Gumshoe (1971)

Ginley (Albert Finney) is a nightclub bingo caller eager for a career change. On his thirty-first birthday, he advertises himself as a private eye in the newspaper. He dons a trench coat, ... See full summary »

Director:

Stephen Frears

Writer:

Neville Smith

Stars:

Albert Finney, Billie Whitelaw, Frank Finlay

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 1 win.

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 (as Joey Kenyon)
Bert King	...	Mal

Storyline

Ginley (Albert Finney) is a nightclub bingo caller eager for a career change. On his thirty-first birthday, he advertises himself as a private eye in the newspaper. He dons a trench coat, and begins engaging others in rapid-fire dialogue as if he were Humphrey Bogart, or some Dashiell Hammett creation. Soon after, Ginley is phoned by a fat man, who gives him a package containing a gun, a photograph, and a large sum of money. Eventually Ginley is investigating a case involving smuggling of weapons as well as drugs. Ginley also finds himself at odds with his unsupportive brother, who offers Ginley payment to break off his investigations. Eventually Ginley learns of his brother-in-law's involvement in the crimes at hand. Ginley faces a series of daunting tasks: solving the crimes, bringing justice to the smugglers (and a murderer), as well as maintaining his safety and sanity in the process.

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Plot Keywords:

bingo | smuggler | liverpool | bookstore | library | 

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Taglines:

Who runs this ruthless power game with blackmail, violence - and murder?

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1971 (UK)

Also Known As:

Auf leisen Sohlen

Filming Locations:

Lee International Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Memorial Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First, final and only ever produced theatrical feature film screenplay of actor-writer Neville Smith. Smith also appears in the film as Arthur.

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Quotes

Eddie Ginley: Mrs. Blankers-Cohen?
Anne Scott: Not expected.
Eddie Ginley: Where can I find her?
Anne Scott: 49 Faulkner Square.
Eddie Ginley: Does she live there?
Anne Scott: Yes, but not for long.
Eddie Ginley: How come.
Anne Scott: She's leaving. Tomorrow.
Eddie Ginley: What time?
Anne Scott: 7am.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The opening Columbia logo does not have the Columbia name on it, just the lady with the torch.

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Connections

References The Big Sleep (1946)

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Soundtracks

"Crying In The Rain"
(uncredited)
Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King

User Reviews

Finney as Bogie

Produced early in Stephen Frears's nearly forty-year career, "Gumshoe" is an affectionate take on the Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler film adaptations that were popular in the 1940's. The movie is great fun, and Bogie aficionados will be especially pleased, if they can decipher the often-impenetrable British accents. Like "The Big Sleep" and other films of the private-eye genre, the plot is a series of seemingly unconnected events that, in this case, almost literally come together at the denouement. The smart banter between Bogart and Bacall echoes in the breathless quips that Albert Finney and Billie Whitelaw trade in some of the film's best moments. A Sydney Greenstreet wannabe is known simply as the fat man, and a dangerous beauty in the persona of Janice Rule is the requisite duplicitous fatale.

As handsome as he was in "Two for the Road" a few years earlier, Finney appears to be having fun as Eddie Ginley, an English Sam Spade. He has the appropriately rumpled demeanor and looks good in a trench coat. His deadpan film-noir-style narration enhances the 1940's feel, although, despite the gritty color, the film cries out for the velvety light and shadows of black-and-white photography. Short, entertaining, and well made on all counts, "Gumshoe" is a minor gem that merits more attention. The film predates "Prick Up Your Ears" and "My Beautiful Laundrette," the director's two breakout films from the mid-1980s, and, after the success of "The Queen" in 2006, viewers owe themselves the pleasure of discovering the talent on display in Stephen Frears's early efforts.