Lord Peter Wimsey - Murder Must Advertise [DVD]

1) These televesion plays were made thirty years ago on a shoe string budget. They bear little resemblence to our modern idea of a televsion show, being much more like televised theatre. *Slow* televised theatre.
2) Ian Carmichael's Lord Peter Wimsey is in some respects distinctly different from Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter, he's much more physically & psychologically robust. Very hard to imagine him collapsing with nerves & he's certainly no chattering icicle; Carmichael's Wimsey is a solid, warm, commanding type.

If any of that bothers you, see the eighties-vintage Edward Petherbridge dramatisations of the Harriet Vane mysteries for higher production values, slightly faster pacing, and a true-to-character Wimsey. Much as I love those later efforts, I think you'll be missing out if you don't give these a try. The screen plays are very well adapted from the books & the acting is very good indeed.

Murder Must Advertise is the novel Sayers based on her own experience of years in an early advertising firm. After a mysterious death, Lord Peter arrives incognitio to try and puzzle out what is going on. I don't want to give too much away here and spoil anyone's fun, suffice it to say that this is a prime piece of entertainment & one to be savoured. My only quibble is with the perfectly *hideous* harlequin costume Lord Peter dons at one point. I mean, I know they had a miniscule budget, but this is so mesmerically unflattering that it leaves one wondering what on earth Carmichael had done to the wardrobe mistress to merit such retribution!

Shortly after that Victor Dean spirals to his death. An accident?

It may be coincidence but to be on the safe side Mr. Pym (Peter Pratt) of Pym's Advertising Agency heirs a privet detective "Death Breen" to secretly find the answer. Mr. Breen poses as a beginning copy writer and gets to know the staff. We notice that Mr. Breen is too well dressed for the part and looking closer we recognize him as...

Lord Peter (Ian Carmichael) used the address of the empty apartment owned by his brother-in-law Chief Inspector Parker (Mark Eden) and sister Lady Mary (Rachel Herbert)

While Lord Peter is doing his investigation of the mysterious doings at Pym's, Chief Inspector Parker is investigation dope smuggling. Their paths cross frequently.

Is there a link?
And was Victor Dean just a victim of an accident?
Watch and find out.

You may notice that Ian Carmichael is really showing his age in this film and is just a tad old for the part.

They took the time to put just about everything relevant from the book in to this production. There were a few exceptions but not worth bothering about. The production is complete enough that you do not have to read the book.

Dorothy L. Sayers writes many non-fiction books however among her best is the Lord Peter Wimsey series. I came to this series sort of though the back door. My first taste was the BBC productions with Petherbridge as Lord Peter, which can now be found on DVD and as a set of Lord Peter stories. So I read all of Dorothy's books containing the relationship of Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. Now it is time to go through the whole series.

This item is worth purchasing as you will want to replay it often.