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.

Contrary to what another reviewer wrote about this title, it HAS been released on video and can be readily obtained via Amazon; I believe a DVD version is still pending, although those too may be easily found online. Either way, it is definitely worth seeking out. Fans of TV's "Columbo" series will be especially delighted, as it was written and devised by the same team (Richard Levinson and William Link) who created the cigar-chomping detective, and has the same ingenious flavor and excellent plotting. As a TV "mentalist" like Kreskin who finds himself the target of a murder plot, Hal Holbrook is simply smashing. Possible Spoiler Ahead: There's a British film that predates this one by nearly 15 years, "Man in the Dark" (aka "Blind Corner") that would appear to have directly inspired the murder plot, particularly the third-act twist; although the earlier movie has nothing to do with mentalism, the rest of the plot of "Murder by Natural Causes" would appear to have been lifted wholesale from "Man in the Dark." Interestingly, rather than having purported the "second sight" that Hal Holbrook has, the intended murder victim in "Man in the Dark" has no sight at all.

I ran across this movie, which I had seen before and got hooked again! I wasn't planning to watch it but it is such a good show and Hal Holbrook is masterful! This is a show that you will enjoy again and again (even though you know the ending).

Here it is, 24 years later and I still remember it from only one viewing. It had the most amazing storyline and writing with some pretty impressive twists and turns in the last half hour. I would LOVE to see it again. Hal Holbrook is truly one of the amazing and underappreciated actors of our time.