Lord Peter Wimsey - The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

Starring:Ian Carmichael, Derek Newark, Terence Alexander, Clifford Rose, Ralph Truman, Arthur Hewlett, Phyllida Law, Mark Eden, Vivien Heilbron, Donald Pickering, John Welsh, Sheila Keith, Anna Cropper, John Quentin
Director: Ronald Wilson
Studio: Acorn Media
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
"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.

Amazon.com

"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.

Customer Reviews:

"Waiter take away Lord what's-his name".......2006-04-05

"He's been dead for two days..."

We are introduced to the Bellona club were young Captain George Fentiman (John Quentin) and Lord Peter Wimsey (Ian Carmichael) two war survivors are talking a little too loud about General Fentiman (Ralph Truman), Georges grandfather. General Fentiman is not responding and for good reason he is dead. Upon further investigation we find that the general's sister Lady Dormer has also died the very same day. Poor George will only inherit 2000 pounds. However who gets the lion's share of the estate all hinges on who died first. Lord peter as a friend and a snoopy armature sleuth must ascertain the answer and if there is foul play the perpetrator. In any case this is a most unpleasantness at the Bellona Club.

I think sometime these programs are made for those that have already read the book because you can not put everything from the book into the series the highlights and major information is all there but some of the how they got to the information is missing in obvious gaps. Still the essence is captures quite well.

Ain't it just a good movie!.......2003-02-11

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!.......2002-07-09

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.......2001-08-15

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.

Solid entertainment for anglophiles and sleuths...........2001-02-21

Okay these are tapes, and I prefer DVDs and usually I will not give a VHS recording five stars but THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BALLONA CLUB is excellent. I read the book and enjoyed it enormously and was pleased to see this dramatization.

Dorothy Sayer's plot is clever and the characters well developed and the actors and staging are surpurb. This BBC film version was made in the "olden days" (early 1970s) when live tv was more the norm than not and shown on PBS Mystery series. I have an idea the original enactment was recorded before a live audience.

Ian Carmichael plays Lord Peter Wimsey, Sayers upper crust sleuth, graduate of Oxford and friend of copper "Parkerbird" who works for Scotland Yard. But Wimsey is no lightweight Bertie Wooster (not that I don't love Bertie too!!). He's a returned veteran from WWI, as are several of the other characters in this story. Bunter, Wimsey's man-servent was his sergeant during the war, and many of the members of the Bellona club are ex-military, some of whom experienced years in the trenches and madness. General Fentiman, found dead in his favorite easy chair by the fire place, is also a war veteran, though his war was the Boer War.

When George Fentimen, the hapless grandson of the deceased goes "bonkers" after the General is found dead, Wimsey understands. He too had a nervous breakdown and Bunter nursed him back to health. Wimsey knows George spent many nights and days living in the trenches and saw his best friend hung up on barbwire and mowed down by the enemy. George is not unlike the sad veteran in another tale about life in England after WWI--MRS DALLOWAY.

A major clue to the events surrounding the General's death (was it murder?) is tied to the day the General's body is discovered, Armistice Day 1922. Many old timers will "get" this clue, but some younger folks may not "have a clue" about its significance. Never mind, this is a great way to learn more about "war to end all wars." The film is a wonderful period piece and if you love faithfully recreated history like BRAMWELL (with a tad more sophisticated humor) you will enjoy this film.

Emma Thompson fans will get a special treat. Emma's mother Phillida Law plays Wimsey's special female friend (he had not yet met Harriet Vane in this book). You may recall that an older Phillida played Emma's mother in THE WINTER GUEST.

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