Jessica Fletcher (Dame Angela Lansbury) is attacked on a train when she investigates the case of a missing passenger.Jessica Fletcher (Dame Angela Lansbury) is attacked on a train when she investigates the case of a missing passenger.Jessica Fletcher (Dame Angela Lansbury) is attacked on a train when she investigates the case of a missing passenger.
- Awards
- 3 nominations
Michael Krawic
- Radley
- (as Michael A. Krawic)
Stuart Proud Eagle Grant
- Jim Sunrise
- (as Stuart Grant)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was one of the most complicated scripts to prep because of the number of locations required. Matching terrain for road work, Sheriff car chases, helicopter landing and takeoff points, interior café diner (Saugus, California), lecture interior, train station (Acton, California), tracks for the Amtrak train to travel for filming while the train was in motion. The production company (Universal Studios) and Amtrak had to gain permission from Metro Rail to use right of way on their rail tracks, with the film train waiting on side bar tracks for the daily Metro schedules. Filming the bus interior while moving on back roads of Acton, the town of Piru, California for the bus passengers to disembark, completely dressing the Piru Main Street for the scripted scenes. An epic for a two hour Movie of the Week, this was a very busy shoot. Every member of the crew drove to each location on his or her own. Not one person was put up in a hotel during the entire filming schedule.
- GoofsDriving through "Aqua Verde" a street sign above can be seen for "Magic Mountain Parkway"
- Quotes
[last lines]
Jessica Fletcher: ...It starts with a simple electronic game and an eastbound train.
- ConnectionsFollowed by Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For (2000)
Featured review
Long way from Cabot Cove
Anyone who has viewed more than two or three of Jessica's 40-minute TV episodes can set their watch by the little scene where she stops and says "Now let me see if I've got this right" - her chance to help all the dumbos to keep up with the plot.
Well 80 minutes is very different from 40 minutes, and I personally would have welcomed at least one of these idiot-board updates in the course of this bigger and busier version of 'Murder, She Wrote'. No fewer than 37 characters are listed, and their names flung about like confetti, so we only dimly understand who's who in the zoo. But don't let that put you off; the masterly ending will make the same impact anyhow.
The story takes us by rail into the baking sands of Arizona, about as far as you can get from Cabot Cove, both geographically and spiritually. Trains are always good for murder mysteries, with plenty of enigmatic strangers and chance meetings. And with Jessica on board, it's a safe bet that one or two passengers won't quite make it to their destination.
By about the midpoint, we've learned to mistrust every snarling male, but not, of course, certain gracious females who are so keen to confide in Jessica. (This view takes a bit of a knock in the closing stages.)
We can't reveal much more without giving away some key twists that are vastly superior to anything seen in the standard episodes. As for the murder-motive, this relates to a hi-tech agenda that manages to look just as fresh and topical now as it would have done in 1997 - a singular achievement. There are some pleasing touches, like a wacky hotel receptionist (Susan Blommaert) who turns out to be one of Jessica's most devoted fans. And only the inaudible dialogue at a key moment in the dining-car scene lets down the production values.
At the end, Jessica is pointing out the murderer's careless mistakes in her best schoolmarm style. (But regular viewers may like to know that we're spared the usual spluttering "But that's ridiculous..." protest from the other party this time round!)
Well 80 minutes is very different from 40 minutes, and I personally would have welcomed at least one of these idiot-board updates in the course of this bigger and busier version of 'Murder, She Wrote'. No fewer than 37 characters are listed, and their names flung about like confetti, so we only dimly understand who's who in the zoo. But don't let that put you off; the masterly ending will make the same impact anyhow.
The story takes us by rail into the baking sands of Arizona, about as far as you can get from Cabot Cove, both geographically and spiritually. Trains are always good for murder mysteries, with plenty of enigmatic strangers and chance meetings. And with Jessica on board, it's a safe bet that one or two passengers won't quite make it to their destination.
By about the midpoint, we've learned to mistrust every snarling male, but not, of course, certain gracious females who are so keen to confide in Jessica. (This view takes a bit of a knock in the closing stages.)
We can't reveal much more without giving away some key twists that are vastly superior to anything seen in the standard episodes. As for the murder-motive, this relates to a hi-tech agenda that manages to look just as fresh and topical now as it would have done in 1997 - a singular achievement. There are some pleasing touches, like a wacky hotel receptionist (Susan Blommaert) who turns out to be one of Jessica's most devoted fans. And only the inaudible dialogue at a key moment in the dining-car scene lets down the production values.
At the end, Jessica is pointing out the murderer's careless mistakes in her best schoolmarm style. (But regular viewers may like to know that we're spared the usual spluttering "But that's ridiculous..." protest from the other party this time round!)
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- Goingbegging
- Sep 3, 2013
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- Se ha escrito un crimen: La muerte viaja en tren
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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Top Gap
By what name was Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest (1997) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer