Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries - Strong Poison (The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection)

Starring:Harriet Walter, Edward Petherbridge, Richard Morant, Paul Hastings, Derek Royle, Geoffrey Beevers, Preston Lockwood, Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Derek Ensor, Christopher Scoular, David Quilter, Clive Francis, Timothy Bateson, Shirley Cain, Norma Streader, Tilly Vosburgh, Carol Frazer, Alwyne Taylor, Amanda Murray, Bernard Martin
Director: Christopher Hodson, Michael A. Simpson
Studio: BBC Warner
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Three Dorothy L. Sayers mysteries involving amateur sleuth extraordinaire Lord Peter Wimsey and the lovely Harriet Vane are realized to perfection in these 1987 BBC adaptations. In Strong Poison, Harriet (Harriet Walter) is on trial for murder. Lord Peter (Edward Petherbridge) becomes enchanted by her and decides she cannot possibly be guilty. What follows are the twin stories of Lord Peter's search to find the real killer and his romantic pursuit of Harriet. Both are charming. As always, Sayers has plotted her story brilliantly, with a satisfying mystery and a sly comic touch (a gentle poke at the spiritualist movement is particularly fun). The period atmosphere is pulled off naturally and with close attention to detail, and the adaptation has a careful reverence for Sayers's novel. The performances are all remarkably strong. Petherbridge is perfect as Wimsey, revealing his brilliance and allowing him to be hopelessly in love without ever damaging his dignity. Walter plays Harriet with rich nuance, saying as much with her silences as she does with her lines, and Richard Morant is quietly fantastic as the remarkable Bunting.

Harriet, fresh from the trial, tries to get away from it all and ends up stumbling over a recently killed body in Have His Carcass. Unable to resist a crime (or, for that matter, Harriet), Lord Peter is soon on the case. In Gaudy Night, Lord Peter is still proposing at frequent intervals, and Harriet, though unable to say yes, is also unable to send Lord Peter entirely away. But enough with the romance. As Wimsey heads off for some foreign service work, Harriet visits her Oxford alma mater and lands smack in the middle of a poison-pen scandal. Harriet's status as a mystery writer, naturally, means she's the one who should investigate. Sayers clearly had fun writing this one, using Harriet to gently tweak her own profession, at the same time both parodying and defending the cloistered life at a women's college. --Ali Davis

Description

Three elegant murder mysteries adapted from the crime novels of Dorothy L. Sayers which chronicle the relationship of amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane unfolds in a realm of romance and intrigue. Includes the mysteries: "Strong Poison," "Have His Carcass" and "Gaudy Night."

Customer Reviews:

Good, but could have been better.......2007-05-19

Overall very entertaining and enjoyable.

Strong Poison and Have his Caracass were very nicely done and very entertaining. I was somewhat disappointed by the severe editing done to Gaudy Night. Sayers had a very competent academic background with which she continually challenged the reader. This was reduced to a mere few scenes.

Dorothy Sayers Mysteries(The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection.......2007-02-01

Just arrived yesterday, 1/30/07. Enjoyed as much as the books in the series. Always loved English Mystery stories. Well worh the money.

Great DVD Set!.......2006-02-25

The three DVD set of the later Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries is great set and I whole heartdly recommmend adding this to your DVD collections. The three stories presented are very well done by the production company. This is the second Lord Peter series, the first was in the early/mid 1970s and starred Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter. Edward Petherbridge stars as Lord Peter this time and introduces you to Harriet Vane, with whom Lord Peter falls madly in love.

Mr. Petherbridge plays Lord Peter very differently than Ian Carmichael but then in reading the novels Lord Peter does change after he fall for Harriet Vane. I enjoyed these mysteries very much and highly recommed purchasing and enjoying them for many years to come. By the way, if you haven't bought the first series of Lord Peter mysteries this is a good opportunity to get the whole series at once. They are all very good.

Andy

Not Ian Carmichael but..........2006-02-03

I like both Lord Peter actors, Ian Carmichael puts the "whimsy" in Lord Peter Wimsey but Edward Petherbridge puts the 'Lord Peter' into his portrayal. Petherbridge reminds the reader that the character is fragile and was seriously shell-shocked during WWI and still suffers delayed stress syndrome -his meeting with Harriet Vane is painful and he is desperate to save her while keeping his arm's distance like a gentleman -at her request. Watching the tortured role played, one can't help thinking that his gentlemanly distance is kept more at his insecurity about his emotional stability. He is strong but is the strength his title and wealth? I think anyone who has read and loved her books will enjoy the intellectual challenge Petherbridge delivers. On another note, Dorothy L. Sayers married Arthur Fleming in 1926, contrary to another reviewer's claim that she never married. For a more complete bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Sayers

Character realization, dialogue flawed.......2006-01-30

Given the warm approval for this series felt by other Amazon reviewers, this review will stick out as a bit contrarian--especially in answering the mystery readers' "Bond question": which actor does it best? I am all for Ian Carmichael and, having just watched his 1970s series back-to-back with the Petherbridge one, can easily state what I think are the flaws of the latter.

Both series effectively reproduce the 1920s for us, but the difference in their approach is apparent from the start, with the theme music: the Petherbridge series has a slow, somewhat romantic but melancholy tune, while the Carmichael one is jaunty and uplifting. Petherbridge himself is, in my opinion, overly earnest and seems dour rather than properly serious or high-minded. He lacks the charm, wit, and sense of humor of the Carmichael portrayal--which of course is partly the fault of the writers, who fail to give him good material to work with. On the other hand, Petherbridge has some responsibililty for that: he never smiles if he can get away with not smiling, looks as if he has a bad smell under his nose most of the time, and rushes through his supposedly humorous lines, as if he doesn't know how to handle them or doesn't think they're humorous. Maybe he's right, but it all makes Wimsey seem rather a prig and a bore, which is the antithesis of the Carmichael portrayal. Above all, Carmichael's Wimsey has a radiant heart, and that's not much in evidence in this series, either in the Wimsey character or in his beloved, Miss Vane.

I am not acquainted with the Vane character from Sayers's work, but Harriet Walters seems well cast. But again--and whether this stems from Sayers or not, I don't know--she is not permitted to be sufficiently charming. One begins to think, watching her gracelessly dismiss Wimsey time and again, that he must be a bit of a masochist. When he finally says, in what passes for an outburst, that he wishes she could "dissemble" sometimes, one cannot help but heartily agree with him. The last thing she says to him in the series just made my jaw drop with its inappropriateness.

Similarly, the Wimsey-Bunter master-manservant relationship is not enjoyable to watch. Richard Morant is fine as Bunter, but Petherbridge gives him a wet-fish handshake in return and makes Bunter seem the better man. Oh dear. The Bunter-Wimsey relationship of the earlier series is much more a partnership in which one sees a genuine bond.

If you are a Sayers fan, I would still recommend these programs, despite these distracting drawbacks. They are somewhat slow-paced but they are certainly atmospheric, and each one is set in a quite different milieu, with lots of interesting characters throughout. But do also view the Carmichael series.

Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries - Strong Poison (The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection)

Average customer rating:

Strong stuff
Lord Peter Wimsey, better than ever!
"Except that the girl's innocent."
One of THE BEST TV series ever made!!
"Oh that was strong poison, Lord Rendal, my son"

Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries - Strong Poison (The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection)
Starring: Harriet Walter , Edward Petherbridge , Richard Morant , Paul Hastings , and Derek Royle
Director: Christopher Hodson , and Michael A. Simpson
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000062XDY
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Amazon.com

Amateur sleuth extraordinaire Lord Peter Wimsey first meets the lovely Harriet Vane in this clever mystery. At the start of Strong Poison Harriet (Harriet Walter) is on trial for murder. Lord Peter (Edward Petherbridge) becomes enchanted by her and decides she cannot possibly be guilty. What follows are the twin stories of Lord Peter's search to find the real killer and his romantic pursuit of Harriet. Both are charming. As always, Sayers has plotted her story brilliantly, with a satisfying mystery and a sly comic touch (a gentle poke at the spiritualist movement is particularly fun). The period atmosphere is pulled off naturally and with close attention to detail, and the adaptation has a careful reverence for Sayers's novel. The performances are all remarkably strong. Both leads capture the peculiar romance of sharp minds quite well, and Richard Morant is quietly fantastic as the remarkable Bunting. --Ali Davis

Description

In the first of Dorothy L. Sayers's famous Harriet Vane mystery series, amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey falls in love with mystery writer Harriet Vane as she stands in the dock of Old Bailey. Ms. Vane is on trial for the diabolically clever murder of her fiance. Not only does Wimsey believe in her innocence, he falls in love with her at first sight. Can he save her from the gallows and will he win her hand?

Customer Reviews:

Strong stuff.......2007-02-15

A lot of women want to poison their ex-boyfriends. Only a few actually DO.

But the suspicion is enough to land a woman in the dock in "Strong Poison," the first of a trilogy of mysteries about eccentric detective Lord Peter Wimsey and his romantic interest, crime writer Harriet Vane. While this episode spends a little too little time on the interesting side characters, it's a compelling mystery that seems hopeless at first.

Lord Peter Wimsey (Edward Petherbridge) becomes interested in the trial of Harriet Vane (Harriet Walter), a mystery writer who lived with her boyfriend until he proposed marriage (it had all been a test). Six months later, after a visit, her ex dropped dead of arsenic. But Peter is sure that Harriet didn't do the crime -- and he's fallen in love -- and so becomes determined to break this watertight case against her.

And so he turns his attention to suicide, since there was plenty of motive for that. But the most promising lead turns out to be the dead man's cousin, a successful lawyer whose motives and opportunity remain unknown -- as the court tells us, the only food that the deceased ate was also eaten by the suspect. But the brilliant Wimsey knows he can find the answer, before Harriet's retrial.

"Strong Poison" probably had a special signficance for Dorothy Sayers. First, it introduced her alter-ego, Harriet. Secondly, some of the events that happened to Harriet -- living with a boyfriend, the "test" -- really happened in real life, although presumably Sayers didn't come under suspicion of having murdered her ex.

The murder itself is very intriguing, if very slow-moving and roundabout. The case against Harriet is practically foolproof, so it's intriguing to see Wimsey carefully pulling the chinks out of it, and exposing another motive for the dead man's death. But they include some funny (if too brief) moments, like Peter having tea with a hilarious lesbian couple, or the fake seance that Peter's secretary holds.

Not to mention some great dialogue ("I don't positively repel you or anything like that, do I?"), including Sayers' needling at double standards for women ("You are bearing in mind, aren't you, that I've had a lover?" "Oh, yes, so've I. Several, in fact. It's the sort of thing that could happen to anyone. I can produce quite good testimonials").

Petherbridge makes a perfect Peter -- tall, skinny and blonde, with a long nose and perpetually falling monocle, and the impression that he doesn't take himself too seriously. Walter is also quite good as the prickly, and the supporting actors (especially Richard Morant as Bunter) are all extremely good, right down to the locksmith-turned-preacher.

"Strong Poison" was a good start to the trilogy of Wimsey-Vane mysteries, and an excellent adaptation of Sayers' mystery. Definitely worth watching, for those who like slow, dryly amusing British mysteries.

Lord Peter Wimsey, better than ever!.......2006-02-17

In this series, starring Edward Petherbridge, we are introduced to the supremely aristocratic Lord Peter Wimsey, the talented and strongminded Harriet Vane and the fascinatingly resourceful Bunter.

In my mind's eye, these characters are brought to life with a degree of affection and charm, with a sharp eye to authenticity and mannerisms of the class and time.

Having watched this series the first time round, it was well worth the wait to finally purchase this series (and Amazon was cheaper than Powell's, PBS, and Barnes & Noble).

"Except that the girl's innocent.".......2004-06-15

Things are not going well at Harriet Vane's trial for the murder of her former lover, Philip Boyd - hearing the judge's summation, only the most unrealistic of minds could conclude that she is not guilty as charged.

One such mind, however, is that of Lord Peter Wimsey - the same Lord Peter who, normally a beacon of logic, unfailingly unspins the web of every criminal intrigue to which he brings to bear his intellectual powers, but who now, epitome of a bachelor that he has heretofore been, without so much as ever having personally met Harriet, is dead-set on marrying her. So when he tells his old friend (and as readers of Dorothy Sayers's books know, soon-to-be brother in law) Chief Inspector Parker, who was in charge of the investigation, that Parker has made a mistake, the policeman is unsettled; despite the water-tight case he feels he has put together. "Where is the flaw?" he inquires gingerly. "There isn't one," Wimsey retorts. "Except that the girl's innocent."

Thus, the scene is set for the first entry in Sayers's Wimsey-Vane canon, whose first three installments are brought to the small screen in this delightful miniseries. (The other two installments, "Have His Carcase" and "Gaudy Night," have the sleuthing pair investigate a mysterious knife-inflicted death in a seaside resort, where Harriet has gone to regain her peace of mind after her acquittal; and a serious of poison-pen letters and vandalism directed at independent women, and particularly women in academia, at Harriet's Oxford college. As the movie rights to the fourth and last episode completed by Sayers herself, "Busman's Honeymoon," were sold by the author, the BBC was unable to also include that particular installment; unfortunately so, as their version would undoubtedly have been more faithful than 1940's "Haunted Honeymoon" starring Robert Montgomery and Constance Cummings).

So, while Harriet is pining away in prison, dreading a jury verdict which, she feels, can only be delayed, not avoided entirely, and not knowing how to deal with the sudden attentions of a well-known member of the nobility, Wimsey busies himself with the search for Boyd's true murderer; whom he eventually finds with the help of his confidante Miss Climpson (whose presence in the jury box, unbeknownst to Harriet, has already proved instrumental in producing a hung jury despite the judge's damning summation) and her assistant, Miss Murchison; both of which ladies, while perfectly honorable, do not shrink from unconvential methods when called for in the pursuit of justice.

What most distinguishes this miniseries is its faithfulness to Dorothy Sayers's books, as well as its superb cinematography, marvelously capturing the settings; from Old Bailey and pre-WWII London to sleepy and somewhat seedy seaside resorts and the timeless grace and high spirits of Oxford University. Unfortunately (particularly so in "Gaudy Night") a number of subplots were dropped, but the essence of Sayers's novels is maintained; and much of the dialogue is taken literally from those. Edward Petherbridge nails Lord Peter's tone and exalted mannerisms, as well as his hidden vulnerabilities, to a tee - fans of Ian Carmichael's more physical, over-the-top interpretation be reminded that Sayers herself, in "Strong Poison," describes Wimsey as of "slight" build, while giving a rather unexpected impression of "controlled power." (Granted, though, that, conceivably having endowed Lord Peter with much of her own preferences in men, Sayers would not have Harriet comment, as she does in the BBC's version of "Gaudy Night," that he is "not much to look at;" in fact, she has her heroine veritably pining over a sleeping Lord Peter's physiognomy during that very novel's famous punting trip.) - Harriet Walter, similarly, shares more than her first name with the stories' female protagonist; she is exactly the Harriet Vane one might image when reading the books (I certainly did). Richard Morant as Lord Peter's faithful manservant Bunter is about a knife's tip too much of a jack-of-all-trades for my tastes - I can well see him "insinuating" himself into a suspect's household at his master's behest or (as in "Have His Carcase") shadowing another suspect all across London, but not necessarily fretting, as he does in "Busman's Honeymoon," over the sake of a case of vintage port, packed in eiderdowns in the back of a car and in danger of being rattled (and rendered undrinkable for months, if not years to come) by Lord Peter's brisk driving habits. Still, overall this is an outstanding production; undoubtedly one of the BBC's finest ever, and long overdue to be revived in this format.

One of THE BEST TV series ever made!!.......2003-06-19

Edward Petherbridge is brilliant!!

I recently acquired these DVD's (Strong Poison/Have His Carcass/Gaudy Night) and they are now my most treasured set. The performances by Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter are flawless!

This series is a MUST HAVE for all mystery buffs (especially Dorothy Sayer's fans!) For those who were disappointed in the Ian Carmichael series produced 10 years earlier, take heart--you have now found the answer to your prayers!

My only criticism is that there were no more titles produced in this series. I can't understand why they did not continue to make more of these wonderful productions. And furthermore, I can't understand why the BBC took so long to release this series onto Video/DVD. If I had known of the existance of this series sooner, I would have launched a campaign to demand that they make more episodes. Oh well...I guess we will just have to make do with the three gems that were made. (In fact you should probably buy two sets of these, as you may wear out your original DVD's from watching them over and over and over and ...ahem...oh yes back to the review...)

The first two films, Strong Poison and Have His Carcass, are faithful to the books and each is truly a pleasure to watch. The third, Gaudy Night (or "Gaudy Lite" as I have seen it referred to) skimps a bit in comparison to the novel. However, the extraordinary acting on the part of Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter more than makes up for this, ensuring that this version of Gaudy Night is a highly entertaining one. This series should have segued into "Busman's Honeymoon." However BBC dropped the ball on obtaining the rites and left us all hanging.

Perhaps it isn't too late for a continuation of this series after all. It has ONLY been 16 years since the last episode. Surely if Ian Carmichael could have the audacity to play Lord Peter Wimsey at his age, Edward Petherbridge could pull it off for at least another 20 years or so (and do it brilliantly I might add!)

Needless to say, I have become an instant fan of Mr. Petherbridge and can only hope I may find more of his work on film. (This is a daunting task since this distinguished stage performer seems to shy away from the camera. Something about acting for the love of the thing and not the money. Oh these serious actors!! By the way, isn't he WAY OVERDUE for some sort of Knighthood or something ...hmm??!!)

WARNING: Ordinary television will seem even more unsatisfactory after viewing these DVD's.

As I said before, you'd better get at least two copies of each of these DVD's (or to be on the safe side, you'd better make it three!!)

(NOTE: It seems that the UK version of the DVD's contain an interview with Edward Petherbridge as a bonus feature. Unfortunately for me, the American version does not. You lucky Brits!!)

Enjoy!

"Oh that was strong poison, Lord Rendal, my son".......2002-06-29

I have been rereading Dorothy Sayer's Lord Peter Wimsey novels of late. A friend drew my attention to the availability of the Edward Petherbridge BBC performances of three of the novels that turn on Lord Peter's relationship with Harriet Vane, and I decided to purchase them. I never quite liked Ian Carmichael's styling of Wimsey on Masterpiece Theater, which always felt a bit out of character to me. Thus, I thought this would be an interesting change.

And a good change it is. Petherbridge's Wimsey is much more like Sayer's character, right down to the irritating bits as well as the admirable one's. And Harriet Walters playing of Harriet Vane is spot on. She is exactly as I imagined her. As we watch the tale of Wimsey's intense efforts to save Harriet from being found guilty of poisoning her ex-lover unfold, it is easy to imagine them eventual lovers. Despite shortness of the screenplay some of the brittle, the bits of sparkling dialogue which makes them a success on paper come through.

I am less comfortable with Richard Morant's version of Bunter, Wimsey's man. He acts well, but is too young by a decade or so. As the result, some of the books camaraderie between the two feels more like borderline insolence, which the real Bunter would never have done. Shirley Cain's Miss Climpson is spectacular, however, the perfect agent for Lord Peter's schemes. In addition, the comic relief scene at Blindfold Bill Rumm's is done to perfection. The old safecracker reborn as a hymn singing lay minister is another of Sayer's tiny masterpieces of caricature.

It is unfortunate that the screenwriters, having managed to navigate the plot until almost the very end with nothing to quibble about, should suddenly decide to deviate entirely from Sayer's own ending. And, in doing so, made Wimsey look sappy and Harriet rather cruel. Whether out of bad romantic taste or a criminal need to shave thirty seconds off the length of the screenplay, it will provide some distress to those of us who have read the book. Hence, a four star rating where I would normally have given a five.

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