Amazon.com video review:
Neil Simon wrote this 1976 spoof in which virtually every
famous fictional detective of the 1930s and 1940s congregate at the
home of a mysterious fellow (Truman Capote) to try and solve the
mystery of who's trying to kill them all. Simon's jokes are mostly
obvious, and the film's real appeal is the clever concept matched with
fine--sometimes legendary--actors. Peter Falk plays a very Bogart-like
Sam Spade equivalent, James Coco is a Hercule Poirot wannabe, Peter
Sellers does a Charlie Chan bit, David Niven and Maggie Smith are
reflections of Nick and Nora.... You get the picture. Lighthearted and
silly, this is cotton-candy comedy for the cast as well as
viewers. --Tom Keogh
