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IMDb > Gumshoe (1971)
Gumshoe
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Gumshoe (1971) -- Albert Finney stars as a bingo-caller who, bored with his mundane existence, takes out a newspaper ad offering his services as a private detective. In no time at all, Finney finds himself involved in a series of plots and counterplots.

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   415 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 21% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Neville Smith (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Gumshoe on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
December 1971 (UK) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Ginley's a gumshoe. Ginley's got guts. Ginley's got a gun. more
Plot:
Ginley (Albert Finney) is a nightclub bingo caller eager for a career change. On his thirty-first birthday... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 1 win more
NewsDesk:
Movie Alert! Four Back-to-back Winners On TCM Tonight
 (From CinemaRetro. 7 November 2009, 2:09 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Surprisingly fresh and very well written more (12 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Albert Finney ... Eddie Ginley
Billie Whitelaw ... Ellen
Frank Finlay ... William
Janice Rule ... Mrs. Blankerscoon
Carolyn Seymour ... Alison
Fulton Mackay ... Straker
George Innes ... Bookshop Proprietor
George Silver ... De Fries
Bill Dean ... Tommy (as Billy Dean)
Wendy Richard ... Anne Scott
Maureen Lipman ... Naomi
Neville Smith ... Arthur
Oscar James ... Azinge
Joe Kenyon ... Joey
Bert King ... Mal
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
88 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Sound Mix:
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Quotes:
Anne Scott: I'd rather fight than switch.
Eddie Ginley: [dialling phone] So you'd rather fight? What weight are you?
Anne Scott: Bantam.
Eddie Ginley: I'm heavy.
Anne Scott: Ooh. You've got the weight, I've got the speed.
Eddie Ginley: I sometimes hit below the belt.
Eddie Ginley: [Phones again]
Anne Scott: Hit below the belt, do you?
Eddie Ginley: And I've got a long reach.
Anne Scott: That's no good in a clinch.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Baby, You're Good For Me more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
10 out of 10 people found the following comment useful.
Surprisingly fresh and very well written, 1 December 2007
8/10
Author: nigel-47 from England

This film buzzes with excitement and whips along at a great pace. It's cliché precisely because Eddie Ginley sees everything that way. That's the charm.

The script works well, and is a delight if you concentrate (!) All the actors give deeply - the sparring between Finlay and Finney is marvellous. How they kept straight faces is a mystery - they seem to be enjoying it so much.

All the locations are raw and stark but never over-done or contrived. What you see is what there was in 1970's Liverpool and London.

A thoroughly enjoyable film with a top-class cast.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (12 total)

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