Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) Where Have You Gone, Billy Boy? (1991) User Reviews

Wooden alter ego

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 31 January 2018]

One of the great understated cliches of entertainment is the ventriloquist using the dummy as an alter ego. The best part of this Dennis Stanton episode of Murder She Wrote is Grant Shaud's performance as the ventriloquist who's very funny guy who uses the dummy Billy Boy for some sharp barbs. Uses Billy Boy in real life as well.

Shaud has an offer to go to another club in Las Vegas, but the owner of the comedy club in San Francisco where he is at now Georgia Brown takes her management style from Leona Helmsley the infamous Queen of Mean. The dummy disappears and Shaud is beside himself.

He doesn't even want the money that insurance claims investigator Keith Michell represents. He just wants Billy Boy back.

Of course it would be belaboring the obvious to say he gets his alter ego back. A little more difficult is solving the murder of Georgia Brown and the likely suspects could fill the San Francisco phone book.

But Michell does it in his usual unflappable style. Still Shaud may have gotten a career role in this MSW story.

A tough act to appreciate

[martin-intercultural · 7/10 · 13 August 2017]

The Dennis Stanton character is in some ways a male version of Jessica - kindly, thoughtful, widowed - which makes it easier for the viewer to forgive Jessica's absence. That, and the presence of Dennis's likable and level-headed sidekick Rhoda. The portrayal of show business goings-on is laughably improbable - then again, so is the entire premise of a retired schoolteacher from a village in Maine becoming a coast-to-coast publishing phenomenon, and yet we gladly suspend our disbelief for that one. The direction and camera work are great and there are moments of ingenious, laugh-out-loud humor, perhaps unmatched in other stories of the show. Sadly, these are buried under the big weight of that age-old cringe-worthy cliché - the ventriloquist's dummy. Deeper issues the dummy might symbolize - of identity, repression and searching for one's voice in a relationship and in the world at large - are only vaguely hinted at, thus keeping us planted in cliché territory. All in all, a decent episode, although I did find myself hitting the fast-forward button during the dummy's monologues.

Venting Ventriloquism, a Tough Thing, and Cannot Leave the Nightclub

[WeatherViolet · 7/10 · 17 December 2009]

This episode marks Keith Michell's eighth of nine appearances as reformed-jewel-thief-turned-insurance-detective-and-mystery-sleuth Dennis Stanton. Six of his episodes (third through eighth) are introduced by, and summarized by Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, these typically known as "Book-end episodes," and this marks the end of the "Book-ends."

These six San Francisco, California-based Dennis Stanton Book-end episodes also feature Ken Swofford as Lieutenant Catalano, James Sloyan as Consuladated Casualty Insurance Agent Robert Butler (except for one), and Hallie Todd as Receptionist Rhoda Markowitz.

Hard-as-nails San Francisco nightclub co-owner Kate Kelley (Georgia Brown) calls all of the shots as she controls her business partner, Joe Gelardi (Marty Ingels), whom she puts in charge of booking talent, but disagrees with nearly his every decision.

Sally Templeton (Leslie Easterbrook) has been dropped from performing her stand-up routine by Kate because of Sally's alcohol abuse. Sally pleads with Joe to slip her in the back door to audition after promising to work in sober fashion, but Kate wants no part of her and clicks for bouncer Elmo (Mike Jolly) to show her back to the alley from whence she has arrived.

Timid Ventriloquist Elwood 'Woody' Perkins (Grant Shaud in capable fashion) forms an act with Tom Benzinger (Jim Metzler) as his Manager, Brenda McCoy (Teri Copley) as his Assistant, and Billy Boy (Himself) as his partner in Ventriloquism, who also generally handles his negotiations and serves as his general spokesperson.

Kate Kelley is pleased with Woddy and Billy Boy's drawing in the customers and holds him to his contract to remain at the club after Vic DeMarco (Lyle Waggoner) expresses accolades for the show and invites Woody, Brenda, Tom and Billy Boy to perform in his Las Vegas nightclub.

Tom attempts to enlist Joe's help to break their contract with the club after Brenda threatens to walk if Woody doesn't go along with Tom and her. But the backward Woody remains utterly speechless and even more so once Billy Boy ends up missing and feared kidnapped.

When Lieutenant Catalano (Ken Swofford) receives the call that Billy Boy has been kidnapped, Dennis Stanton (Keith Michell) decides to investigate, with his forlorn Receptionist, Rhoda Markowitz (Hallie Todd), reluctantly agreeing to accompany him to Kate and Joe's club on the same evening upon which she had been expecting her latest beau to propose marriage.

After Dennis and Rhoda slip into the basement after Dennis picks the lock with a blade embedded within the handle of his umbrella, Dennis rescues Billy Boy from inside a footlocker, while Rhoda discovers a body lying in the corner.

When Sally informs the authorities that she saw Woody's running through the alley that night, Lieutenant Catalano sees to it that Woody is arrested, while Stanton is reprimanded by Supervisor Robert Butler (James Sloyan), before Woody receives visitors in the forms of Dennis and Billy Boy, who finally enables Woody to answer a few important questions, such as what Woody knows about the murder, and "Where Have You Gone, Billy Boy?"

Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) introduces the action of this Mystery, as presented to her via an audio-cassette tape, which Dennis has mailed. She then steps aside, to return in the Epilogue to summarize Dennis' final book-end series report.

Its title is derived from the lyrics of a popular standard song, "Billy Boy, Billy Boy," a traditional American folk melody and nursery rhyme, which presents a mathematics puzzle in its lyrics.

The cast is rounded out by David Stenstrom as Budding Comic, Jeffrey Jena as Comic #2, Kevin McCoy as Insurance #1 Co-Worker, Jana Grant as Insurance #2 Co-Worker, Matt McCarter as Insurance #3 Co-Worker, and Susan Welby as Insurance #4 Co-Worker.

This episode represents the most recent television acting role to date by Jana Grant, and the only television acting roles thus far by Susan Welby, Jeffrey Jena, Matt McCarter and Kevin McCoy (III). Georgia Brown, acting in film and on television since 1958, has unfortunately since passed.

No Jessica in this one...but one of her better proxies is.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 29 January 2023]

Dennis Stanton (Keith Mitchell) was one of the better recurring characters on "Murder, She Wrote". So, although I hate that this episode is another 'bookend' one (where Jessica is only in the beginning of the show), it's better than most of the other similar style shows.

Woody (Grant Shaud) is a very talented but nutty ventriloquist. Like all nutty ventriloquists in TV shows and movies, his alter ego seems to be the brains behind their act and he's a man fraught with anxieties. These anxieties shift into high gear when he's offered a chance to star in Vegas (a huge step up), as his current employer is a bitter woman who vows to stop him. Not surprisingly, she's soon found dead...and the cops naturally suspect Woody.

I'm scoring this one a bit lower than most Dennis Stanton episodes because the nutty ventriloquist angle is one which has been used a LOT. But it is entertaining and worth seeing because of Mitchell's usual excellent and stylish performance.

Dennis is back on the case.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 1 November 2022]

Talented ventriloquist Woody Perkins is suspected of murdering a club owner who has him tied into a long term contract, want refusing to release him from it.

Not one of my favourites, but it's watchable, it's certainly a little different.

I initially used to see The Dennis episodes as lesser ones somehow, but I was wrong, I now enjoy them, and can appreciate that they're just as good, just a little different, Keith Michell was just brilliant. I loved seeing Dennis tormenting his straight laced boss Robert. Did Dennis swear, that's a first.

Billy Boy is one creepy dummy, beautifully made, but those eyes, the way they move.

Georgia Brown was excellent I thought, a real presence, but once again it's Keith Michell who steals the show.

7/10.

Where has good episode quality gone, Billy Boy?

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 17 October 2017]

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

Personally like the character of Dennis Stanton, if more with Jessica than on his own and mostly because his chemistry with Jessica is so great and the episodes are much better. He is a fun and compelling lead character, love how distinguished, sophisticated and suave he is, it is easy to be as charmed by me as Jessica is in her too few collaborations. Plus it is hard to not like a character who dresses dapper, drives a cool car and loves classical music and opera, sounds shallow and couldn't resist.

Can definitely understand why fans malign his solo bookend episodes, a few of them are good, others not so good to put it lightly. As far as his bookends go, the good episodes to me were "Always a Thief", "Murder in F Sharp" and particularly "See You in Court Baby". "Where Have You Gone, Billy Boy?" on the other hand gets my vote as the weakest, never did it for me, still doesn't. Not only is it the weakest Dennis Stanton episode from personal opinion, it's also one of the bottom 3 bookend episodes along with "The Szechuan Dragon" and "Good-Bye Charlie" and a lesser 'Murder She Wrote' episode.

There are certainly good things with "Where Have You Gone, Billy Boy?" Keith Michell is terrific as Dennis, he oozes charm and charisma, really love his distinguished and suave air that he does better than any other bookend lead character. Ken Swofford is great fun and Hallie Todd is actually charming and at her least annoying as Rhonda. The supporting cast on the most part do very capably with what they're given, though all of them deserved better.

'Murder She Wrote' has always been good in the production values and gets better with each season. Here they're slick and stylish with nostalgia-inducing fashions. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune. Some of the writing is thoughtful and amiable.

On the other hand, the story, stemming from a premise that veers on the improbable, is dull and ridiculous, some of it also convoluted (apart from the final solution which was not that hard to figure out) and the mystery isn't much of one. The discovery of the body and Dennis' role at the end are the most memorable things about it. Most of the script is sadly limp and dreary and the characters have very little to them that it is amazing that the actors were able to do anything with them.

Grant Shaud is a bland suspect where one doesn't really root for his innocence. Other than the story, faring weakest is the dummy, the dialogue for the character is poorly written and the fast-forward button is indeed needed and the character provides too much unintentional humour and creepiness. Can appreciate ventriloquism when it's done well and it is hard to do, understand that totally, but it was not done very well here.

Altogether, Dennis Stanton is a better character than given credit for but this is not a good episode for him or 'Murder She Wrote'. Hate to be the dissenting voice here (have no problem at all with anybody who considers it a good episode) but it just doesn't do it for me, sorry. 4/10 Bethany Cox