Welcome to my Home Theatre

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts...

- Shakespeare -

PART I - Favorite Public Television Mysteries

These series of first-rate mysteries all appeared at one time or another on Public Television. They are sometimes repeated and are often seen on the Arts and Entertainment cable channel.

• Nine Taylors The plot revolves around the practice of the ringing of changes on the bells in the tower of English parish churches. Changes are based on mathematical progressions as opposed to tunes.
• Murder Must Advertise Subtly satirizes 1920's advertising agencies since the author of the book on which the dramatization was based once worked for an ad agency.
• Clouds of Witness
• The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club
• Five Red Herrings

• Strong Poison
• Have His Carcase
• Gaudy Night

  Dorthy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey series. The first five portrayed Ian Carmichael in the role of Wimsey; the last three used Edward Petherbridge. This wealthy Brittish 1920s detective is the brother of the Duke of Denver. He is assisted in crime solving by his valet, Bunter.

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• The Body in The Library
• The Moving Finger
• A Pocket Full of Rye
• A Murder is Announced
• Nemesis
• Sleeping Murder
• At Bertram's Hotel
• Murder at the Vicarage
• 4:50 From Paddington

  Miss Jane Marple is portrayed in this Agatha Christie series by Joan Hickson. Jane is an elderly amateur detective living in the small village of Saint Mary Mead.

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• The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
• Murder in the Mews
• The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
• Four and Twenty Blackbirds
• The Third Floor Flat
• Triangle at Rhodes
• The Problem at Sea
• The King of Clubs
• The Dream
• The Incredible Theft
• Peril at End House
• The Veiled Lady
• The Lost Mine
• The Cornish Mystery
• THe Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
• Double Sin
• The Adventure of the Cheap Flat
• The Mysterious Affair at Styles
• The Kidnapped Prime Minister
• The Adventure of the Western Star
• How Does Your Garden Grow?
• The Plymouth Express
• The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor
• The Million Dollar Bond Mystery
• The Double Clue
• Wasps' Nest
• The ABC Murders
• The Affair at the Victory Ball
• The Theft of the Royal Ruby
• The Mystery of the Spanish Chest
• The Mystery of the Hunter's Lodge
• The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb
• Dead Man's Mirror
• Jewel Robery at the Grand Metropolitan
• The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
• One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
• Death in the Clouds
• The Chocolate Box
• Yellow Iris
• The Underdog
• The Case of the Missing Will
• Murder in the Links
• Hickory, Dickory, Dock
• Dumb Witness
• Hercule Poirot's Christmas

  David Suchet plays Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot.

  The straight-laced establishment type, Captain Arthur Hastings [Poirot's associate] is played by Hugh Fraser. Can you believe Fraser was a former Rock Musician; who began his acting career playing long-haired hippie rolls in the 1970s.

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• The Affair of the Pink Pearl
• The House of Lurking Death
• Finessing the King
• The Clergyman's Daughter
• The Sunningdale Mystery
• The Ambassador's Boots
• The Man in the Mist
• The Case of the Missing Lady
• The Unbreakable Alibi
• The Crackler
• The secret Adversary

  This series is based on the Agatha Christie Tommy and Tuppence mystery books. Tuppence Beresford is played by Francesca Annis and Tommy Beresford is played by James Warwick. This husband and wife team are professional detectives. Their agency is called: The Young Adventurers, Ltd. The series is a period piece of the 20s and 30s. Tuppence is characterized as a collector of the most attractive, outrageous and unusual of ladies hats.

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• Odds Against
• Trackdown
• Gambling Lady
• Needle
• Horses for Courses
• Horsenap

  These Mysteries in The Racing Game Series are based on the Novel Odds Against by the famous steeplechase jockey turned author, Dick Francis. Sid Halley is the Detective who is played by Mike Gwilym.

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• Prime Suspect
• Prime Suspect 2
• Prime Suspect 3

  This miniseries won the Peabody award. The main character is Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Tennison played by Helen Mirren.The story line is strong in this series. The suspense is often spellbinding. The story line revolves around the emergence of a strong and capable woman detective in a heretofore male dominated police agency.

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• The Dead of Jerico
• The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn
• Service of All the Dead
• The Wolvercote Tongue
• Last Seen Wearing
• Last Bus to Woodstock
• The Setting of the Sun
• Ghost in the Machine
• The Last Enemy
• The Infernal Serpent
• Deceived by Flight
• The Secret of Bay 5B
• Masonic Mysteries
• Driven to Distraction
• The Sins of the Fathers
• Promised Land
• Second Time Around
• Fat Chance
• Dead on Time
• Happy Families
• Who Killed Harry Field?
• Greeks Bearing Gifts
• Death of the Self
• Absolute Conviction
• Cherubim and Seraphim
• The Day of the Devil
• Twilight of the Gods
• The Way Through the Woods

  Based on the novels and characters created by Colin Dexter. In this Inspector Morse Series Chief Inspector Morse is played by John Thaw. Detective Sergeant Lewis is played by Kevin Whately.

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• A scandle in Bohemia
• The Dancing Men
• The Naval Treaty
• The Solitary Cyclist
• The Speckled Band
• The Crooked Man
• The Blue Carbunkle
• The Greek Interpreter
• The Resident Patient
• The Norwood Builder
• The Copper Beeches
• The Red-Headed League
• The Final Problem
• The Empty House
• The Abbey Grange
• The Musgrave Ritual
• The Second Stain
• The Man With the Twisted Lip
• The Priory School
• The Six Napoleans
• The Sign of Four
• The Devil's Foot
• Silver Blaze
• The Bruce Partington Plans
• Wisteria Lodge
• The Hound of the Baskervilles
• The Illustrious Client
• The Creeping Man
• The Problem of Thor Bridge
• The Boscombe Valley Mystery
• Shoscombe Old Place
• The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax
• The Master Blackmailer
• The Last Vampyre
• The Eligible Bachelor
• The Dying Detective
• The Cardboard Box
• The Three Gables
• The Red Circle
• The Golden Pince-Nez
• The Mazarin Stone

  These Sherlock Holmes Mysteries are based on the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Jeremy Brett played Sherlock. David Burke & Edward Hardwicke played Dr. John Watson.

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• Death of an Expert Witness
• Shroud for a Nightingale
• Cover Her Face
• The Black Tower
• A Taste for Death
• Devices and Desires
• Unnatural Causes
• A Mind to Murder
• Original Sin

  These Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries are based on the novels by P. D. James and feature Roy Marsden in the lead.

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PART II - Eclectic Collection of Video Favorites

Ballet

• Kylian Collection by Nederlands Danz Theater Yes it is a superb Ballet but it also has a lot of visual humor. Available on videodisk and perhaps videotape.
• Ballet Ruse - A Comedy on Pointe
• La Fille Mal Gardee [The Royal Ballet]
• Stars of The Russian Ballet
• Josephs Legende [Richard Strass ballet by John Neumeier]
• The Art of 20th-Century Ballet Maurice Bejart
• The Nutcracker
• Swan Lake
• Seven Ballets [The Paris Opera Ballet]

Favorite Films

• The Big Easy
• Risky Business
• Car Wash
• Nine to Five
• First Born
• Rear Window Stars Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart and has Raymond Burr [Perry Mason] as the heavy.
• Foul Play
• Marathon Man Can you recommend a good dentist?
• The Firm
  
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
  [The above is a comic photo of John S Morgan taken at Six Flags Over Texas]
• Charlotte's Web
• The Wizard of Oz I'll get you and your little doggie too!
• The Lady Vanishes 1938
• The 39 steps 1935
• My Blue Heaven A comic mobster with strange criminal values participates in the witness protection program.
• The Worst Boy in Town [in Spanish] Raul Buenfil stars in this one.
• Half a Lifetime
• No Way Out
• An Innocent Man It starsTom Selleck. If you want a real education about the defacto values of our society and their consequences watch this one.
• The Naked Civil Servant
• Inherit the Wind

Opera & Light Opera

• H.M.S. Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan
• The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan
• The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan
• Aida by Giuseppe Verdi
• Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss
• The Tales of Hoffman by Jacques Offenbach
• Samson and Dalila by Saint-Saens
• The Barber of Seville by Rossini
• La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi
• Pavarotti in London
• Naughty Marietta by Victor Herbert
• Rose Marie

Music Videos

• Tango - The Geneva Grand Theatre Ballet
• Rags & Tangos music by Scott Joplin & Ernesto Nazareth
• Still Life at the Penguin Cafe [The Royal Ballet]
• Thriller [Michael Jackson]
• The Beach Boys
• The Concert in Central Park [Simon and Garfunkel]
• Swing - The Best of the Big Bands
• Christmastide [Jessye Norman]
• Radio Craze [Seattle Men's Chorus]A tribute to the soldiers of World War II by this huge gay singing group. Variety and big band style music. An unusual yet memorable drill team. Presented by Public Television.

Science Fiction

• The Day the Earth Stood Still This is my all time favorite. "Klaatu barada nikto!"
• The Invasion of the Body Snatchers [1956] This is my runner-up.
• This Island Earth This is my second runner-up.
• Forbidden Planet
• When Worlds Collide Character Actor John Hoyt appeared in this one. He is one of my favorites. I remember reading of the day he visited Saint Francis [Episcopal] Home for Boys and shared stories of his life with them.
• The War of the Worlds
• Starman Excellent science fiction; excellent humor; excellent story line.

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