Murder by Death

Plot Summery: "Millionaire Lionel Twain invites the five most brilliant private eyes to a dinner - and a murder. So, Sidney Wang from China, Dick Charleston from New York, Jessica Marbles from England, Milo Perrier from Belgium and Sam Diamond from San Francisco arrive at the remote castle. They are welcomed by Jame sir Bemsonmam, the blind butler. At nine, a dinner is supposed to be served. The five private eyes and their companionships are in the dining room, wondering what everything is about. Suddenly, Lionel Twain appears and lets the private eyes in on his plan: Exactly at midnight, a murder is going to take place. And he offers a million dollars to the one who can solve the murder. Then he disappears. Before long, a problem arises: The butler is found dead - and it's long before midnight! Will the five most brilliant minds of our time be able to see through the elaborate set-up staged by a criminal mastermind?" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074937/plotsummary]

A movie like this would not even make it to the theatres in this day and age. I remember watching Murder by Death at a very young age with my father on a crudely recorded tape that he had, from when the movie first appeared on the television. It came out in 1976 starring one of the best comedy ensembles of the time.

Eileen Brennan	....	Tess Skeffington
Truman Capote	....	Lionel Twain
James Coco	....	Inspector Milo Perrier
Peter Falk	....	Sam Diamond
Alec Guinness	....	Jamesir Bensonmum
Elsa Lanchester	....	Miss Jessica Marbles
David Niven	....	Dick Charleston
Peter Sellers	....	Inspector Sidney Wang
Maggie Smith	....	Mrs. Dora Charleston
Nancy Walker	....	Yetta
Estelle Winwood	....	Miss Withers
James Cromwell	....	Marcel
Richard Narita	....	Willie Wang

But as I was saying before, a movie like this could only have made it at that time, it plays off of every famous detective that has been burned in to American culture since the invention of the detective drama. We have Miss Marple, Sam Spade even Charlie Chan! Of course here their played by Elsa Lancaster, Peter Falk and Peter Sellers.

The movie is a gag a minute, slap stick comedy that could only be pulled off by those included. Of course most of the humor is in the script, written by Neil Simon.

Sidney Wang: Yes, is confusing.
Lionel Twain: IT! IT is confusing! Say your goddamn pronouns!

Lionel Twain: I'm the greatest, I'm number one!
Sam Diamond: To me, you look like number two, know what I mean?
Dora Charleston: What DOES he mean, Miss Skeffington?
Tess Skeffington: I'll tell you later. It's disgusting.

Sam Diamond: I don't get it. First they steal the body and leave the clothes, then they take the clothes and bring the body back. Who would do a thing like that?
Dick Charleston: Possibly some deranged dry cleaner.

Trust me, it’s even funnier when you see it.

I recommend this movie to anyone who likes a good spoof. I loved this movie as a child, and I love this movie now. Go out and rent it. If this isnt enough visit the all knowing Wikipedia!

<3 Jess