Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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!

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).

While a few of those who first encountered LPW on-screen through the characterization of Ian Carmichael still prefer his earlier series, lovers of DLS's detective will recognise Edward Petherbridge as the true embodiment of the noble sleuth. Petherbridge brings the grace, intelligence, courtesy & thinly veiled emotional vulnerability of Lord Peter to real-life. While both series show their flaws when deviating from the brilliant writing of DLS, the Petherbridge series stays mostly faithful to the books & even truer to the spirit of the characters (particularly LPW & his faithful, YOUNG & charming Bunter). Strong Poison is the first story featuring Harriet Vane, the detective-novel writer who wins Lord Peter's heart & help as she stands trial for her life, accused of murdering her former lover. Not only a top-notch who-dunnit, this is also the beginning of one of the greatest, most uncertain & most delicate literary courtships ever written. Will Harriet gain her freedom, only to lose her heart to Lord Peter? The outcome is less certain than you think....

I never thought I'd see this series again, but miracle of miracles, The Powers That Be have released it and on DVD, no less! I first saw these episodes on PBS in the late eighties when I was entering junior high school. I've been watching those Friday night mystery programs on PBS for as long as I can remember, and no one can top these three adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayer's three most popular Wimsey novels: Strong Poison, Have His Carcass, and Gaudy Night. Absolutely brilliant performances by Edward Petherbridge as my quintessential Lord Peter and Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane. I hope that now this much-loved series will receive the long-awaited praise and recognition it richly deserves.

Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957) wrote relatively few novels, but their quality was sufficient to rank her among the best mystery novelists of her era, and she remains a standard bearer to this day. In the novel STRONG POISON, her detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, fell in love with mystery novelist Harriet Vane, and Sayers allowed the relationship to play out over the course of three more works: HAVE HIS CARCASE, GAUDY NIGHT, and BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON. In the 1987, the BBC filmed the first three works in the series (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer owns the rights to BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON, which was filmed in 1940) as a mixture of 1930s mystery and romance. The result was often amusing, but also extremely problematic.

STRONG POISON offers the story of Harriet Vane (Harriet Walter), who has been arrested for the murder of her lover by arsenic poisoning. A single glance at Harriet's photograph seems enough to convince Lord Peter Wimsey (Edward Petherbridge) of her innocence, and when a hung jury cannot reach a verdict Lord Peter has thirty days to uncover evidence that will set Harriet free. Sayers is a distinctly literary writer, and it seems hard to imagine how a screen adaptation of STRONG POISON can be successful, but the film--played out in three episodes--is unexpectedly on target. Even so, casting is an issue, with Petherbridge and Walter not so much ideal as merely acceptable. Perhaps more significant is that adaptation completely misses the wry humor that is so much a part of Sayers' work. The upshot is an overdoes of British stiff upper lip, and a final injury is the fact that the entire series doesn't look so much like a 1980s effort as an early 1970s project. The film technique has dated badly.

Of the three titles included in the series, STRONG POISON is probably the best. The story requires considerable narrative flashback, and rather than reassemble the book's time line, the film very effectively stays close to Sayers' original imaginings. Fans of Sayers, her novels, and her characters will enjoy it. Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

As one of the reviewers points out, this story is available in the "Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries--The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection", as one of the three mini-series starring Edward Petherbridge as Lord Peter. Any fan of the classic British mystery writers will be delighted with this particular title as well as the two others in the set. While Ian Carmichael remains the standard against which other actors in the part are measured, Petherbridge creates a distinctive character which is a joy to watch. View them not as competitive but alternative players, both of whom one will want to see.
One should begin with Strong Poison before pursuing other dramatizations featuring Harriet Vane with Lord Peter since it is in this one that they first meet and in which Lord Peter declares his love for his future wife.
Harriet Vane, Bunter and other supporting roles are admirably cast, the sets and music perfectly attuned to the needs of the action.

"Peter, people have been wrongly condemned before!" -- Harriet

"Only because I wasn't there!" -- Lord Peter Wimsey


As elegant as smoke rings drifting from white-tipped filtered Chesterfields and old Rolls Royce limousines is this BBC adaptation of Strong Poison, featuring Dorothy L. Sayers' popular mystery creation, Lord Peter Wimsey. A certain romantic charm and occasional droll British humor make for a fine mystery. This particular mystery begins the story arc of sleuth Wimsey's romance with mystery writer Harriet Vane.

Edward Petherbridge gives a wonderful performance as Lord Peter. As the story opens, Harriet Vane (Harriet Walter) is on trial for murdering her lover. Wimsey has taken more than a small fancy to her from afar, however, and believes strongly in her innocence. Wimsey's pal, Chief Inspector Parker (David Quilter), arranges a visit in jail, and Lord Peter not only offers his help, but proposes as well!

Vulnerable but not without charm, Wimsey sets about clearing Harriet with his heart on the table. His giddy delight upon setting about the task, once he discovers he doesn't "positively repel her, or anything" is part of the mystery's charm. Her former lover was murdered with arsenic and Wimsey will have to use every resource at his disposal if he is to clear the object of his affections, however.

Wimsey's man, Bunter (Richard Morant), Marjorie Phelps (Amanda Murray), Miss Merchanson (Norma Streador), and of course, Miss Climpson (Shirley Cain), will all become Wimsey's agents in an effort to discover if it was suicide or murder and, if the latter, who else could have done the deed. A missing ten minutes, a rather shifty lawyer, and a will involving the deceased all come into play, making Strong Poison a strong adaptation.

An ending full of bittersweet melancholy leaves those who've invested so much time wanting more of this story arc, the viewer wondering how Wimsey can overcome Harriet's reluctant heart and win her love. Originally shown on British television, it is divided into three episodes, letting the viewer watch over three evenings, rather than all at once, as I chose to do. It is deliberate, and seems a bit dated viewed today because of its being shot on video rather than film. After watching a bit, however, you become involved in the story and forget about it.

The refrain by Joseph Horovitz played over the stylish opening to each installment adds an elegant melancholy to the 1920's setting, just before talking pictures came across the pond. Having come at this "clean" because I have not as yet tackled the detective in literary form, but will soon, I can say that Petherbridge is how I will picture Sayer's Wimsey. A fine adaptation for those who enjoy a very British mystery.

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.

This is the first in a series of television movies based on Dorothy L. Sayers's famous mystery series featuring Harriet vein and amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey.

To be can tell it the first of the program that the actors are struggling to find the characters that they play however by the end of the program they are easily identifiable. In the next mystery "Have His Carcass" and they run smooth from the beginning.

One of the strengths of the BBC production is that they do not try to dramatize so much that the story does not match the book. One of the advantages of this series is that it is long enough that most of the pertinent information is shown. They made an excellent choice when deciding to use Edward Petherbridge as Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane. They match the book character descriptions perfectly. In fact if you see this program before you read the book their images will be in your mind.

You may recognize Harriet Walter as the nasty attitude Fanny Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility (1995).

In the opening scenes we notice that Harriet is on trial for life accused of murdering her ex boyfriend. Everyone is convinced that she did it except Lord Peter Wimsey. Because he fell in love with her she just had to be innocent. As with all Dorothy Sayers mysteries the harder Peter whimsy fought to prove Harry its innocence, the tighter than use got around her neck. In the mean time Peter Wimsey proposes to Harriet.

Watch every scene and listen to every word from the beginning as this movie is peppered with clues. You will have to see the second time to recognize the clues that you missed.

Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries - Have His Carcase (The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection)