Lord Peter Wimsey - The Nine Tailors

Starring:Ian Carmichael, Glyn Houston, Keith Drinkel, Elizabeth Proud, Anne Blake, Desmond Llewelyn, Anthony Roye, Jane Cussons, Patrick Jordan, Robin Wentworth, Michael Stainton, Keith James, Ronald Adam, Sandra Frieze, Edwin Brown, Donald Eccles, Elizabeth Bradley, Geoffrey Russell, Gail Harrison, Bill Gavin
Director: Raymond Menmuir
Studio: Acorn Media
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Devotees of Dorothy L. Sayers's impeccable sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, will want to pour themselves "two large whiskeys" to toast the release of this 1974 miniseries based on one of Sayers's most popular novels. Ian Carmichael stars in his signature role as the future aristocratic detective, who, as a young soldier en route to the battlefield, becomes embroiled in "a very distressing story." Someone has stolen "a king's ransom" in uninsured emeralds from the estate of Sir Charles (Desmond Llewelyn, better known to James Bond fans as "Q") on the night of his son's wedding. No mystery here: In this case, the butler really did do it. But that's only the beginning in a puzzler that will span 20 years, when Wimsey inadvertently returns to the scene of the crime and steps into some "damn bad business" involving a recently discovered mutilated body. He discovers at the bottom of a well and in a church tower baffling clues that harken back to that fateful robbery and the still-missing jewels. The nine tailors, by the way, refers to nine church bells and the arcane tradition of change ringing. This entry in the Wimsey series offers the usual pleasures of splendid acting, colorful characters, and intriguing story. We also get to see how Bunter became Wimsey's faithful manservant. Suffice to say, The Nine Tailors will really ring your bell. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Ian Carmichael stars as Dorothy L. Sayers' aristocratic detective in the most requested title in this phenomenally popular mystery series. Fans call The Nine Tailors not just Sayers' best novel but "one of the great novels of the century." Lord Peter finds himself caught up in a case involving a mutilated corpse, a 20-year-old jewel robbery, an outbreak of Spanish influenza and a set of nine church bells.

Customer Reviews:

He sent forth a raven.......2006-04-08

A young Lord Peter (Ian Carmichael) in uniform on his way to the war. He is standing in for his brother The Duke of Denver at a wedding. Mischief is afoot and an emerald necklace was pinched. Where it was stored for save keeping I can not say. It looks like the perpetrator was winged by a well placed shot. We get the inside story and know the truth.

All in the first chapter we see the crime and the fait of the perpetrators. We also get a first hand view of the meeting and growing relationship and Wimsey and Bunter (Glyn Houston.) As fait would have it Lord Peter finds him self once again in Fenchurch St. Pauli again. This time as providence would have it just in time to replace a sick bell ringer on New Year's Eve.

Three months later a body is found in and Lord Peter is invited to the inquest.

This film is based on a Dorothy L. Sayers novel of the same name with the screen adaptation by Anthony Steven.

At first you are not sure that this is the same peter Wimsey when you see the blond hair and mustache. However if you look close they made little attempt to cover the wrinkled face.

If you have an opportunity to view this film before reading the book you will not be distracted by the deviations and omit ions form the written story.

Jewel Thieves and Bellringers.......2003-02-09

This is one of my favorite Wimsey mysteries. I thought this was excellent-the country and village setting is very well done. Plenty of suspense and an interesting plot, that focuses on a long ago theft that devastates a family. Bunter was very enjoyable. However, I thought Wimsey seemed much too middle aged in the 1917 scenes-he was supposedly a young soldier but he acts and looks like he is 50! I think the age issue needs to be straightened out. Otherwise, the drama was full of old fashioned charm. I watched this a few months ago but this is worth seeing twice.

Great British mystery but buyer beware.......2002-11-15

I love this series a lot and enjoyed the first half of this particular mystery however there was a problem with the disc. This is a two disc set and while the second disc is correctly marked, it is actually a duplicate of the first disc! This is obviously a mistake in the factory but it is highly frustrating since it happened not once, but twice. It's quite frustrating to be left on a cliff hanger and then have the second half of the mystery be unavailable. By all means, buy this wonderful mystery but note that there are some defective sets floating around. I have ordered my third set and hope to finally see the ending. All I can say is, Buyer Beware, check both discs right away so you can return it promptly if you need to.

The Best of The Wimsey Mysteries.......2002-09-24

The Nine Tailors is my favorite Wimsey mystery,and not surprisingly, it is my favorite of the Ian Carmichael series which were produced in the 1970s. Here we see Lord Peter's early life as he attends a wedding where an expensive emerald necklace goes missing. World War I interrupts before an investigation can begin, and Wimsey goes off to fight. We see him meet Bunter, later his faithful valet/assistant, and eventually wind up back in the vicinity of the spot where the necklace went missing. His interest piqued, Wimsey resumes the investigation just as some surprising events and mysterious strangers reminds everyone in the village of the robbery. The untangling of this mystery is vintage Dorothy L.Sayers, with twists and turns and lots of red herrings. You also get to learn a lot about church bell peals. Highly recommended.

The Bell Tolls for Lord Peter.......2002-07-26

I have enjoyed listening to this story for over 12 years on cassette, before I finally found it on DVD this past winter. Of all the Dorothy Sayers stories I have listened to and read, this is the best and most well designed of the lot. Watching the story unfold on DVD brought back a lot of the memories I had from living in England for 4 years. Ian Carmichael plays the role of Lord Peter just right, as do the other characters. Having listened to the voices for so long, I felt I knew the characters so well. If you enjoy English mystery, whether it be Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Frances Durbridge, Dorothy Sayers, among so many, you will enjoy this DVD, as well as the others in this series. It is a truly special series of mysteries that add tremendously to the genre.

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