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Murder Ain't What it Used to Be

"Murder Ain't What it Used to Be!"
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episode
RandallHopkirk7.jpg
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 7
Directed by Jeremy Summers
Written by Tony Williamson
Production code 07
Original air date 2 November 1969
Guest appearance(s)
Episode chronology
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List of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episodes

David Healy
Alan Gifford
Sue Gerrard
Raymond Adamson
Joyce Carey

Murder Ain't What it Used to Be is the seventh episode of the popular 1969 ITC British television series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) starring Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre. Directed by Jeremy Summers, the episode was first broadcast on 2 November 1969 on ITV.

Crime boss Paul Kirstner flies over to Great Britain from New York City to attend to "business" in London. Behind most of the rackets in Chicago, he hires Jeff to protect his daughter from any of his enemies whilst in London. However, Kirstner is being haunted by the white suited Bugsy "Smiler" Spanio (closely modelled on Al Capone), a man he double-crossed and murdered after they stole a million dollars' worth of alcohol before they ended Prohibition. Knowing that Jeff is being hired by Kirstner, Bugsy contacts Marty and begins to terrorise Jeannie unless Jeff kills Kirstner for him. His trademark cigar, white hat and raucous laughter is stereotypical of a Chicago gangster of the 1920s, and he appears in the mirror several times to taunt Jeannie as she is taking care of her appearance.

With Jeff constantly stalling, Bugsy changes his tactics and asks Jeff to dial a number on the telephone and tell the person on the other end that if there are any messages for Kirstner then he's with his daughter. Unbeknownst to Jeff, the man on the other end of the line is Jack Lacey, a rival criminal who also wants Kirstner dead. Lacey and his henchmen arrive at Kirstner's retreat, and they force entry and wait for Paul Kirstner to return at night fall. Shortly before he arrives, Jeff encourages Marty to make Bugsy mad by hitting him and throwing objects at him, so that Bugsy's attack on the property will distract Lacey and his armed henchman. After he does so, Kirstner arrives and gains the upper hand of the surprised enemies and leads them both outside in the dark to be murdered, planting a gun on Lacey and telling him he'll claim to the police it was self-defence. However, Kirstner is distracted by the ghost Bugsy, that only he can see and he finally gets his revenge on Kirstner by allowing Lacey to kill him.


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