On the Other Hand, Death *** (2008, Chad Allen, Sebastian Spence, Daryl Shuttleworth, Nelson Wong, Margot Kidder) – Classic Movie Review 12,825

The 2008 mystery film On the Other Hand, Death is the welcome third released film of a Richard Stevenson novel starring Chad Allen as gay private eye Donald Strachey, who tries to protect an older lesbian couple who are victims of threats and vandalism.

Director Ron Oliver’s engrossing 2008 gay-themed mystery film On the Other Hand, Death is the third released film of the four adaptations of Richard Stevenson’s novel featuring fictional detective Donald Strachey. Ice Blues (2008) is actually the third adaptation of a Richard Stevenson novel, though it was the fourth released.

Chad Allen stars again as Donald Strachey, who thinks he is tailing an unfaithful housewife to find evidence she is cheating on her husband, but she is actually an undercover cop Officer Gina Santer (Lori Ann Triolo), who arrests him. Santer and Detective ‘Bub’ Bailey (Daryl Shuttleworth) release him but order him to turn over any information he finds on the client who claimed Santer was his wife.

Dorothy (Margot Kidder) and her partner Edith (Gabrielle Rose) are an older lesbian couple who are victims of threats and vandalism, with neighbours angry that they are refusing to sell out to a developer. Edith wants to move away but Dorothy won’t budge, and then there’s a fatal fire in their barn.

Chad Allen nails his character nicely. Both physically and personality-wise, the actor is perhaps an unlikely private detective but he makes it work. Nothing says this character has to be appealing, just tough and dogged. Unusually, though, for a PI, Strachey doesn’t have a cynical bone in his body, and he’s in a loving, harmonious, monogamous relationship.

Sebastian Spence oozes strength, sincerity, warmth and likeability as Strachey’s lover/ life partner Timmy Callahan, while Margot Kidder is a strong asset as brisk, capable Dorothy Fisher and Gabrielle Rose makes her troubled presence felt as Edith. Daryl Shuttleworth and Nelson Wong return as useful series regulars Detective ‘Bub’ Bailey and Kenny Kwon.

It’s a pretty good mystery, with a compelling plot, good witty bantering, a nice retro noir atmosphere, and convincing backgrounds to make the developer investment deal idea work smoothly.

The film was screened at several LGBT film festivals, including the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival, 2008, before going into rotation on the Here! TV network. It was nominated for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series.

The main setting for the film is Hollis, a fictional town around 20 to 25 miles from Albany, the capital and oldest city in the US state of New York.

On the Other Hand, Death is directed by Ron Oliver, 85 minutes, is written by Gillian Horvath and Ron McGee, is shot by C Kim Miles, is produced by Paul Colichman Stephen P Jarchow and James Shavick, and is scored by Peter Allen.

Richard Stevenson [Richard Stevenson Lipez] (November 30, 1938 – March 16, 2022) was an American journalist and mystery author, best known for his Donald Strachey mysteries. They are Death Trick (1981), On the Other Hand, Death (1984), Ice Blues (1986), Third Man Out (1992), Shock to the System (1995), Chain of Fools (1996), Strachey’s Folly (1998), Tongue Tied (2003), Death Vows (2008), The 38 Million Dollar Smile (2009), Cockeyed (2010), Red White Black and Blue (2011), The Last Thing I Saw (2012), Why Stop at Vengeance (2015), WWW.Dropdead (2016), and Killer Reunion (2019).

Lipez was openly gay and married Joe Wheaton in 2004.

In April 2015, Chad Allen confirmed in a YouTube video that he had quit his acting career to become a clinical psychologist. Allen noted that Strachey is the first gay character he played outside the theatre.

The cast are Chad Allen as Donald Strachey, Sebastian Spence as Timmy Callahan, Daryl Shuttleworth as Detective ‘Bub’ Bailey, Nelson Wong as Kenny Kwon, Margot Kidder as Dorothy Fisher, Damon Runyan as Andrew McWhirter, Lori Ann Triolo as Gina Santer, Gabrielle Rose as Edith Strong / Laura Whitaker, David Orth as Peter Garrity, Kerry James as Joey Deems, Barclay Hope as Carl Deems, William MacDonald as Jonas Baskin, Ralph Alderman as Sheriff Reg Howard, Keegan Macintosh as Derek Baskin, Sean Allen as Crane Sturgis, Lisa Bunting as School Board Member, and Cali Boyle as Sturgis Receptionist.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,825

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