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

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 (credit only)
John Matthews	...	Detective Sergeant Tarrant (credit only)
Eve Channing	...	Marguerite Wyke (credit only)
Teddy Martin	...	Police Constable Higgs (credit only)

Storyline

Andrew Wyke is a famous and successful author of detective novels. Milo Tindle comes to him with a strange request - that Mr Wyke divorce his wife so that Tindle can marry her. Mr Wyke is not particularly perturbed by this - he and his wife have drifted apart and he is having an affair with another woman anyway - but uses the meeting and Mr Tindle's request as a chance to play a game, a game with potentially deadly consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

battle of wits | suspense | surprise ending | jewelry | insurance | 

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Taglines:

If it was murder, where's the body? If it was for a woman, which woman? If it's only a game, why the blood?

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

12 July 1973 (UK)

Also Known As:

Juego mortal

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palomar Pictures International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Andrew Wyke's cellar, a life preserver from the R.M.S. Mauretania is seen hanging from a wooden post. Built in 1906, the R.M.S. Mauretania was a luxury ocean liner owned by the Cunard line. She was a sister ship of the R.M.S. Lusitania. For thirty years, the Mauretania carried upper-class passengers between London and New York City. When she was scrapped in 1935, the Mauretania's first class reading-writing room was moved to Pinewood Studios in London (where the cellar scenes were filmed), and became the studio's board room.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 9 mins) When Inspector Doppler is interviewing Andrew on Sunday Morning, Andrew's paper is folded and put over the arm of his chair twice.

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Quotes

Andrew Wyke: My wife showers. I bathe.

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Connections

Referenced in George Stevens: The Filmmakers Who Knew Him (2001)

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Soundtracks

Anything goes
Words and music by Cole Porter

User Reviews

Classic mystery with dynamite performances by Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine

A very entertaining "thriller" about a wealthy mystery novelist named Andrew Wyke (Olivier), who invites Milo Tindle (Caine) - working-class owner of a chain of hair salons - to his sixteenth-century mansion to discuss Milo's affair with Wyke's wife. Instead of being angry, he seems to be delighted and proposes an ingenious robbery scheme that will benefit both men. Soon, the two men find themselves locked in an ingenious and devious duel, but who gets the last laugh on whom?

With the right ingredients film-making can seem so easy. The cast consists of just two actors, Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine, but with these heavyweights, it's hard to go wrong. Playwright Anthony Shaffer (FRENZY, THE WICKER MAN) wrote a brilliantly ingenious script with crackling dialog, and veteran director Joseph L. Mankiewicz (A LETTER TO THREE WIVES, ALL ABOUT EVE), who knows all the cinematic tricks and has an uncanny aye for detail, manages to avoid this "play" from becoming static in any way. It was to be his last film, and what a grand way to say goodbye to cinema. A real treat from start to finish. Highly recommended!

Camera Obscura --- 10/10