That's How Murder Snowballs

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“Never Trust a Ghost”
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episode
Image:RandallHopkirk5.jpg
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 5
Written by Donald James
Directed by Jeremy Summers
Guest stars Michael Griffiths
Arthur Brough
Grazina Frame
Stuart Hoyle
David Jason
Production no. 05
Original airdate 19 October 1969
Episode chronology
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"Never Trust a Ghost" "Just for the Record"
List of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episodes

That's How Murder Snowballs is the fifth episode of the popular 1969 ITC British television series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) starring Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre. The episode was first broadcast on 19 October 1969 on the BBC. Directed by Ray Austin.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Jeff and Jeannie find themselves in the audience of "The Fabulous Fernandez and Abel" at the Palace Theatre. While performing a stage act that involves a loaded gun, the Mind Reader Fernandez is killed by his assistant Abel (David Jason), causing Jeff to go undercover to try to track down the murderer.

Joining forces with the police, Jeff adopts a mindreading act (with Marty's help) and is hired by the theatre. Jeff discovers that one of the performers, Gloria Marsh, was the wife of Fernandez, aka Ronay Thompson. Some years ago she had been involved in a drunken car accident whereby she had killed someone and Fernandez took the blame to save her from prison. With this hold over her, he refused to allow her a divorce when they grew apart, and demanded money from her while cheating on her with a string of other women. When Gloria takes a lover of her own-choreographer Kim-in order to remove the obstacle of her husband, he plots to kill Fernandez by dressing as a woman in the audience and placing a loaded bullet in the gun's chamber during the act. When Gloria is about to spill the beans under the force of Randall, Kim kills her to try and protect his secret. In trying to escape detection, the choreographer goes on a murderous rampage attempting to kill the ticket booth operator, one of the show girls and then Randall several times. Finally he is apprehended by police, performers and an intrepid Randall who is injured falling from a stage rope and confined to a hospital bed as a result.

David Jason as Abel, the framed theatre performer who fires a live bullet instead of the blank at Fernandez
David Jason as Abel, the framed theatre performer who fires a live bullet instead of the blank at Fernandez

[edit] Overview

In this episode themes of morality are raised when after Fernadez is murdered Jeff tips off a newspaper contact named Barry Jones who pays him well for story information. Jeannie on the other hand shows some moral compunction by questioning Jeff's ethics in selling a story. "Well, did you get your blood money?" she demands of Jeff.

We also learn that Jeff once paid Jeannie with a gold earring "in lieu of salary" again revelaing his financial difficulties.

Jeff is hit many times in this episode. He is coshed over the head, shot at four times, nearly hit with a large sandbag and a thrown revolver, and worst of all is knocked out by a shelf tipped on him in the basement as he is searching for clues.

Meanwhile in this episode Marty acquires a taste for dining at the finest restaurants restaurants, remarking that he had recently dined at the Savoy with Harold Wilson.

[edit] Cast

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)

21 September 1969 - 13 March 1970
Actors  Directors
Mike Pratt Kenneth Cope Annette Andre

Episodes:

  1. My Late Lamented Friend and Partner
  2. A Disturbing Case
  3. All Work and No Pay
  4. Never Trust a Ghost
  5. That's How Murder Snowballs
  6. Just for the Record
  7. Murder Ain't What it Used to Be
  8. Whoever Heard of a Ghost Dying?
  9. The House on Haunted Hill
  10. When did You Start to Stop Seeing Things?
  11. The Ghost Who Saved the Bank at Monte Carlo
  12. For The Girl Who Has Everything
  13. But What a Sweet Little Room
  14. Who Killed Cock Robin?
  15. The Man from Nowhere
  16. When the Spirit Moves You
  17. Somebody Just Walked Over My Grave
  18. Could You Recognise That Man Again?
  19. A Sentimental Journey
  20. Money to Burn
  21. The Ghost Talks
  22. It's Supposed to be Thicker than Water
  23. The Trouble with Women
  24. Vendetta for a Dead Man
  25. You Can Always Find a Fall Guy
  26. The Smile Behind the Veil


  • Robin Askwith
  • Simon Barnes .... Man with Cards
  • James Belchamber .... Mark
  • Harold Berens .... Tony Lang
  • Arthur Brough .... Snowy
  • John Cazabon .... Doctor
  • Grazina Frame .... Gloria Marsh
  • Michael Griffiths .... Inspector Nelson
  • Patrick Holt .... Barry Jones
  • Stuart Hoyle .... Kim
  • David Jason .... Abel
  • Valerie Leon .... Kay
  • Marie Makine .... Old Lady (as Marie Makino)
  • John Styles .... Ventriloquist
  • Tony Thawnton .... Fernandez

[edit] Video and DVD release

The episode was released on VHS and several times on dvd with differing special features.

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

Trivia: Silent behind-the-scenes footage of this episode was included as an extra on the fourth region 2 DVD. Shot by a 2nd unit crew using stand-ins for the leads, the sequence ran to 1'06m.

[edit] External links