Very crafty thriller has adulterous wife Ross plotting celebrity clairvoyant husband's murder to ostensibly inherit his fortune and live happily ever after with her obeying younger suitor Bostwick. But there's more to the plot than meets the eye.Holbrook gives an energetic performance to match the wit and wile of his scheming vixen wife, a rare quality role for Ross as her career began to decline in the late 70's. Dependable second lead Richard Anderson is very good in the important supporting role as Holbrook's loyal friend and attorney, whilst former Hollywood almost-a-star Jeff Donnell has a curious role for someone of her status, as Anderson's faithful housekeeper. The ensemble cast are all terrific and their appreciation of the timing and delivery needed to keep the plot tight and the audience guessing is pitch perfect.This is one of those TV movies they used to make in the halcyon era of the 70's/80's that you'd want to seek out and find on DVD to keep for posterity; not only a great whodunnit- style mystery, but a reminder of the quality of TV movies before networks apparently abandoned the concept for sitcoms and never-ending procedural dramas. Vale TV movies, especially when they're made like this one, an absolute pearler.

Writers Richard Levinson and William Link wrote some great scripts in the sixties and seventies, including some for Hitchcock. A psychological thriller that first aired in 1979, "Murder By Natural Causes", is arguably Levinson and Link's best work. With twist upon twist upon twist, and subtle dialogue clues scattered throughout the plot, it's a film that fans of suspense thrillers need to see, as an example of superior script writing.Forty-something and wealthy entertainer Arthur Sinclair (Hal Holbrook) wows audiences with his mental telepathy skills as he seemingly reads peoples minds. Allison (Katharine Ross) is his attractive thirty-something wife, a person with a roving eye and a desire for riches. What kind of story do you think this setup suggests? Can you guess how the film ends? Don't bet on it.The film could easily be transformed into a stage play since most scenes take place indoors on sets. Production design is adequate. Intermittent background music is at times spooky, and there are a couple of scenes wherein the music is reminiscent of the shower scene in Hitchcock's "Psycho", shrieking and shrill. Good editing keeps the plot flowing nicely for the most part, though the middle Act trends a bit talky in a couple of scenes. Color cinematography is adequate. Casting and acting cannot be improved upon.All film elements come together perfectly in that final sequence when a character walks in the front door of Aruthur's big house. The dialogue here is entrancing. Camera movement is faultless. And that final scene where the camera moves in close to a character's eyes is breathtakingly dramatic. It's one of the great final sequences in film history.It's too bad this film never received a theatrical release. It is far better and more entertaining than most major Hollywood thrillers of the last fifty years that I have seen. The film won an Edgar Allan Poe Award for best television film of 1980. One might even assert that "Murder By Natural Causes" is the best TV movie ever made. I probably would not argue with that assessment.

Thirty years ago on Feb.17th and on Hal Holbrook's birthday I might add, premiered the movie "Murder By Natural Causes". By the mystery team that brought us "Columbo",brings us a movie in the same style that has lust,greed,and of course....MURDER! Katharine Ross(The Graduate,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,They Only Kill Their Masters,The Stepford Wives,to name a few)plays Allison Sinclair a woman who wants her lover Gil Weston(Barry Bostwick:Grandpa Clyde of Phineas and Ferb,and Mayor Randall M. Winston Jr. of Spin City)to kill her mentalist husband Arthur Sinclair(Hal Holbrook:Magnum Force,Creepshow,and etc.)who has a bad heart by natural causes,so that she can inherit all his wealth. The plan is set and let the game begin...but who will win? This movie will have your heart pounding at the edge of your seat til the end. A must for mystery fans! This movie also stars Richard Anderson(Oscar Goldman of "The Six Million Dollar Man"and "The Bionic Woman")as lawyer friend George Brubaker. Hal Holbrook at his best!

I saw this movie when it first aired on TV and I was spellbound. Excellent acting, highly intelligent script, very satisfying movie. For a few years after that it started to be replayed at least once a year on TBS and late night weekend movies on local TV in my area.It was one of the best made-for-TV movies made for that era. But, I haven't seen it in a few years, so now I would probably notice the out-of-date fashions, old cars, lack of cell phones (or even cordless phones), etc. :) However, the premise and script was so good that someone should really do a re-make. BUT, the key would be to get worthy actors who can pull it off and a director with a good eye.