Champagne for One: Part 1
- Episode aired May 6, 2001
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
179
YOUR RATING
When Archie stands in for an acquaintance at a charity dance for unwed mothers, one of the mothers-to-be suddenly collapses and dies on the dance floor, an apparent suicide.When Archie stands in for an acquaintance at a charity dance for unwed mothers, one of the mothers-to-be suddenly collapses and dies on the dance floor, an apparent suicide.When Archie stands in for an acquaintance at a charity dance for unwed mothers, one of the mothers-to-be suddenly collapses and dies on the dance floor, an apparent suicide.
Photos
Kate Zenna
- Helen Yarmis
- (as Kathryn Zenna)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTimothy Hutton [Archie Goodwin] and Kari Matchett [Celia Grantham] would appear together as Exes in the TV series Leverage.
- GoofsWhile Mrs. Robliotti is yelling at Archie making accusations, the man at the piano stops her and warns her that what she is saying is libelous. There are two errors. Slander is the harming of a person's reputation by telling lies about the person. Libel is writing lies that harm the person's reputation. So, it would be slanderous not libelous, except the lies have to be told to a third party and actually cause harm, simply hollering at the person is not slander because no harm to the person's reputation occurred.
- Quotes
Nero Wolfe: You are disheveled.
Archie: Yes, sir. Also disgruntled, also dis-slumbered.
- SoundtracksJazz Suite No. 2: VI. Waltz 2
(uncredited)
Written by Dmitri Shostakovich
Performed by the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest conducted by Riccardo Chailly
Amazon.com ASIN B0000041ZT
Opening sequence and recurring dance theme
Featured review
This series of A&E productions is turning out quite nicely. As a long time Nero Wolfe reader, I must say that Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin and Maury Chaikin as Nero Wolfe would probably make Rex Stout quite happy. Archie is appropriately flippant and Wolfe nicely curmudgeonly and they seem to have a nice rapport as actors.
The plots are (as Stout's plots are) busy and crowded with characters and intrigue. But it was never for the plots that I read Rex Stout - it was for Archie and Wolfe, the people around them, and the scent of dated Manhattan that permeates the novels. And this series catches those people, and that atmosphere very well indeed. The series also has its own odd humour - not unlike the novels, but with more up-to-date sensibilities.
And Timothy Hutton's direction works very well - he's not so fond of himself that he is the only character on screen - he treats the cast well, giving each member their due. (But most especially Chaykin who, it must be said, is a Nero Wolfe par excellence.) This series gives us better looks at most of the actors, and especially their faces, than almost anything else on television. Much credit is also due to the cinematographer who makes this tv production take on the color values of the early technicolor, giving a nice period feel. And colors are everywhere - sometimes startlingly so.
The scenes are nicely paced and the images carefully framed. This probably sounds awfully technical - but when something is not done this well, I usually don't notice it - it just seems normal. But for some reason I've been noticing how these are put together and it looks very good indeed (and happily enough not intrusively so). I'm rather hoping Hutton uses this series to hone his skills as a director and goes on to do the same kind of thing on the big screen.
This is a quiet series with little action and mostly interior shots, but for fans of dialog and character and mysteries of various sorts, it must be highly recommended. For fans of Nero Wolfe, it is a must.
The plots are (as Stout's plots are) busy and crowded with characters and intrigue. But it was never for the plots that I read Rex Stout - it was for Archie and Wolfe, the people around them, and the scent of dated Manhattan that permeates the novels. And this series catches those people, and that atmosphere very well indeed. The series also has its own odd humour - not unlike the novels, but with more up-to-date sensibilities.
And Timothy Hutton's direction works very well - he's not so fond of himself that he is the only character on screen - he treats the cast well, giving each member their due. (But most especially Chaykin who, it must be said, is a Nero Wolfe par excellence.) This series gives us better looks at most of the actors, and especially their faces, than almost anything else on television. Much credit is also due to the cinematographer who makes this tv production take on the color values of the early technicolor, giving a nice period feel. And colors are everywhere - sometimes startlingly so.
The scenes are nicely paced and the images carefully framed. This probably sounds awfully technical - but when something is not done this well, I usually don't notice it - it just seems normal. But for some reason I've been noticing how these are put together and it looks very good indeed (and happily enough not intrusively so). I'm rather hoping Hutton uses this series to hone his skills as a director and goes on to do the same kind of thing on the big screen.
This is a quiet series with little action and mostly interior shots, but for fans of dialog and character and mysteries of various sorts, it must be highly recommended. For fans of Nero Wolfe, it is a must.
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