Rehearsal for a murder
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Rehearsal for a murder |
| Original title | Rehearsal for Murder |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1982 |
| length | 96 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | David Greene |
| script |
Richard Levinson , William Link |
| production | Robert Papazian |
| music | Billy Goldenberg |
| camera | Stevan Larner |
| cut | Parkie L. Singh |
| occupation | |
| |
Trial for a Murder is an American television film from 1982. The main role in this crime film was played by Robert Preston and directed by David Greene . The film is also known as A Rehearsal for the Killer .
The film, produced under the working title Cold Reading for CBS , first broadcast in the United States on May 26, 1982. It had its premiere in German-speaking countries on December 21, 1989 at the DFF .
action
Alex Dennison is a playwright. A year has passed since his mistress, actress Monica Wells, committed suicide just before her planned wedding . In a flashback, the viewer learns what happened:
It was the evening after the premiere of Alex's new play in which she played her first leading role. While the actors are enjoying themselves at the premiere party, funders Walter Lamb, director Lloyd Andrews and Alex learn that the reviews are far below expectations. Monica looks composed, but still stands out for her strange behavior. She actually wanted to be alone, but in the middle of the night she calls Alex, who then gets into the car and drives to her. When he arrives, however, his mistress is dead and the police believe that she has taken her own life by throwing herself out of the window. Alex doesn't believe in suicide.
Now, exactly one year later, he calls the actors' troupe, including the director and producer, to the theater under the pretext of wanting to present a new one of his plays - a crime thriller. Pretty quickly it becomes clear that Alex rolls up the past in this piece and deals with Monica's death, which he depicts as a murder case . In the rehearsals, the actors have to play scenes in which they are burdened with realistic motives as people. The emotions are naturally stimulated.
It comes up for discussion and Alex freely announces that he intends to use his script to set a trap for Monica's murderer. When the actors want to go indignantly, a policeman emerges from the shadows of the auditorium, who watches the "rehearsal" to get to know Alex's new findings on the murder case. The actors allow themselves to be persuaded to stay and the rehearsal continues. While Alex continues to pressurize the crowd, he has Monica's bedroom recreated on stage for the final scene.
In the meantime, the supposed policeman is exposed as the actor Frank Heller. Another escalation occurs, which Alex ends by threatening the others with a gun. Back on stage, Leo and Karen come under increasing pressure when Alex comes up with the alibi question. It is becoming apparent that Leo is under suspicion. When he is heavily burdened, he wants to run away and there is a commotion. In the confusion, the fake policeman Heller reveals himself to be the perpetrator, because knowing Monica's bedroom leads him to fall into the trap set for him. It turns out that, surprisingly, everyone present except him had been privy to the rehearsal was staged entirely for him to convict him and get him to confess.
Awards
Screenwriters Richard Levinson and William Link won the 1983 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Screenplay for a TV Movie or Mini-Series for their TV crime thriller.
Reviews
The lexicon of international films praises A Rehearsal for the Murderer as a “ criminal chamber play, which, although very dialog-heavy, entertains exciting and intelligent; also handsome in terms of acting and staging. "
Web links
- Trial for murder in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Entry in the All Movie Guide , accessed on November 18, 2008
- ↑ a b Sample for a murder in the Lexicon of International Films , accessed on November 18, 2008