Murder in a Small Town

Murder in a Small Town is 1999 American television mystery crime thriller film produced and broadcast by A&E. The period film stars Gene Wilder as Larry "Cash" Carter, a stage director, theater manager, former actor, and unofficial consulting detective for the police department in 1930s Stamford, Connecticut. Wilder also co-wrote the film, which was the first A&E Original Movie. High ratings led A&E to plan a Cash Carter franchise, but only one sequel, The Lady in Question (1999), was produced. Plot The film opens with a series of scenes in which local millionaire Sidney Lassiter has arguments with his son Albert (whom he threatens to remove from his will, if Albert doesn't leave his current lover), his wife Martha (who reveals that she knows that Sidney is unfaithful, and unsuccessfully tries to seduce him), and his secretary, Kate Faxton (who wants him to reconcile with Albert). After the argument with Ms. Faxton, Mr. Lassiter meets with Larry 'Cash' Carter, who is there to ask for a donation to the theater; Mr. Lassiter responds with unreasonable demands in exchange for his donation, as well as a few subtly bigoted comments about the fact that Carter is a Jew. Carter, despite his own best interest, calls Mr. Lassiter an anti-Semite and storms out of the office. That night, Mr. Lassiter is surprised in his car by a stranger who had hidden in the back seat; the stranger fatally shoots Mr. Lassiter.