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The Cheap Detective (1978)

 -  Comedy | Crime | Mystery  -  23 June 1978 (USA)
6.3
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Ratings: 6.3/10 from 1,988 users  
Reviews: 45 user | 6 critic

San Francisco, 1940, detectives, dames, documents, Nazis, and a treasure.

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Ezra Dezire
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Bess
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Marcel
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Pepe Damascus
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Hoppy
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Sergeant Rizzuto
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Boy
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Storyline

Lou Peckinpaugh, the Cheap detective has entered a world that is half Casablanca and half Maltese Falcon. A parody of Bogart's films in which Lou goes through a series of scenes from the two movies trying to keep ahead of the police who think he killed his partner and find the black bird. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

He knows every cheap trick, cheap joke, cheap shot and cheap dame in the book. See more »


Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

23 June 1978 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Neil Simon's The Cheap Detective  »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer Neil Simon remained on the set to take care of re-writes, as he had done with this picture's prequel, Murder by Death. See more »

Goofs

The movie takes place in 1939, yet the song sung in the nightclub is 'La Vie En Rose' which was not written until 1946. See more »

Quotes

Lou Peckinpaugh: Now why did he call me last night?
Jezebel Dezire: He thinks I'm cheating on him. He wants you to find out who the man is. Some of my jewelry is missing; Ezra thinks I gave it to my lover.
Lou Peckinpaugh: Did you give it to him?
Jezebel Dezire: Everything *but* my jewelry.
See more »

Crazy Credits

The opening credits are written in chalk on a sidewalk, a brick wall, a tambourine, a dock piling, and the back of an overcoat. See more »

Connections

Spoofs The Maltese Falcon (1941) See more »

Soundtracks

"Das Lied der Deutschen"
(Also known as 'Deutschland über Alles")
Music by Joseph Haydn
Lyrics by August Heinrich Hoffman von Fallersleben
Sung by the Germans at Nix Place
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Bogey Would Be Proud
12 July 2007 | by (Buffalo, New York) – See all my reviews

If Humphrey Bogart could have seen The Cheap Detective he'd have loved every minute of it. I counted satirical moments from The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Big Sleep and To Have and Have Not as well as other noir classics that Neil Simon cleverly worked into a plot that makes no rational sense, but will keep you glued to the chair with laughter.

Bogey would have liked Peter Falk's spot on impersonation of the detective from the wrong side of the tracks. Falk is always a player with one amazing bag of tricks whether he's serious as in Murder, Inc., or funny as in Robin and the Seven Hoods or a bit of both as in The Brink's Job.

Not since It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World had so many funny people gathered together for one film. Even normally serious actors like Fernando Lamas and Nicol Williamson seem to be having a ball just hamming it up. My favorite aside from Falk is Eileen Brennan as Betty DeBoop. How can you go wrong with a name like that.

You can't describe any kind of plot, the whole thing is so much wonderful nonsense. Just sit back and enjoy.


8 of 9 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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