MovieChat Forums > Murder, She Wrote (1984) Discussion > My imagination?

My imagination?

posted 4 years ago by bistritapcv (1718)
5 replies | jump to latest

Maltese Falcon. Private detective agency. Partner gets killed. Name: Miles Archer.

Tough Guys Don't Die. Private detective agency. Partner gets killed. Name: Archie Miles.

Coincidence?

[–] MaximRecoil (4462) 3 years ago

Murder, She Wrote certainly wasn't above "borrowing" from other shows or movies. For example, It's a Dog's Life (1984) has a scene that's practically identical to a scene from Magnum, P.I. - Of Sound Mind (1983).

In both shows a rich guy videotaped his will and his family watches it, expecting to get rich, but instead he insults them and gives them items of low value. Then he leaves the bulk of his estate, worth millions, to someone totally unexpected (to Thomas Magnum in the case of the Magnum, P.I. episode, and to his dog in the case of the Murder, She Wrote episode), and the family is outraged and wants to contest the will.

[–] bistritapcv (1718) 3 years ago

Wasn't that also in Hawaii 50 or other shows? Maybe Ellery Queen?

[–] MaximRecoil (4462) 3 years ago

I don't know. I've never watched those shows, aside from maybe a few reruns of Hawaii Five-O when I was a kid in the '80s.

[–] CarolTheDabbler (538) 3 years ago

I never noticed that -- but now that you mention it, no, I don't think it's your imagination (or a coincidence)!

Just looked it up -- this is the episode that introduced Jerry Orbach as Harry McGraw (Archie's partner).

[–] DoctorThirteen (12780) 2 years ago

Doubt it. Probably just a tip of the hat, rather than a rip-off.