What the Butler Saw

Bob and Dave at the bar

## Synopsis

The Earl of Lisson is taking a shower in his room when an unseen figure sneaks in and knifes him to death. The police arrive, Detective Constables Bob Louis and Dave Briggs appear late as their ineptitude got them lost. Their superior, Superintendent Cottam briefs them on the crime, the Earl was a gambler with debts and his manor doubled as a hotel, the DC's are booked rooms for the night and ordered to interview all guests and staff. Louis gets a hankering for a ham sandwich and asks the maid for one, she starts crying, as the Earl asked for ham sandwiches every evening, he wasn't a good role model from her admission, a gambler and an alcoholic. He fired the chef two nights ago and he is working out his notice, the maid suggests they question the chef.

The chef, a Frenchman, was fired for washing his hands in the fish soup, he was grateful for his dismissal because of he wanted out of the building and he was in the kitchen at the time of the murder. The detectives pass the elderly butler with a tray of ham sandwiches and Louis takes one, they pass on by ignoring what the butler is trying to tell them. They stop off in the bar and order drinks, the barman mentions seeing a Poirot episode in which the title character gathered all suspects into a room and questioned them one by one, Louis and Briggs do just that, all staff and guests are rounded into the lounge, a roll call is held, only one person is absent, Gerry Palmer, the butler is sent to retrieve them, despite his insisting that he has something urgent to tell. Eventually Palmer enters the room, whom to Briggs' surprise is an attractive American woman.

The chef and maid head to the kitchen where the butler is found dead with a knife in his chest, a suicide note is found on his person claiming responsibility for the murder of the Earl, for being an abusive drunkard. The case is closed, Briggs wishes to spend the night at the manor because of the booked rooms, Louis sees through it, Briggs wants to make a move on Palmer, the butler's body is stashed in the fridges. They head to their rooms, Louis finds an encyclopedia on past Earls of Lisson, 1250 - 1990.

He makes an interesting discovery on the late Earl, Gerry Palmer is the Earl's daughter and the sole heiress to his fortunes, she married an American named Palmer, furthermore she is psychotic, kicked out of Roedean Girl's School for "unauthorized surgery" and sent to an asylum in America fifteen years prior, she killed the Earl and the butler and now has her sights on the detectives.

Gerry had been listening in, the detectives decide to head back to the station taking the butler's body with them, the body is in a body bag in the fridge, it's loaded into Louis car which doesn't start, Briggs checks the engine, it's not the butler in the bag but Gerry armed with a knife, the two detectives are chased back indoors and hide in a cupboard where the butler's body is. Gerry opens the cupboard door and knocked out by Cottam, the butler knew Gerry was the killer all along and had informed the police before being murdered, Cottam asks to see the butler, Louis and Briggs let his body fall out of the cupboard.

## Cast

* Jon Cartwright as The Earl of Lisson
* Jerry Hall as Jerry Palmer
* Jasper Carrott as Bob Louis
* Robert Powell as Dave Briggs
* George Sewell as Superintendent Cottam
* Adam Maxwell as Police Officer
* Noel Coleman as Butler
* Laura Beckford as Receptionist
* Candida Rundle as Chambermaid
* Peter Geeves as Chef
* Nick Ball as Barman
* Rupert Bates as Mr Smith
* Paul Williamson as Sir Lionel Case

## Crew

* Directed by Ed Bye
* Written by Steven Knight and Mike Whitehill
* Produced by Ed Bye (Producer), Nic Phillips (Executive Producer) and Paul Smith (Executive Producer)
* Music by Keith Strachan and Matthew Strachan
* Cinematography by Barry Noakes
* Film Editing by Graham Hutchings
* Casting by Susie Parriss
* Production Design by Andy Hamilton
* Costume Design by Rebecca Allen and Bruce Oldfield
* Make Up Design: Jenny Sharpe
* Additional Make Up: Sue Ayling and C.J. Wills
* Production Managers: Barry Read and Steve Springford
* First Assistant Director: Guy Frazer-Jones
* Second Assistant Director: Kerry Waddell
* Scenic Construction: Ian Bee and John Drury
* Property Master: John Dashfield
* Production Buyer: Bill Richardson
* Dubbing Editors / Mixers: Nick Berry and David Hamilton-Smith
* Boom Operator: John Chandler
* Sound Recordist: Nigel Davis
* Visual Effects: Peter Wragg
* Focus Puller: Edward Ames
* Gaffer: John Barker
* Camera Operator: David Bryant
* Grip: Stuart Godfrey
* Electricians: Ron Herschman and Bob King
* Costume Assistants: Alleyne Kirby Davies (Credited as ***Alleyne Kirby-Davis***) and Lindsay May Sanderson (Credited as ***Linda May Sanderson***)
* Production Secretaries: Rina Konstantinou and Jan Lock
* Production Co-Ordinator: Pauline McIntosh