Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean (1985) User Reviews

Carry on Cruising....

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 12 November 2017]

Jessica accompanies her niece Pamela Crane on a cruise, at the request of her brother Marshall. Plan is for Pamela to recuperate, having suffered a breakdown after the recent death of her husband. Pamela is instantly taunted from beyond the grave, incidents occurring that could only have been caused by Pamela's husband.

Carry on Cruising indeed, the episode is a definite mix of macabre and humorous. The idea that Pamela is being tormented by her dead husband is good, adding a very dark element. That is all counter balanced by the almost slapstick side, including the comedy porter, Ramon, and his comic accent, and that infamous line 'I want to show you my hoochie coochie, it could have easily been written for Sid James. Even Jessica herself stoops to comic drunken acting, which will have you in stitches.

Leslie Nielsen is a little subdued, he'd get a much better part in next year's episode 'Dead man's gold.' The episode looks wonderfully slick, great costumes, a real quality look about it.

Bags of fun. 8/10

"Oh, Bring Back My Johnny to Flee"

[WeatherViolet · 7/10 · 6 January 2010]

Fans have often kiddingly dubbed "Murder, She Wrote" as "The Hate Boat" because it parallels the ABC Comedy series "The Love Boat" by casting recognizable experienced talent. While "The Love Boat," which begins its run seven years prior, is still in production at the time of this "MSW" season, its light-hearted theme of instant love may be contrasted with "MSW's" theme of somewhat light-hearted animosity.

Several years prior to "The Love Boat," "Love American Style" developed its episodes around a general formula of three segment sketches with skits dividing the comedy. "The Love Boat" would also generally present three separate story lines per episode, yet intertwining their action with one another to fill out the hour, while these generally involved interaction with series regulars, or the "Pacific Princess'" crew members.

"My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean," the first of three "MSW" episodes set upon an ocean liner, seems to parody "The Love Boat" formula with three story lines cast with passengers, with interaction from crew members, including Captain, Doctor, Purser, Officers and Steward. So, if anything may be subtitled "The Animosity Boat," then this episode stands in contention for that title.

It begins on land, on the campus exteriors of a psychiatric institution, at which one doctor consults another, the other being Marshall MacGill (IMDb bills him as "Dr. Marshall Fletcher, but his relationship within the narrative indicates otherwise). So, let's call him Doctor Marshall MacGill for now, or, better yet, "Marshall."

Marshall (Jason Evers) has been concerned for his daughter, Pamela Crane (Belinda Montgomery), a young widow, whose husband, Johnny Crane, had been adopted as an infant, after being born to an unwed teenage mother. In the back-story, Johnny had been told this information by his adoptive parents, but none had been aware of his biological identity.

But now that Johnny is presumed to have committed suicide by drowning, Pamela has been plagued with recurring nightmares regarding his loss plus her helplessly falling into a pool. The doctors prescribe rest and relaxation with caring company, perhaps a Caribbean cruise with a favorite aunt, such as Marshall's sister, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). After all, what could go wrong with a plan as this?

(This marks the only event in which we meet one of Jessica's siblings, her brother Marshall.)

After Marshall escorts Pamela and Jessica to the dock to board ship, another Psychiatrist, Doctor Andrea Jeffreys Reed (Rosemary Forsyth), arrives to sail with her husband, George Reed (Lawrence Pressman), who handles their luggage, while Jessica asks a favor of Andrea, to snap a photograph of Pamela and her with the ship as a backdrop.

As the signal begins to bellow, Phoebe Carroll (Vicki Lawrence) and Carla Raymond (Jo Anne Worley) emerge from a cab to rush toward the ship on foot, they projecting, "Wait for us," as they manage to reach the gang-planks before they are drawn.

Captain Daniels (Leslie Nielsen), Purser Diane Shelley (Lynda Day George), Morley, Ship's Officer (George Marshall Ruge), Ship's 2nd Officer (Mark Pilon) and Ramon, Ship's Steward (Paul Carafotes) comprise a portion of the ship's staff for a cruise booked under capacity to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

Jessica and Pamela meet several passengers along the way, including Russell Tompkins (Andrew Parks), who seems to admire Pamela from afar, as he sneaks around corners, while she and Aunt Jessica stroll about the deck.

At dinner, Pamela becomes alarmed at a menu codicil, describing a mustard and walnut sauce, a part of Johnny's favorite dish, which she claims to have invented. She frantically leaves the table, causing Jessica to question the source of the addition, which Maitre d' (Byron Webster) insists does not belong upon his menu.

Phoebe Carroll and, especially, Carla Raymond seem to experience a wonderful vacation, upon meeting wealthy Oklahoma Cowboy (Don Matheson), an oil tycoon who fancies Carla's charm and enthusiasm for live. But Andrea and George don't seem to share the joy, as Andrea spends most of her time in her cabin.

But as Pamela's apprehension increases, Jessica receives permission from Captain Daniels to question female passengers and crew members who have booked passage after Pamela has, in order to attempt to link one of them with Johnny's birth, as "My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean."

And when a body is discovered in a cabin, a victim of a combination of pills and alcohol, this increases Pamela's fears because she is convinced that this incident is linked to Johnny; and, while it appears a suicide, Jessica is convinced that it's murder.

The cast is rounded out by Kay Freeman as Nurse, Don Dubbins as Doctor Carmichael, and Michael G. Hawkins as Doctor Ross.

This episode marks the first television acting credit for Mark Pilon, the first of two "MSW" guest roles each for Rosemary Forsyth, Don Matheson, Leslie Nielsen, Mark Pilon, Vicki Lawrence, and the first of three "MSW" guest appearances by Lawrence Pressman.

Jason Evers, acting since 1943, Byron Webster, acting since 1951, Don Dubbins, acting since 1953, have unfortunately since passed.

Murder and strange goings on on a cruise ship

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 11 July 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.

"My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean" is a decent episode in a pretty solid season that has also seen some very good to great episodes. Just that there is something missing to make it even better, seeing as the premise although perhaps not original was interesting.

As ever, "My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean" looks good, with a cruise ship setting that's both glamorous and foreboding. The fashions and hair styles are colourful and attractive, though very different to now and very of the time when seeing it by today's standards. The music has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.

Much of the writing is amiably light-hearted and thought-provoking, and the story does start off very well with the strange goings on actually having real eeriness and psychological tension, one really feels for Pamela here. The characters on the most part are quite interesting Angela Lansbury is terrific in one of her best remembered roles one of the roles that is most closely associated with me at any rate), while Leslie Nielson stands out in subdued but classy form. Jo Ann Worely and Vicki Lawrence also add a lot of class.

However, to me, "My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean" did get rather lazy after the murder (with the most interesting part being Jessica's "drunk" act), giving the sense that the writers had run out of ideas and replaced initial mystery and dread with clichés and glaring obviousness. The killer's identity was not hard to figure out at all, in fact they immediately went right to the top of my suspects list, and their motive was like they committed their crimes for that, just laughable after such promising build-up.

Although the characters are interesting, as said, for such vicious and cruel actions a lot of them were so genial and like they didn't have a dishonest or harmful bone in their body, which takes away from the mystery a little. Most of the acting is good, but Belinda Montgomery is a little too histrionic in places and Lawrence Pressman doesn't really do much with the little he was given to do.

To conclude, pretty good but not great episode. 7/10 Bethany Cox

One of my favourite episodes

[coltras35 · 10/10 · 9 January 2022]

When Jessica's recently widowed niece takes a cruise to get away from it all, a series of incidents occur (receiving strange notes and other reminders of her late husband, and if that's not worse, she hears her nickname Johnny whispered to her on the deck and then collapses, claiming she got pushed), the kind that make this episode a highly absorbing one. It was a really enjoyable one, with a good cast of suspects. It's obvious that someone is trying to scare Jessica's niece, and drive her back to the sanitarium, but Jessica isn't going to allow that to happen, and starts investigating with the help of the ship captain ( played by Leslie Neilson. Maybe I am a sucker for a mystery on a cruise but this is one of my favourite MSW episodes.

JB Fletcher on the Love Boat

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 11 September 2017]

This episode of Murder She Wrote has Jessica Fletcher at the behest of her brother Jason Evers taking niece Belinda Montgomery on a sea cruise. Her husband committed suicide and she sustained a nervous breakdown.

But on the ship someone starts a gaslighting type of campaign of terror against Montgomery. Of course they reckoned without Angela Lansbury on board.

Turns out that her late husband had a most interesting past and that is part of the reason for the terror campaign.

Taking the place of regular police is the captain of the vessel Leslie Nielsen. He has to become convinced that Jessica Fletcher knows a thing or two about crime.

In order for the perpetrator to reveal himself Angela Lansbury gets to do a drunk act and purser Paul Carafotes is of great help when the perpetrator does reveal himself.

The Love Boat was never like this for Captain Stubing.

Not exactly the Love Boat!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 20 October 2022]

In this episode, Jessica accompanies her niece, Pamela (Belinda Montgomery) on a cruise...and viewers KNOW that sooner or later, someone is going to die on this boat! In fact, wherever Jessica goes (such as Hollywood, to Broadway or to visit family), you know that death follows!

Pamela is a very sad young lady. Following her husband's death, she had a nervous breakdown and is an emotional mess. Once on the cruise, someone begins harassing her...leaving her notes from her dead husband, hearing the husband's voice, etcetera. However, very soon Jessica also sees and hears these things, so you know SOMEONE is trying to drive Pamela over the edge....but why?

While the show has some serious overacting (even Angela Lansbury does this in this particular episode), the show is a neat one because the crime is so unusual. Well worth seeing.

By the way, I think casting Leslie Nielsen as the ship's captain was an inside joke. After all, he also played the captain in the ill-fated "Poseidon Adventure"!

One irritation

[rgxdzrybr · 7/10 · 4 December 2023]

A fairly entertaining episode especially considering Jessica's niece is struggling to recover from a traumatic experience. There is one thing I resented and it's not unique it happens sometimes in scripted shows or movies. There is an adoption of an offscreen character that gets diminished by referring to the biological mother as the real mother. One time I would overlook but several times is inexcusable . I would like to think Angela Landsbury would not have approved but maybe she didn't have the influence she later had or maybe she lacked some kind of understanding on how it comes across.

Overall it's entertaining but predictable . Funny guest stars in JoAnn Worley Vicki Lawrence brightened the scene with their wittiness , humor and energy.

It's certainly worth an occasional viewing.