Sleuth (1972)

A man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writers:

Anthony Shaffer (play), Anthony Shaffer (screenplay)

Stars:

Laurence Olivier, Michael Caine, Alec Cawthorne

Top 250 #209 | Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Laurence Olivier	...	Andrew Wyke
Michael Caine	...	Milo Tindle
Alec Cawthorne	...	Inspector Doppler
John Matthews	...	Detective Sergeant Tarrant
Eve Channing	...	Marguerite Wyke
Teddy Martin	...	Police Constable Higgs

Storyline

Milo Tindle and Andrew Wyke have something in common, Andrew's wife. In an attempt to find a way out of this without costing Andrew a fortune in alimony, he suggests Milo pretend to rob his house and let him claim the insurance on the stolen jewelry. The problem is that they don't really like each other and each cannot avoid the zinger on the other. The plot has many shifts in which the advantage shifts between Milo and Andrew.

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Plot Keywords:

jewelry | lover | insurance | writer | battle of wits | 

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Taglines:

If it was murder, where's the body? [original movie poster]

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

10 December 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

El detective

Filming Locations:

Athelhampton House, Athelhampton, Dorset, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palomar Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Caine was the third choice for the part of Milo Tindle after Albert Finney (who was deemed too plump) and Alan Bates (who turned down the role).

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Goofs

While Wyke is clearing the colours in the snooker game, he jumps from blue directly to black, even though the pink is on the table (in a previous shot), and in potting order comes between blue and black. Then, when the black is potted, the pink is nowhere to be seen.

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Quotes

Inspector Doppler: Over the years my eyes have been adequately trained to see things for themselves, sir.

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Connections

Referenced in Ken Adam: Designing Bond (2000)

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Soundtracks

"You do something to me"
Words and music by Cole Porter

User Reviews

One of the best thrillers ever.

Sleuth is based on an outstanding stage play by Anthony Shaffer. Sometimes, a work which succeeded on the stage doesn't transfer well to the big screen. Movies like Equus and Dangerous Corner - which were a delight in theatres - lose their power under the close scrutiny of a film camera. Sleuth is not a failure. It retains its stagebound plot, characters and dialogue, but somehow manages to be totally engrossing as well.

Part of the joy is due to Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. The two giants of Britsh acting don't chew the scenery in an attempt to out-shine each other; they complement each other quite brilliantly and turn in two of the finest screen performances you could ever aspire to see. Olivier plays elderly author Andrew Wyke, an obscenely wealthy, well-educated and devious man. Caine is Milo Tindle, a charming, ever-polite young hairdresser. Milo visits Andrew to ask for his blessing in marrying his estranged wife. Although Andrew seems fairly open to the idea of giving away his wife (after all, they despise each other) he still feels stung by her exit, so he engineers a cruel game to humiliate Milo. But who is playing a trick on who?

The dialogue is terrific, but it needed terrific actors to get the best out of it. Caine and Oloivier do a fine job. Ken Adams' set design turns Olivier's gorgeous palatial house into a dazzling mansion of madness. The tinkly music by John Addison creates a playful yet ever-so-slightly uncomfortable mood. Joseph L. Mankiewicz directs perfectly, getting maximum suspense from his staging of scenes and thoughtful choice of camera angles. The twists are superbly disguised, especially the awesome "shock" climax which will blow you away. See Sleuth - it's one of the best!