Rehearsal for Murder
Where the curtain comes up on Terror
1982 | 96m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | David Greene |
|---|---|
| Writer: | William Link, Richard Levinson |
| Staring: |
| A year after his fiancée's death, a playwright schedules a rehearsal for his new play, which proves to be a trap for her killer. | |
| Release Date: | May 26, 1982 |
|---|---|
| Director: | David Greene |
| Writer: | William Link, Richard Levinson |
| Genres: | Drama, Mystery, TV Movie, Thriller |
| Keywords | |
| Production Companies | CBS, Robert Papazian Productions, Richard Levinson / William Link Productions, CBS Entertainment Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 29, 2026 Entered: Apr 27, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Robert Preston | Alex Dennison |
| Lynn Redgrave | Monica Welles |
| Patrick Macnee | David Mathews |
| Lawrence Pressman | Lloyd Andrews |
| William Russ | Frank Heller |
| Madolyn Smith Osborne | Karen Daniels |
| Jeff Goldblum | Leo Gibbs |
| William Daniels | Walter Lamb |
| John Finnegan | Damon |
| Nicholas Mele | The First Officer |
| Vahan Moosekian | The Moving Man |
| Charles Robinson | The Second Officer |
| Wallace Rooney | Ernie |
| Buck Young | Lieutenant McElroy |
| Sergio Kato | The Third Officer |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| William Link | Writer |
| Richard Levinson | Writer |
| Parkie L. Singh | Editor |
| Ellen Meyer | Casting |
| Lawrence G. Paull | Production Design |
| Jerry Wunderlich | Set Decoration |
| Dianne Cohoon | Costume Design |
| Barbara Guedel | Makeup Artist |
| Chris McBee | Hairstylist |
| Nick Marck | First Assistant Director |
| Maggie Parker | Second Assistant Director |
| Arnold L. Rich | Camera Operator |
| Alan Goldenhar | Gaffer |
| Barbara Amato | Script Supervisor |
| David Greene | Director |
| Billy Goldenberg | Original Music Composer |
| Stevan Larner | Director of Photography |
| Charles T. Knight | Sound Mixer |
| Sal Sommatino | Property Master |
| Rick Borchardt | Grip |
| Richard Benda | Assistant Camera |
| Else Blangsted | Music Editor |
| Christopher T. Welch | Sound Editor |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Richard Levinson | Executive Producer |
| William Link | Executive Producer |
| Robert Papazian | Producer |
| Stephanie Austin | Associate Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| 2024 | 9 | 4 | 12 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Trending Position
**_A playwright stages a play to flush out the murderer of his fiancé_** This was released to TV in the spring of 1982 and made into a play the next year for regional & community theaters in which it skyrocketed into popularity (with school plays later being based on it). The plot is reminisc ... ent of the 1966 Gilligan’s Island episode “Not Guilty” in which the castaways reenact events in Hawaii just prior to their tour in the SS Minnow to determine which of them murdered Randolph Blake. Of course, this movie is a serious whodunit and not a goofy comedy but, nevertheless, the similarities are there. To appreciate it, you have to roll with the contrived nature of the story. It’s something that would never happen in real life. So, just enjoy the dialogue-driven dramatics carried by Robert Preston’s charisma. Statuesque brunette Madolyn Smith is jaw-dropping on the feminine front and it’s interesting seeing Jeff Goldblum in his youth, four years before his breakout with “The Fly.” It runs 1 hour, 36 minutes. GRADE: B-