Lively, entertaining reviews of, and essays on, old and newer films and everything relating to them, written by professional author William Schoell.

Thursday, November 23, 2017

DEATH CRUISE

Kate Jackson and Edward Albert
DEATH CRUISE (1974 telefilm). Director: Ralph Senensky.

Three couples have won an all-expenses-paid, three week cruise on an ocean liner. Sylvia Carter (Polly Bergen) is distressed by her husband Jerry's (Richard Long) philandering. Elizabeth Mason (Celeste Holm) is concerned that her children are grown and may not need her, and then learns that her husband (Tom Bosley) wonders if there's any point in their even staying married. Mary (Kate Jackson of Making Love) is bitterly disappointed when her husband James (Edward Albert) insists that he doesn't want children. Then one by one all of them begin dying. The ship's doctor (Michael Constantine) discovers that the company which paid for the three couple's cruises doesn't even exist. Screenwriter Jack B. Sowards channels his inner Agatha Christie to come up with a suspenseful, twisting, and diabolical plot, and all of the actors do their best to bring their characters to life as well as to conceal who may or may not be behind it all. Everyone is good, but Holm [All About Eve] and Long [Follow the Boys] make the best impression. Albert and Jackson also played a couple in the previous year's Killer Bees.

Verdict: Absorbing TV puzzler well worth the watching for mystery fans. ***.

2 comments:

angelman66 said...

Apparently Kate and Edward were a real-life couple and lived together for a couple of years before she married the gorgeous Andrew Stevens, son of Stella. I am a big fan of Miss Jackson, from Charlie's Angels and Dark Shadows to Satan's School for Girls and Making Love. And I adore Edward Albert opposite Goldie Hawn in Butterflies Are Free. He was sooo dreamy!!
-Chris

William said...

I didn't know that Jackson and Albert had a thing for a while. I like Kate Jackson also -- a sweet demeanor and not a bad actress. It's hard to keep track of all of these celebrity romances and marriages!

Thanks for your comments, Chris!