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"The Corpse Flew First Class" is the twelfth episode of the third season of Murder, She Wrote and its 56th episode overall. It aired on January 18, 1987.
Summary[]
While on a flight to London, a wealthy woman's chauffeur dies suddenly, and when the priceless necklace he was carrying turns up missing, it becomes a case of murder.
Starring[]
Regular cast[]
Guest stars[]
- Mary Jo Catlett as Agnes Metcalf
- Robin Dearden as Kay Davis
- Pat Harrington Jr. as Gunnar Globle
- David Hemmings as Errol Pogson
- Kate Mulgrew as Sonny Greer
- Gene Nelson as Louis Metcalf
- Andrew Parks as Fred Jenkins
- John S. Ragin as Dr. Clint Strayhorn
- Chris Robinson as Captain Whetsel
- James Shigeta as John Sugahara
- Robert Walker Jr. as Otto Hardwick
- Mark Venturini as Leon Bigard
Trivia[]
- This is the first episode to have people arrested for the murder and for a non-related crime.
- Twelve of the characters have the last names of musicians, singers or arrangers who worked for Duke Ellington: Louis Metcalf (Gene Nelson) and his wife (Mary Jo Catlett), Kay Davis (Robin Dearden), Sonny Greer (Kate Mulgrew), Fred Jenkins (Andrew Parks), Dr. Clint Strayhorn (John S. Ragin), Captain Whetsel (Chris Robinson), Otto Hardwick (Robert Walker Jr.), Leon Bigard (Mark Venturini), Carney (Charles Hoyes), Mr. Miley (Don Maharry) and his wife (Crystal Jenious). Some (Louis Metcalf, Kay Davis, Sonny Greer, Fred Jenkins and Otto Hardwick) also have the same first names as their Ellingtonian counterparts, though the Sonny Greer who worked for Ellington, his first drummer, was a man.
- The in-flight film that the passengers are watching is a compilation of the car chase scenes from The Blues Brothers (1980).
- Kate Mulgrew would later star in Star Trek: Voyager, where she would play the titular ship's captain, Kathryn Janeway.
- Kate was also the star of the series Mrs. Columbo (later renamed Kate Loves a Mystery) which was implied to be the adventures of the never seen wife of the famed detective; however, Levinson & Link, (who created Columbo, in addition to Murder, She Wrote) were not involved in the series in any way and disavowed it, leading to its eventual name change and swift cancellation.
Goofs[]
- When the flight hits turbulence, the captain tells everyone to put on their seat belt. You see/hear everyone doing it but when the flight attendant tells the "corpse" to put on his seat belt, he falls forward and she screams. The instant she screams, at least 6 people jump to their feet without unbuckling.
- As the airplane is coming in to land at Heathrow, there is an establishing shot of the wheels down and in the background there are cars traveling on the British motorway system. Except the cars are driving on the wrong side of the road.
Gallery[]
Home media releases[]
Item | Region | Release date |
---|---|---|
Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Third Season | Region 1 | March 14, 2006 |
Murder, She Wrote: Season 3 | Region 2 | July 31, 2006 |
Murder, She Wrote: The Complete 3rd Season | Region 4 | September 5, 2007 |
Murder, She Wrote: Seasons 1 - 3 | Region 2 | November 20, 2006 |
Murder, She Wrote: Seasons 1 - 5 | Region 2 | October 22, 2007 |
External links[]
- "The Corpse Flew First Class" at the Internet Movie Database