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Prodcut Description: [More Information ...] "I'm investigating when a man died of natural causes," states aristocratic sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey, "but it's beginning to look more interesting everyday." So it is in this impeccably mounted 1972 BBC miniseries, which would make Dorothy L. Sayers's peerless literary creation proud. Ian Carmichael stars in his signature role as the stylish, cultured, and erudite Wimsey, whose investigation into the death of General Fentiman is as irresistible as "poking sticks into a peaceful and mysterious-looking pond to see what was on the bottom." Fentiman died in his favorite chair at the staid Bellona Club. Oddly enough, his sister died the same day. Wimsey agrees to try and determine when Fentiman died ("I shall enjoy it," he exults). In a nutshell, as one character states (which is always helpful in increasingly complicated cases like this), dispersion of the inheritance will become "uncommonly awkward" depending on who died first. The "whendunit" becomes a whodunit when it is revealed that the general was poisoned. The unflappable Wimsey has a colorful gallery of suspects to consider, including the increasingly unhinged George, one of the general's grandsons (why is he smashing a bottle of digitalis?), and Ann Dorland, who stands to benefit most if the general died first (what's the deal with the books on chemistry and poisons she has recently purchased?). Other memorable characters further enliven the proceedings, among them the Munns, George's bickering (and at one point blackmailing) landlords. As the very British title suggests, this is not a crime thriller to set the pulse racing (the discovery of Fentiman's body is referred to as "something rather unpleasant"). But as the mystery unfolds over the course of 180 minutes (and 4 volumes), it is as captivating as a good late-night read. --Donald Liebenson
Similar Products : [More Information ...] Lord Peter Wimsey - Five Red Herrings Lord Peter Wimsey (Ian Carmichael) and his manservant, Bunter (Glyn Houston), take a holiday in Scotland, but instead of spending his time fishing and playing the odd round of golf, Wimsey soon finds himself traipsing through the bracken in pursuit of a killer. It's a thankless t... |  Lord Peter Wimsey: Clouds of Witness Ah, there's nothing quite like settling in and getting cozy with a complicated British country-estate murder. In the BBC adaptation of Dorothy Sayers's detective novel, which also aired on PBS, the brilliant Lord Peter Wimsey brings his investigative talents to use close to hom... |  Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries (The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection - Strong Poison / Have His Carcass / Gaudy Night) Three Dorothy L. Sayers mysteries involving amateur sleuth extraordinaire Lord Peter Wimsey and the lovely Harriet Vane are realized to perfection in these 1987 BBC adaptations. In Strong Poison, Harriet (Harriet Walter) is on trial for murder. Lord Peter (Edward Petherbridge) be... |  Campion - The Complete Second Season For the second season, the creators of the British mystery series Campion have cranked up the adventure and derring-do. The deceptively bookish 1930s sleuth Albert Campion (Peter Davison, also a former Doctor Who) and his formerly thuggish manservant Lugg (Brian Glover) dive ... |  Campion - The Complete First Season "Do you take the long road?" asks a gruff restaurant manager of a hapless drifter. Thus is launched one of the serpentine mysteries written by Margery Allingham, featuring a genteel 1930s sleuth named Albert Campion (played by Peter Davison, a former Doctor Who), whose bland g... |  The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries, Set 1 What happened to the arsenic? What about the red paint on the banister, or that horrid little book about how to embalm a corpse? Such questions are, of course, best left to Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn (Patrick Malahide) of Scotland Yard, who puts on his "serious suit" to solv... |  Inspector Alleyn Mysteries, Set 2 Anyone familiar with the thin, cruel features of Patrick Malahide from The Singing Detective (or any other movie in which he so vividly plays someone venomous or unpleasant) will have some trouble adjusting to his role as the hero of Inspector Alleyn Mysteries, based on the popul... |  Jeeves & Wooster - The Complete Series Bertie Wooster is feeling a bit shy of the mark when his new valet reports for duty, bringing with him a much-needed cure for the effects of the previous night's excesses. On the strength of this sterling debut, Jeeves is formally retained, and the unsuspecting servant is thrown ... |  Foyle's War - Set 4 The excellent Foyle's War returns with four episodes (each on its own disc) that first appeared on television in 2006 and '07. As before, the show's "history meets mystery" tagline pretty much sums it up, as Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle solves murders and vari... |  Midsomer Murders, Set 10 Gruesome doings in bucolic villages make Midsomer Murders an addictive British detective series. Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby (John Nettles), a staunch, determined policeman with a nose for sniffing out motives and crucial mistakes, investigates murders in this bizarrely hom... |
Lord Peter Wimsey - Five Red Herrings Lord Peter Wimsey: Clouds of Witness Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries (The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection - Strong Poison / Have His Carcass / Gaudy Night) Campion - The Complete Second Season Campion - The Complete First Season The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries, Set 1 Inspector Alleyn Mysteries, Set 2 Jeeves & Wooster - The Complete Series Foyle's War - Set 4 Midsomer Murders, Set 10
Reviews:
Enjoy the Peter Wimseys I have the entire collection of the Carmichael Wimseys, and although I agree with the reviewer who said the actor doesn't meet my image of the character, I also have to say that he does grow on one with each succeeding play--and, because of it's vintage (970's), the series is in fact more like filmed theater, which makes it all the more enjoyable. By the time I got to Lord Peter Wimsey - Murder Must Advertise I enjoyed the Carmichael take on the character. I'm not sure quite who could play this role true to the author's version. The Edward Petherbridge Wimsey Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries (The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection - Strong Poison / Have His Carcass / Gaudy Night)was also difficult to engage with, but his version was also very good. Perhaps the character is so much a creature of mind that there is no definitive Wimsey except that in ones head.
The sets are marvelous, the costumes impressive, and the music enjoyable. Everything about the play is what a reader of the older genre, the classic who-done-it, expects the period and the "English" to be. It's like a visit to a past that probably never existed but that is enjoyable nonetheless. Anyone who enjoyed the books will definitely enjoy the plays.
Wonderful series. The Test of Time Well, this isn't something I'd watch multi-times if I had it at home. Like all BBC productions from 70s, it is cheaply made, though probably exact on the details, but stagebound, in that it's all set in rooms, the set decor really nice, but somewhat claustrophic. Cheap/regular video rather than film. Makes it look sketchy on screen instead of precise. I don't find the lead character to be that interesting. Though it is still a cozy mystery (takes place betw the two World Wars) it is excessively talky, the actors physically plain, sometimes irritating, and lacking in charm. Makes it more REAL that way, but less FUN. It's nice to see something NEW, but at the same time, if given a choice between seeing again my least favorite Midsomer ep or any Miss Marple or Poirot or one of the lesser-known sleuths, or watching one of these Wimsey's, I wouldn't be grabbing for Lord Peter. Ain't it just a good movie! I've read this series. I held off watching this because, frankly, Ian Carmichal doesn't fit my mental picture of Peter Wimsey. Now I'm glad I got it! It's four episodes on two DVD's. Ian Carmichal is terrific! He may not have the face or the figure I pictured (for some reason I think Peter is blondish, misplacing his hair in front, and much-much leaner) but he has the character down perfect. He's an extremely skilled actor and it's a delight to watch him. These are quite funny, the characters are all very individual, and I'mm looking at getting all the others in the series. The best transfer yet! This has got to be the best transfer to DVD yet for the Carmichael Wimsey series. It is very crisp and clean. All you Wimsey will be thrilled! Buy it now, you will be pleased! Solid entry An excellent entry in the Peter Whimsey series with all of the clever dialogue, twists and turns on expects from a Sayers yarn. I only knock off a star because the sound is a bit dodgy in places and I had to keep the remote at hand to continually adjust the volume up and down. It's also a bit pricey for the lenght; it could just as easily have been fit on to two videos instead of four and sold for half the price. |
Keyword: Video,
Description: Lord Peter Wimsey- The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

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