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I admit upfront I'm prejudiced because I worked for Tony Curtis, but he gives a terrific performance in Flesh and Fury from 1952.

Curtis plays a young prizefighter, Paul Callan, a deaf mute. He has a lot of talent - spotted in amateur fights immediately by a gold-digging blond, Sonya Bartow (Jan Sterling), attracted by not only his striking looks but his ability to make money.

Sonya demands that Paul's manager Jack (Wallace Ford) bring him along as a pro quickly. Jack is hesitant, due to a fatal mistake with another young fighter.

When a journalist, Ann Hollis (Mona Freeman) begins a magazine article about Paul, he finds her kindness and acceptance of him attractive, as her father was deaf. She uses sign language with him - he finally reveals he can sign, but doesn't because people look down on him. They have a love of sailing in common, and she invites him out on her boat. Sonya's tentacles go up.

Ann has Paul consult with a specialist who feels he can restore part of his hearing. Paul takes off to have the surgery and participate in a program to teach him to speak.

On returning to the real world, he finds the things people say disturbing, falls out with Sonya, and his rhythm and concentration as a fighter have disappeared. But he wants to go through with the championship fight. Furious, Sonya has everyone bet on his opponent to win.

As others have said, this isn't a noir, but it is a very good drama with strong performances. Curtis' face and manner are expressive, and his characterization of Paul as a vulnerable, shy, and sweet young man is wonderful. Jan Sterling is a powerhouse - even tougher and grittier than in Ace in the Hole!

Curtis was initially ill-served at Universal, but all their starlets had to use the Jon Hall-Maria Montez sets and make period/adventure pictures on the way up. By fighting for better roles and stretching himself, he became a truly fine actor as did many of their contract players.

I want to close by stating that Tony was a delightful, charming man who survived a tough childhood of poverty and antisemitism. He worked hard and supported his parents, his institutionalized brother, wives and children, with whom he was extremely generous. He built a synagogue in Hungary in honor of his parents, administered now by Jamie Lee Curtis. And he got clean and sober and stayed that way.

Like all of us he had his faults. But knowing him was different from reading out of context, exaggerated stories in the press. I found that true in hundreds of celebrity interviews I did.

In The Miniature Murders, many are present at the Museum of the Family to see a wealthy man, Alexander Beauvoisin (Roger Barclay) donate a family collection of miniature dollhouses. In the back of the room, a man continues clapping slowly after the initial applause.

Suddenly, a bullet hits Beauvoisin and kills him. No one saw anything - the bullet actually came through one of the dollhouses.

It turns out that the victim had many enemies - he was a slumlord, and people hold him responsible for a young woman, Landy Wokoma, who died due to a boiler malfunction. His wife (Clare Holman) hates him - he was hiding money and selling property to make sure she received nothing in the divorce. A children's entertainer, Jemima (Katy Brand) supposedly was in love with him and rejected.

Beauvoisin's current girlfriend (Joanna Page) was actually a detective hired by his wife.

Barnaby and Winter go back to the death of Landy Wokoma, thinking her family had something to do with the murder.

Soon, though, there are two other murders, one of whom is Jemima. The detectives think she saw something she shouldn't have.

Very good mystery with some good performances, beautiful miniature dollhouses, Fleur reuniting with her motorcycles, and Barnaby and Paddy on a ride in the sidecar. A good combination of drama and humor.

Apparently everyone but Barnaby is into a book containing clues to a buried treasure. Even Winter was "a Seeker."

The famous book was written by one Bertram Jewell (Jon Culshaw) but on announcing a new edition with more clues, the interviewer exposes his real name and that he spent jail time for a con.

His devoted fans and publisher are furious, but he endeavors to assure everyone that there is a treasure. He's soon found dead in the woods and is later followed in a grotesque death by a big fan (Selina Cadell), followed by the drunken vicar, who drowns when someone pushes his head in a pail of water.

Barnaby and Winter look into the dead man's background and also at the time he's been coming to town. There are several suspects - Othello (Omid Djalili) whom Bertram had thrown out of the annual pub quiz for cheating; Ludo (Zak-Ford Williams), an obsessed fan; and the Trasks, who have been housing Bertram, but Mrs. Trask (Sally Lindsay) wants him gone.

As usual with Midsomer Murders, the past is what has contributed to Bertram's death, as well as a money situation, threats, and the desire to ruin the Seeker mystique.

Straightforward mystery, with Fleur being nasty to Winter again, and Sarah prepping for the annual pub quiz.