The Private Eyes (1981)

Director:

Lang Elliott

Writers:

Tim Conway (writer)
John Myhers (writer)

Release Date:

17 April 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery

Plot:

This spoof of the Sherlock Holmes stories finds Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart investigating a strange death in a possibly haunted mansion...

Plot Keywords:

Sherlock Holmes | Spoof | Murder | Pigeon | Secret Tunnel

Cast

Tim Conway	...	Dr. Tart
Don Knotts	...	Inspector Winship
Trisha Noble	...	Mistress Phyllis Morley
Bernard Fox	...	Justin
Grace Zabriskie	...	Nanny
John Fujioka	...	Mr. Uwatsum
Stan Ross	...	Tibet
Irwin Keyes	...	Jock
Suzy Mandel	...	Hilda
Fred Stuthman	...	Lord Morley
Mary Nell Santacroce	...	Lady Morley
Robert V. Barron	...	Gas Station Attendant
Patrick Cranshaw	...	Roy
Russi Taylor	...	Doll Voice (voice)

Directed by
Lang Elliott

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tim Conway		writer
John Myhers		writer

Produced by
Wanda Dell	....	producer
Lang Elliott	....	producer

Original Music by
Peter Matz

Cinematography by
Jacques Haitkin

Film Editing by
Patrick M. Crawford
Fabien D. Tordjmann

Casting by
Larry Elliott

Art Direction by
Vincent Peranio

Costume Design by
Christine Goulding

Makeup Department
Karoly Balazs	....	hair stylist (as Karoly T. Balazs)
Sidney Perell	....	makeup artist (as Sid Perell)

Production Management
Robert Dijoux	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Simons	....	second assistant director (as Jimmy Simons)
Douglas E. Wise	....	first assistant director (as Doug Wise)

Art Department
Lee Berger	....	assistant property master
Katherine Dover	....	on-set dresser
Gary Van Fleet	....	property master
Lynn Wolverton-Parker	....	assistant art director (as Lynn Wolverton)

Sound Department
Jim Cook	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Fineman	....	supervising sound editor
Richard Bryce Goodman	....	production sound mixer
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Christopher Jenkins)
Maryte Kavaliauskas	....	boom operator
Anthony Magro	....	sound effects editor (as Tony Magro)
Rich Steven	....	sound effects editor
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nick Wolfe	....	sound mixer
Dan Woren	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Richard Albain	....	special effects (as Dick Albain)
Ron Hall	....	special effects
Don Powers	....	special effects
Jerry Winchell	....	special effects

Stunts
Michael Cassidy	....	stunts (as Mike Cassidy)
Eddy Donno	....	stunts
Gardner Doolittle	....	stunt double
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts (as Tommy Huff)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Crazy Bear	....	grip
Scott Buttfield	....	best boy gaffer
Anne S. Coffey	....	first assistant camera
Mike Connors	....	grip
Fred H. Dresch	....	electrician (as Fred Dresch)
Steve Dubin	....	second assistant camera
Robert K. Feldmann	....	electrician (as Robert Feldman)
Howard Herrington	....	electrician
Shirley Libby	....	still photographer
Gil Schwartz	....	key grip
Brian Smith	....	grip
Kenny Smith	....	dolly grip
Jeffrey Sudzin	....	electrician (as Jeff Sudzin)
Tim Suhrstedt	....	director of photography: second unit
Christopher Tufty	....	gaffer
Mark Wagner	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Deborah Lynn Scott	....	wardrobe assistant (as Deborah Scott)

Editorial Department
Cathy Bates	....	assistant film editor
Scott Hancock	....	assistant editor
Jim Schurmann	....	color timer

Music Department
Allan K. Rosen	....	music editor
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)

Other crew
Dianne Bradley	....	production secretary
John Jacobs	....	production assistant
Jackie Saunders	....	script supervisor
Elaine Smith	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• The Private Eyes Partners Limited

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Hen's Tooth Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• AA Special Effects Inc.

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  prints by (as DeLuxe)
• TVC Laboratories  color by (as TVC)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:LH | Finland:K-12 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Company:

The Private Eyes Partners Limited

Trivia:

When the Shadow rolls a bomb toward the detectives in the secret passage, Dr. Tart says, "We must be near a bowling alley." He's right: there is indeed a bowling alley inside the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, where this movie was filmed.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Winship and Tart first meet the staff, the boom is clearly in view when Tart starts his line, "Eeeny, meeny, miney mo... catch a killer by the..."

Quotes:

Inspector Winship: This isn't one of your better inventions. Who ever heard of a gun that went off every hour?
Dr. Tart: Might save your life someday.
Inspector Winship: Yeah, if you have to shoot someone every hour.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

One of the funniest and most overlooked comedy teams of all time.

I was just watching a bunch of people talking about the Andy Griffith Show ans the Don Knotts Barney Fife character and immediately, I thought about this film and one scene that still makes me laugh out loud when I think of it. I was never a big fan of the gang from Mayberry (especially Goober who makes my skin crawl, but I digress) but the Don Knotts character I will always fondly remember is the nervous guy on the man in the street interviews with Steve Allen and the one that was such a great match for the hysterically funny Tim Conway.

I also love Sherlock Holmes so this made this movie a must see for me. Don Knotts as a "brilliant detective with COnway as his befuddled partner makes it all the more "I have to see this one" kind of movie. I caught it originally on HBO in the days BEFORE cable TV and that one scene where the two send off a carrier pigeon but forget to open the glass door before throwing it in the air makes me laugh even as I'm typing this. And when that unfortunate bird walks in loopy circles, if you don't laugh until your sides hurt or tears run down your face when you see it, you must have no soul so i don't want to know you.

I love this movie and have to have that DVD now that I know it's available.