How to Make a Killing Without Really Trying (1990) User Reviews (8)

Give Our Laments to Wailing Wall Street

[WeatherViolet · 9/10 · 21 November 2009]

This episode marks one of the last appearances for Tony Brafa. David Groh has also since passed.

Ashcroft and Royce Financial Investments brokerage firm has been handling customers for more than one generation at its Wall Street location in New York City.

Co-founder Jerome Ashcroft (Farley Granger) currently operates the corporation with the irresponsible and carefree Philip Royce (John Calvin), the son of his late shareholder partner, each of whom hold fifty percent of its stocks.

Sid Hooper (Edd Byrnes) finds his employ at Ashcroft and Royce, as its third financial adviser; Norma Pulaski (Lela Ivey) serves as secretary to Philip Royce and often covers for his absence from or tardiness with customer appointments, she knowing more about the stock market than he.

Candice Ashcroft (Morgan Brittany), with her father's (Jerome) blessing, schemes with her wiles to finagle a possible marriage proposal from Philip Royce, who plays along, while sensing Candice's motivation as stemming from a business arrangement of sorts.

Golf pro Buddy Black (Barry Van Dyke) has created a great deal of debt on behave of Philip Royce, after corporate raider Gordon Tully (David Groh) sets him up to bring down Ashcroft and Royce in his determination to take over control of the brokerage firm, by attempting to take over Philip's stock shares.

Rudy Bianco (Joe Maruzzo), a struggling bakery employee at Gino's, operated, of course, by Gino (Tony Brafa), is engaged to Norma Pulaski, in a Grady/Donna "what can go wrong does go wrong" type of relationship, because many things begin to melt down on Wall Street when Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) comes to town, to meet with Norma, after Jessica's investment adviser, Philip Royce fails to show for their meeting.

Jessica becomes immediately impressed with Norma, who, not unlike fiancé Rudy, is suspected of murder when a body is discovered, bludgeoned by a golf club, and Rudy is left holding a sack of currency Lieutenant Moynihan (Kevin Tighe) leads the subsequent investigation, with Jessica's assistance, as they learn first hand inside information about "How to Make a Killing Without Really Trying."

The cast is rounded out by Vinny Argiro as Super, Connie Danese as Receptionist, Rob Narita as Forensics Man, and Nigel Gibbs as Policeman.

Beware The Wolves of Wall Street.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 22 March 2021]

Jessica is on hand to help a young secretary out, after she's accused of murdering her lazy boss.

I really enjoyed this episode, very well made, very solid, there's actually little here to fault. It's not the most unique episode you'll ever watch, but it does have some very strong characters, and nice performances.

One think you might just come away thinking, is for 1990, just how progressive it is, we are so used to having the male leads as the great providers, it's nice to see a strong female central character, who's in the role of bread winner, (no pin intended.)

We had several boss murdered by employee or other involved person episodes, this is one of the better ones.

I suppose the only criticism I could make is that once again the victim is glaringly obvious, series five seemed to get away from that, this run of episodes seems to have fallen back into that formula. Only a minor quibble though.

Very good, 8/10.

Prescient

[pensman · 9/10 · 13 April 2013]

Unable to sleep, I am going through the entire series and to this point have only seen two I didn't see when this series was running. But I almost fell out of bed watching this episode. David Groh plays a Gordon Gekko like character and the episode almost foresees the coming crash. But what really amused me was Lela Ivey, (who?) who plays one of the stock broker's secretaries, Norma Pulaski. Actually she is the brains as her boss, the murder victim, is too busy bedding women, playing golf, and selling out his partner. When Jessica suggests a stock to her, she is adamant that it is a bad investment. She recommends a little known company that will be changing TV by developing something known as HD TV. Some writer was on the curve. Oh, and her boyfriend is developing a heart healthy bread as an alternative to white bread. And the murderer is found out of course but it's almost too bad as he is the only stock broker with integrity.

Murder, $he Wrote

[safenoe · 8/10 · 6 July 2020]

Money flows through the veins of this episode, well more specifically Wall Street money. One thing that Murder, She Wrote tends to gloss over is the impact of the murders on the psyche of Jessica. No mourning, no funerals, no reflection, no questioning the meaning of life.

Here Jessica's stockbroker is murdered, and Jessica doesn't even express condolences. Anyway, nice to see Barry Van Dyke making a guest appearance, just before he became a regular in Diagnosis Murder with his father the legendary Dick Van Dyke.

Rob Narita makes a guest appearance as the Forensics Man.

Good episode

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 28 May 2022]

When a stockbroker is killed, the suspect list seems endless. Of course, Jessica gets involved when the victim's secretary and her boyfriend get booked for murdering him. It's a good episode with a fine setup of characters and an interesting insight into Wall Street. Farley Granger and Ed (kookie from 77 sunset strip) Brynes also star.

So, what work did Philip really do?!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 7 December 2022]

Jessica Fletcher has arrived in New York City to see her financial advisor. While her portfolio has done well, Jessica and practically everyone has difficulty seeing Philip...as his secretary makes a variety of excuses for him. In fact, while he's out playing golf and schmoozing, it seems his secretary is actually doing his job. Later, when Philip is found with his head stove it, the police think that perhaps this secretary did it...especially since she's been signing his name to various stock trades. To make matters worse for her, the cop investigating the case seems to hate stock brokers!

This is a decent episode and well worth seeing.

The bulls and bears

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 19 September 2019]

With all the money that JB Fletcher makes with her novels it seems natural that she would be investing. The place she is investing with is a firm headed by partners Jerome Calvin and Farley Granger.

Calvin is the son of the original partner of the firm and he is getting in over his head a lot. But he has a good secretary in Lela Ivey whom he keeps trying to make, but her heart is loyal to her blue collar boyfriend Joe Maruzzo.

But when Calvin's head gets bashed in one night, the cops in the person of Detective Kenneth Tighe zero in on Ivey and Maruzzo. Of course it's not and that's when Angela Lansbury goes to work.

Good ensemble performances, singling out Edd Byrnes who has risen from parking cars on Sunset Boulevard back in his salad days to a too smooth broker. He's got a few angles he's working all by himself.

How to do a good episode without it being particularly imaginative

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 3 October 2017]

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

For an episode with such an imaginative title (also one of the longest titles for a 'Murder She Wrote' episode, a very close second to "Who Threw the Barbitals in Mrs Fletcher's Chowder" by about four or five letters), the story here is surprisingly ordinary. It's still a good episode, with a nicely paced and intriguing story with plenty of well-drawn suspects and one of Season 6's most surprising endings (seeing as the murderer is actually one of the more likable characters), just not a particularly imaginative or living-up-to-its-title one.

Credit is due for making the victim as suitably unlikable as possible (though they are one of those "victim stamped over forehead the moment they're introduced" characters) without making them so loathsome that the viewer feels sorry for everybody including the murderer and starts to not care as to who did it. While still liking "If the Shoe Fits" for the acting and the character interaction, that it had one of the most detestable victims on 'Murder She Wrote' (and took it a bit too extremely) was somewhat one of the main issues with its also derivative mystery.

Angela Lansbury is terrific as always in one of her best roles, while Morgan Brittany, Edd Byrnes, David Groh and particularly Farley Granger fare strongly in support, Candice, Jerome and Lela Ivey as Norma being the most likable characters and the ones you root for most. John Calvin enjoys himself and doesn't shy away from making it easy to see why the character is hated. The only real acting debit is Barry Van Dyke, he doesn't have an interesting character in the first place (basically heard in one scene and then face to face with Jessica in another, a plot-device character essentially who's barely in it) but Van Dyke is rather wooden and his line delivery is limited in expression (not even his threatening is that convincing).

Production values as ever are slick and stylish. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune. The writing is suitably light-hearted and intriguing.

Overall, good if not great. 7/10 Bethany Cox