Murder by the Book (1987)

Mild-mannered mystery writer D. H. Mercer has become so immersed in his material that his creation, hard-boiled private eye Biff Deegan constantly appears to him as a hallucination. Intent ... See full summary »

Director:

Mel Damski

Writers:

Michael Norell (teleplay), Michael Norell (television story),

Stars:

Robert Hays, Catherine Mary Stewart, Christopher Murney

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Hays	...	D.H. 'Hank' Mercer / Biff Deegan
Catherine Mary Stewart	...	Marissa
Christopher Murney	...	Lieutenant Greenberg
Fred Gwynne	...	Victor Greville
Celeste Holm	...	Claire
Jonathan Moore	...	Nicholas Rubinstein
Martin Neufeld	...	Pete
Michael Copeman
Bunty Webb
Eric Keenleyside
Robin Ward
Eric Fink
Thick Wilson
Al Bernardo
Louis Di Bianco

Storyline

Mild-mannered mystery writer D. H. Mercer has become so immersed in his material that his creation, hard-boiled private eye Biff Deegan constantly appears to him as a hallucination. Intent on getting rid of Biff, and replacing him with a more civilized detective, Mercer soon finds himself in a genuine mystery involving art fraud, murder, and a beautiful lady in peril.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | fantasy becomes reality | based on novel

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 March 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alter Ego

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Television, Peter Nelson Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in 1985 but not broadcast until 1987.

User Reviews

I wish they'd play this movie on a cable station I get.

Murder by the Book is by far the best movie I've ever seen. Funny, Romantic, Mysterious, and you'll never guess the ending. Robert Hays plays a writer with an alter ego, Biff Deagan, the main character of his novels. The Movie gets funnier and funnier as time goes on. This movie will either have you rolling on the floor laughing one minute or have glued to the edge of your seat the next. Other must see movies of Robert Hays are Trenchcoat, 50-50, and For Better or for Worse (Honeymoon Academy) (1990). If only movies nowadays could be as could as these I'd watch more movies. Robert Hays is at his best in all of these movies. Nothing would please me more than to see him make a comeback.