Episode 31 of the Cosy Crime Classics Podcast sees us join Jessica Fletcher on a work trip where she’s pitched an unbelievable plot, as we take a look at Death Casts a Spell, from Season 1 of Murder, She Wrote. In this episode, Gerry and Iain discuss suggestibility.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS
Jessica is persuaded by her publisher’s assistant Joan Germaine (Diana Canova) to meet the celebrated hypnotist Cagliostro (José Ferrer), who she thinks would be the perfect subject for a new book. When he’s murdered during a private demonstration for a group of journalists, the witnesses can offer little help: they were all supposedly under his spell. With Lt. Bergkamp (Robert Hogan) investigating, Jessica must work out whether hypnosis really can provide the perfect cover for murder.
This episode was directed by Allen Reisner. The writers were Steve Hensley and Miyoko Hensley.
If you have thoughts on any aspect of Death Casts a Spell, please share them below, or find us on X at @columbopodcast or on BlueSky.
The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Spotify, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.
Death Casts a Spell was released in 1984. It is 47 minutes long and originally aired on CBS. Episodes are available on DVD and to purchase on streaming services in some territories.
