Murder by Death (1976)

Director:

Robert Moore

Writer:

Neil Simon (written by)

Release Date:

23 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

By the time the world's greatest detectives figure out whodunnit... you could die laughing!

Plot:

Five famous literary detective characters and their sidekicks are invited to a bizarre mansion to solve an even stranger mystery.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Butler | Blind | Detective | Mansion

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Eileen Brennan	...	Tess Skeffington
Truman Capote	...	Lionel Twain
James Coco	...	Milo Perrier
Peter Falk	...	Sam Diamond
Alec Guinness	...	Bensonmum
Elsa Lanchester	...	Jessica Marbles
David Niven	...	Dick Charleston
Peter Sellers	...	Sidney Wang
Maggie Smith	...	Dora Charleston
Nancy Walker	...	Maid
Estelle Winwood	...	Nurse
James Cromwell	...	Marcel
Richard Narita	...	Willie Wang
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fay Wray	...	Screaming door bell (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Moore

Writing credits
Neil Simon		(written by)

Produced by
Roger M. Rothstein	....	associate producer
Ray Stark	....	producer

Original Music by
Dave Grusin

Cinematography by
David M. Walsh		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John F. Burnett

Casting by
Jennifer Shull

Production Design by
Stephen B. Grimes		(as Stephen Grimes)

Art Direction by
Harry Kemm

Set Decoration by
Marvin March

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Joe DiBella	....	makeup artist (as Joseph Di Bella)
Charles H. Schram	....	makeup supervisor (as Charles Schram)
Vivienne Walker	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred T. Gallo	....	assistant director
David Sosna	....	second assistant director (as David O. Sosna)

Art Department
Terry E. Lewis	....	property master

Sound Department
Jerry Jost	....	sound mixer
Joseph Kite	....	boom operator
Tex Rudloff	....	sound re-recordist
Frank E. Warner	....	sound effects editor (as Frank Warner)

Special Effects by
Augie Lohman	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Edesa	....	assistant camera
Norman Harris	....	gaffer
Richard Moran	....	key grip
Roger Shearman	....	camera operator (as Roger Shearman Jr.)
Mel Traxel	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tony Faso	....	costumer: men
Agnes G. Henry	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Margaret Booth	....	supervising editor
John Brice	....	apprentice film editor
Michael A. Stevenson	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
George Probert	....	music editor

Other crew
Charles Addams	....	title drawings
Frank Bueno	....	assistant to producer
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Shari Leibowitz	....	assistant to production manager
Mary Malin	....	assistant: Ann Roth
Vince Martinez	....	auditor
George Rondo	....	dialogue coach
Carol Shapiro	....	unit publicist
Julia Tucker	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Rastar Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1979) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (1985) (USA) (video)
• RCA / Columbia Pictures International Video (1989) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Benmil & Associates  production services
• Columbia Pictures Corporation  presents (as Columbia Pictures)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG (Approved No. 24496) | Portugal:M/12 | Belgium:Tous | Finland:K-12 | Iceland:L | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | Norway:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Oakley Court, Windsor Road, Oakley Green, Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Peter Sellers also played a taxi driver, but the scene was deleted.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Gargoyle falls on Inspector Wang and son, the position of the debris changes between shots. The first time the large "chunk" is on the steps. On the next shot it is down the steps next between Wang and son.

Quotes:

Sidney Wang: Never consider murder to be business, Mr. Diamond.

Movie Connections:

References "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962)

What A Hoot

An all-star cast, superb dialogue, effective lighting and editing, great production design, and interesting costumes rev up the technical quality of this cinematic spoof of literary whodunits. An eccentric genius named Lionel Twain (Truman Capote) invites the world's five greatest fictional detectives to a dinner party, at which time someone will be murdered. The detective who solves the crime first gets $1 million.

Everything in this film, from the acting to the sound effects to the plot ... is deliciously exaggerated ... hence the humor. For example, mystery readers accept that Hercule Poirot and Charlie Chan are so observant as to spot the most obscure clue, which conveniently points to the solution of the puzzle. In "Murder By Death" writer Neil Simon exaggerates that gambit. A guest detective draws the most outlandish conclusion from the most irrelevant fact, which in turn is shot down by another guest detective who points out the flaws, and then proceeds to do exactly the same thing.

The dialogue is marvelous. In one scene the blind butler serves non-existent soup from an empty bowl, to which Miss Marbles (Elsa Lanchester) protests: "Murder by starvation, maybe that's his game". In another scene, Inspector Perrier (James Coco) reads from a list, and then concludes: "Everything here has been rented for tonight". Miss Marbles responds in a melodramatic voice: "You mean?" "Yes", answers Perrier momentously: "this entire murder has been -- catered".

And then there's the scene wherein Sam Diamond (Peter Falk) ruminates: "I don't get it; first they steal the body and leave the clothes; then they steal the clothes and bring the body back. Who would do a thing like that?" To which Dick Charleston (David Niven) responds in a serious tone: "Possibly some deranged dry cleaner".

The film's casting is wonderful. Truman Capote may not be much of an actor, but he brings to the film a personality that is appropriately eccentric. My only problem is that the amount of screen time for the cast is uneven ... too much for Peter Falk and Peter Sellers, and not enough for Elsa Lanchester, who arrives late.

"Murder By Death" is a wonderful film classic that still holds up thirty years after it was made. The film conveys no heavy-duty political or social "message", no great insight into the human condition. But when you're in the mood for lighthearted, escapist entertainment that provides some laughs, this film is a great choice.