvis and told her of his plan to confess to the police that he had participated in a scheme to defraud an insurance company, she confessed to the murder and then shot him in the arm so she could still collect on the $250,000 insurance policy. But before she could shoot again Detective Webb stopped her, having heard her entire confession from the adjoining room.
Sam Wilson was let go because he had not committed a crime, since the crime was a murder and not an insurance scam. This entire episode is based on a lie, i.e., false retelling of the ending of the movie. There was nothing for Jessica to investigate, so no reason for this show to be written or broadcast.
The writers must have been desperate for plots to have resorted to such cheap antics as this, that is why I gave it one star regardless of the film clips, and actors and actresses brought over from the original movie.
For the sake of honesty, I did not watch the episode beyond the phony opening scene when Mrs. Wilson came to Jessica and told the obviously false story of her husband's false conviction, so I don't know what Jessica supposedly proved, nor do I care.
I watched the movie (available on YouTube) before the episode to get background information and found out that Mr. Wilson was not implicated, nor did he go to prison, he and his wife drove off happily into the sunset (figure of speech). Mr. Jarvis's wife confessed she had murdered her husband because he was too cowardly to go through with his suicide scheme. It turns out he paid Sam Wilson $10,000 to come to his house, fire two shots through the window and dispose of the gun.
When Sam went to Mrs. Jarvis and told her of his plan to confess to the police that he had participated in a scheme to defraud an insurance company, she confessed to the murder and then shot him in the arm so she could still collect on the $250,000 insurance policy. But before she could shoot again Detective Webb stopped her, having heard her entire confession from the adjoining room.
Sam Wilson was let go because he had not committed a crime, since the crime was a murder and not an insurance scam. This entire episode is based on a lie, i.e., false retelling of the ending of the movie. There was nothing for Jessica to investigate, so no reason for this show to be written or broadcast.
The writers must have been desperate for plots to have resorted to such cheap antics as this, that is why I gave it one star regardless of the film clips, and actors and actresses brought over from the original movie.
For the sake of honesty, I did not watch the episode beyond the phony opening scene when Mrs. Wilson came to Jessica and told the obviously false story of her husband's false conviction, so I don't know what Jessica supposedly proved, nor do I care.
How build a better mystery
packrat124 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The original movie (which I have on DVD) is an interesting thriller. But the story does drag a bit in places.
I like the way Murder, She Wrote took the needed scenes and made a new and more interesting ending out of the original, almost forgotten film.
Getting top notch actors for the episode certainly didn't hurt either, especially the three main characters who reprised their roles: the police detective (Harry Morgan), the husband (Jeffrey Lynne) who was convicted (in this version), and his loyal wife (Martha Scott). Richard Beymer, June Havoc, and Gloria Stuart were excellent replacements for those actors no longer available (or perhaps not interested).
Seeing how cleverly the 30 year old film was incorporated into flashbacks really makes this a unique and authentic looking mystery. Who better to play their younger selves than themselves?
The writers really outdid themselves in making this a more intriguing story than the original. I also wonder how much they had to pay for permission to use it!
This is definitely a must-see of Jessica Fletcher's exploits; one of the top episodes for (ironically) originality, style, great acting, and a solid mystery with an unexpected ending (as all good mysteries should be).
I like the way Murder, She Wrote took the needed scenes and made a new and more interesting ending out of the original, almost forgotten film.
Getting top notch actors for the episode certainly didn't hurt either, especially the three main characters who reprised their roles: the police detective (Harry Morgan), the husband (Jeffrey Lynne) who was convicted (in this version), and his loyal wife (Martha Scott). Richard Beymer, June Havoc, and Gloria Stuart were excellent replacements for those actors no longer available (or perhaps not interested).
Seeing how cleverly the 30 year old film was incorporated into flashbacks really makes this a unique and authentic looking mystery. Who better to play their younger selves than themselves?
The writers really outdid themselves in making this a more intriguing story than the original. I also wonder how much they had to pay for permission to use it!
This is definitely a must-see of Jessica Fletcher's exploits; one of the top episodes for (ironically) originality, style, great acting, and a solid mystery with an unexpected ending (as all good mysteries should be).
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