IMDb > The Cheap Detective (1978)

The Cheap Detective (1978) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   1,449 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Neil Simon (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Cheap Detective on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 June 1978 (USA) more
Tagline:
Who dunnit? This time it's Neil Simon who's really dunnit. more
Plot:
A combined parody of The Maltese Falcon (1941) and Casablanca (1942): San Francisco, 1940, detectives, dames, documents, Nazis, a treasure... full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
Does not quite find the mark more (41 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Neil Simon's The Cheap Detective (USA) (complete title)
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Runtime:
92 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
'Madeline Kahn' 'qv' 's character uses 16 names: Denise Manderley, Wanda Coleman, Gilda Dabney, Chloe LaMarr, Alma Chalmers, Alma Palmers, Vivian Purcell, Carmen Montenegro, Diane Glucksman, Mrs. Danvers, Natasha Ublenskaya, Sophie DeVega, Mary Jones, Lady Edwina Morgan St. Paul, Norma Shearer, and Barbara Stanwyck. The name used most is Mrs. Montenegro. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: The movie takes place in 1939, yet the song sung in the nightclub is 'La Vie En Rose' which was not written until 1946. more
Quotes:
Lou Peckinpaugh: This is a gin sling!
Jasper Blubber: It is? I was wrong - the waiter's name is Brandy.
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofs The Maltese Falcon (1941) more
Soundtrack:
La vie en rose more

FAQ

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11 out of 19 people found the following comment useful.
Does not quite find the mark, 27 October 2003
7/10
Author: Fiendish_Dramaturgy from .: Fiendish Writings in the Dark :.

Looking for (but not quite finding) the footsteps of "Murder by Death."

While I love this movie and watch it quite often, it is a rather cheesy knock-off of "Murder by Death." This time spoofing "The Maltese Falcon" and "Casablanca," Neil Simon's hit or miss style misses this time, but only by a small margin.

This movie is not hilarious, nor exceptionally intelligent comedy, but it is still very entertaining. I honestly found "Murder by Death" to be a much more enjoyable experience.

That having been said, this star-studded cast puts forth at least a valid attempt to pull off this sometimes haphazardly written screen play, and hits at least 2 out of 5 punch lines with some effect.

If you are a fan of the Bogie movies which it satirizes, this is definitely a must-see. It is you, for which this movie was written in the first place.

It rates a 6.5/10 from...

the Fiend :.

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