Monday, September 13, 2021

The Cheap Detective 1978

      Lou Peckinpaugh (Peter Falk) as the Cheap Detective has entered a world that is half Casablanca (1942) and half The Maltese Falcon (1941).  It is a satirical look at Humphrey Bogart's movies with Lou going through a series of scenes from both movies.  He is also trying to keep ahead of the Police who think he killed his partner? He is also trying to find the black bird.

     Peter Falk must have used cue cards in order to remember all his lines?  He talks and lot and he is in almost every scene.  There are so many funny scenes in this movie!!  It is difficult to keep track and remember them!!  Some characters are wearing disguises.  You have to look at them closely or check the list of the actors to figure out who the actors are!!!  5* (I really liked this movie)


92 min, comedy directed by Roger Moore and written by Neil Simon with Peter Falk, Ann-Margret, Eileen Brennan, Sid Caesar, Stockard Channing, James Coco, Dom DeLuise, Louise Fletcher, John Houseman, Madeline Kahn, Fernando Lamas, Marsha Mason, Phil Silvers, Abe Vigoda.


Note:  Rotten Tomatoes 65% with 20 critic reviews 835 with 10,000+ user ratings, Imdb 7.4* out of 10* with 36K reviews, Letterboxed 3.1* out of 5*, Roger Ebert 2*, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 264 global ratings.


Special Note:  This title is used because the detectives in these old films never got paid!!  This profession always involves danger and it’s a job not for the bucks but it is a lifestyle.  Released 6/23/78 in the US.  Languages are English and German.  Also known as Neil Simon’s The Cheap Detective.  Budget was $6,000,000 and box office was $28,221,552.


Mistake:  Approximately 45 minutes in, Lou meets with the character played by Madeline Kahn in his office.  A male member of the movie crew is visible and he is seated on a couch.  He wearing a pink shirt and glasses.  He appears to be reading a script.  He is only visible for about a second as the camera pans across the room?

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