Thriller (TV Series) A Coffin for the Bride (1974) User Reviews

Third time lucky?

[all-briscoe · 8/10 · 4 October 2004]

The opening episode of the third series of "Thriller" set off a run of five marvelous stories. This is one of the better known ones as it received a commercial video release in 1994. All the same too few people have seen it, and they have certainly missed out, although maybe not for much longer.

Mark Walker is an attractive, charming young man who marries two older women - and then kills them. He is very clever because he disguises their deaths as tragic accidents - drowning in the bath. His only problem is the solicitor acting for the first woman, who suspects him of murder but cannot convince the police.

While visiting a health club he meets Stella, a very attractive young woman whom he pursues simply for pleasure. However he very soon is attracted by an extremely rich older widow called Angie. Everything seems to be going to Mark's plan, and it looks as if he will soon be a wealthy widower for the third time. However Mark is a hunted man, and not necessarily in the way he expects...

Almost every aspect of this production is brilliantly done. The story is captivating and features an extraordinary and very poetic climax. That climax is based, it has to be said, on a rather large plot hole but there is no doubting that it is superb to watch.

There is an array of great characters. Mark Walker is a very complex man. Obviously he is dangerous and ruthless but he does have real charm and it is clear that he is coping with a very traumatic event from his past. Late in the episode the turn of events makes us sympathies for him - a mark of fine narrative. Stella and Angie seem very different - Stella is elegant, refined and calm while Angie is loud and unattractive. However both share an independent spirit. Oliver Mason, the solicitor, impresses with his dignity,incisiveness and determination. Freddy the barman is an avuncular, very likable figure. The various other characters are very effectively done.

The acting is splendid. Michael Jayston as Mark, and Helen Mirren as Stella are the obvious candidates, with the latter especially impressive. However the supporting cast is extremely strong. Particularly worthy of mention are Michael Gwynn as Mason, Arthur English as Freddy (a very good straight performance by a comic performer) and Richard Hampton as a very steely detective. John Sichel's direction complements things perfectly.

The brilliant (if improbable) climax also has the bonus of raising a very interesting moral dilemma. A future DVD release is quite possible so hopefully you'll be able to enjoy this and try to work out that dilemma for yourself!

One of the best-executed "twists" ever

[lists-9 · 9/10 · 15 September 2005]

This episode is fascinating to watch. The opening scenes suggest that it might just be a succession of murders, but then the pace changes and we see that the main focus will be if, or how, the Michael Jayston character (who has more than one name) will get his come-uppance.

It's clear that at least one of Jayston's latter two lady friends is not what she seems - but very few viewers seem to work out what the final "twist" will be.

Michael Jayston makes a skillful job of playing the man you love to hate, Helen Mirren is appropriately enigmatic and the supporting cast (including the reliable Michael Gwynn and Arthur English) are just right. I would be surprised to find anyone who doesn't enjoy the resolution of this one.

black widower on the prowl

[blanche-2 · 9/10 · 2 July 2005]

This is a fantastic episode from the "Thriller" series that benefits from a brilliant performance by Helen Mirren. I personally know her work from a later era, but here, she is only 29.

The story concerns a black widower, Mark, who meets, charms, and marries wealthy women, and then kills them, making it look like an accident. Now he's on the prowl again, hanging out at a health club, and there he meets Mirren, a lovely young woman with a beautiful figure. He finds himself drawn to her. However, he soon meets the irrepressible Angie, who in a way is more his type - older and rich. She's also homely and boisterous.

Mark wants to have his cake and eat it, too. And that's where I'll leave this brilliant Brian Clemens story. It's a real treat. The question is, how to see it. I understand that at least some of the Thriller series is out on DVD in England. Also, I suggest looking on the Internet and checking with some Mirren collectors. It's well worth locating.

Classic Early Mirren

[colinwjw · 20 October 1999]

Helen Mirren always was the great actress she is acknowledged to be, and this TV drama, from the early-70's British "Thriller" anthology series, proves just that. This gem from the pen of Brian Clemens is made all the more effective by the casting of Mirren and her then RSC co-star Michael Jayston as the thin-lipped villain. The unexpected ending will cause the jaw to drop so far that surgery may be required. This obscure 1974 TV production was released briefly on video in Britain in the early 90's, much to the delight of people like myself who vividly remember seeing the original pre-video broadcast and who, almost 25 years later, still recall jaw-dropping bewilderment (if not jaw surgery) at the climax. An absolute must see, if you can get your hands on the video.

Arguably the best in the series, a brilliant episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 22 January 2018]

Soon after terrorising poor Nyree Dawn Porter, Mark Walker is up his old tricks again, praying on wealthy mature ladies, who fall for his devilish charms. Trouble is this time he meets a beautiful woman and falls head over heels in love, at the same time an opportunity pops up that seems too good to pass by.

I'm surprised by the standard of Thriller episodes on the whole, but this one left me speechless, a fabulous episode of extreme quality. Jayston had impressed in his previous outing, and Mark Walker is back, bigger, bolder and even more deadly then ever. The episode does however belong to Mirren, who is utterly dazzling, a good example of how utterly incredible her acting talent is.

It's loaded with intrigue and boasts a sensational twist, at times it felt like a feature length tales of the unexpected, but with greater production values.

Not to be passed by this is brilliant.

First encounter with Helen Mirren

[lichenlady · 10/10 · 19 September 2009]

I saw this episode of "THRILLER" late one night when I was at college. How or why such a program ended up on pre-cable American 3 network television is still a mystery to me. But being a budding Anglophile, I was excited. The story was formulaic-my vote was all for Ms. Mirren. She was mesmerizing! I can't tell you the most astounding part

without giving away the reason you should make an effort to see it. I didn't see Ms.M. again until "EXCALIBUR" five years later. I went to see that film because she was in it. She has never disappointed! I would love to have a copy of it-even a VHS.

DORIS

Absolutely Stellar!

[revbish-3 · 10/10 · 10 February 2019]

Best episode of this series I've ever seen! As a matter of fact, the best episode of just about any series I've ever seen! The incomparable Helen Mirren shines like the real star she truly is. Don't miss seeing this one; it's such a treat!

'Did you really think I could fall for someone like you - all flab and indulgences?'

[analoguebubblebath · 9/10 · 30 August 2005]

'A Coffin For The Bride' opens Thriller's third series with an exceptionally powerful piece of storytelling - a high standard which will continue throughout the remaining five parts of that series.

Mark Walker is a serial killer and is played with suitable menace by Michael Jayston (who also appears as the butler from hell Roger Masters in Ring Once For Death from series two). His speciality is to marry older, wealthy ladies and once he has settled down in matrimonial bliss, kill them off and inherit their fortunes.

He travels to a health resort after his latest killing whereupon he encounters Stella MacKenzie (played by an absolutely stunning Helen Mirren. Walker is anxious to curtain his dastardly activities and sees a relationship with Ms MacKenzie as being a way of keeping on the straight and narrow. Unfortunately he meets yet another wealthy and frumpish divorcée called Angie and resolves to add her to his deadly bedpost while simultaneously hoping to put Ms MacKenzie on the back burner.

The drama stakes are upped when Angie goes missing and the outrageous climax leaves one reeling.

Superb.

An Excellent Thriller

[Alex_Anderson-Jones · 8/10 · 27 November 2021]

This was brilliant. The twist and reveal at the end took me by surprise. A very satisfying ending. Helen Mirren.. beautiful, classy and perfect acting as always.

Worth watching!

[RodrigAndrisan · 8/10 · 21 April 2021]

Helen Mirren's exceptional double performance, especially in the role of the extremely rich woman, the last one that Mark Walker (Michael Jayston) wants to kill. Michael Jayston is also very good. Good music at the end of the movie.

Not Brilliant But Worth Watching For Helen Mirren

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 12 September 2013]

Since I've revisited the series HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR I decided to watch another fondly remembered anthology series shown on Saturday nights on ITV in the 1970s THRILLER created by Brian Clemens who took Sydney Newman's premise of THE AVENGERS and turned it in to one of the most memorable and successful series ever produced in Britain . A problem I had though was where to start in viewing an almost forgotten series ? I'm not in the mood to view each and every episode in chronological order so looked up the series on this site and found Coffin For The Bride and I'm The Girl He Wants To Kill had considerably higher average votes than the other episodes so these were the ones I decided to seek out

First thing I noticed - and this confirmed my memory of the show - is that the production values are somewhat dated . Nearly all the scenes are studio interiors shot on videotape but this isn't necessarily a criticism . Nowadays if you switch through channels on British cable stations and you come across a TV show from the 1970s it'll likely be THE SWEENEY or THE PROFESSIONALS thereby creating a myth that a great number of shows from this period were shot entirely on film and on location but in reality very very few shows got this treatment and the vast majority of productions were VT which means they have a rather stagy feel . The second noticeable thing is the clunky dialogue were exposition is treated in a very clumsy manner where character A refers to something character B knows and character B feels the need to reiterate something they already know back to character A

That said the episode does pick up and it's quickly revealed that Michael Jayston's character Mark Walker is marrying fat ugly middle aged women so he can kill them , make it look like it was an accident and inherit their money . While staying at a health farm he quickly notices a pretty blond woman called Stella and manages to chat her up He then quickly notices another patron to the health farm Angela who he just happens to have inherited a large amount of money after the death of her husband and realises she's perfect dead wife material Personally I don't begrudge him a penny . Okay it's hard to condone murder but be honest lads would you want to perform any marital duties on middle aged , loud , ugly middle aged Angela ? I know I wouldn't and killing Angela might actually benefit the species as a whole

Alas however when we see Walker starting to hatch his plan there's two ways things can go . One is that he's unfortunate enough to have met a female version of himself or the other one which is Angela isn't who she says she is and I did manage to work this was where the twist ending was heading so despite the ending being preposterous and unlikely it was by no means surprising and even has one of those scenes where a character shows up in the prison visiting room stating their motives for it just in case the audience haven't managed to work things out for themselves . That said the episode isn't a dead loss and is worth watching if only to see a young and not unattractive Helen Mirren long before she became a household name

A Must Watch!

[jimcarter1959 · 10/10 · 9 June 2021]

I don't want to spoil this for you. Helen Mirren is brilliant! Enough said.

Brilliant episode? Hardly.

[Wirefan122 · 4/10 · 5 June 2019]

Maybe reviewing this 30 years after it was first aired may affect this but I don't think so. Predictability is becoming the hallmark of this series and I usually end up just plodding through the episode in case there is some actual surprise ending. This one had a bit of a good twist at the end but not enough for me to mark it above a 5. Helen Mirren a welcome and beautiful addition that she is could not save it although I was happy to see her 'win'.

Typical playboy kills older rich lady plot with him getting a very foreseeable comeuppance. Nothing original here and no real suspense.

The twist was a surprise to me too

[didi-5 · 25 July 2010]

This episode of 'Thriller' starts simply enough, with a murder and a change of identity - but slowly it becomes a tense battle of wills as the Michael Jayston character (who has a succession of names) meets his match as he plots another way to gain riches.

Although it is clear that one of Jayston's lady friends isn't quite what she seems, I didn't work out the twist at all, and once seen you want to immediately review the episode to see how clever it is.

Beautifully written and supported by Helen Mirren, Michael Gwynn and Arthur English, this 'Thriller' story is one of the best of the series, and Jayston is appropriately mysterious, sinister, and silky smooth.

Are these People Nuts Worst Episode Ever Ending is Obvious

[GmalkinSr · 1/10 · 23 February 2006]

The people here who praised this episode, are obviously leading an extremely boring life. This is one of the worst episodes I have ever seen for any TV program, anyone with an IQ over 2020 can guess the ending right away. I think the people who were surprised by the ending would have thought OJ was innocent even if they saw a video of the whole crime. The beauty of English TV is the woman Stella who is supposed to be beautiful, I would call a bit dumpy and a 6 on a 10 scale. She was no raving beauty. And the guy who is the fitness fanatic, and mind you I'm not gay, looks out of shape. I think Thriller is an excellent TV series but this episode was its worst.

Killer Thriller!

[lewisrailway · 12 January 2002]

Although i doubt that the 1970s TV show "Thriller" ever aired in the USA,here in England it was essential viewing. Most readers will be familiar with "The Avengers" and this was also produced by the brilliant Brian Clemens,who always managed to inject a touch of the bizarre into his shows! The cop would be the murderer, or some other twist would develop to keep you guessing till the last scene. Also strongly recommended from the available videos is "Someone at the top of the stairs". Watch it in company,or with the lights on! Overall rating as a series 9.5 out of 10.