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IMDbPro

Murder by Death

  • 19761976
  • PGPG
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
39K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,389
629
Murder by Death (1976)
Trailer 1
Play trailer3:14
2 Videos
67 Photos
ComedyCrimeMystery
Five famous literary detective characters and their sidekicks are invited to a bizarre mansion to solve an even stranger mystery.Five famous literary detective characters and their sidekicks are invited to a bizarre mansion to solve an even stranger mystery.Five famous literary detective characters and their sidekicks are invited to a bizarre mansion to solve an even stranger mystery.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
39K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,389
629
    • Robert Moore
    • Neil Simon
  • Stars
    • Peter Falk
    • Alec Guinness
    • Peter Sellers
    • Robert Moore
    • Neil Simon
  • Stars
    • Peter Falk
    • Alec Guinness
    • Peter Sellers
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 217User reviews
    • 64Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos2

    Murder by Death
    Trailer 3:14
    Watch Murder by Death
    Murder by Death
    Trailer 3:08
    Watch Murder by Death

    Photos67

    Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Elsa Lanchester, and James Coco in Murder by Death (1976)
    Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, and Richard Narita in Murder by Death (1976)
    "Murder by Death," Peter Sellers 1976 Columbia
    "Murder by Death," Peter Falk 1976 Columbia
    "Murder by Death," Truman Capote 1976 Columbia
    "Murder by Death," Peter Sellers 1976 Columbia
    "Murder by Death," Maggie Smith 1976 Columbia
    "Murder By Death," Alec Guinness. 1976 /Columbia
    Peter Sellers, Peter Falk,  MURDER BY DEATH, Columbia, 1976, I.V.
    "Murder by Death," Truman Capote 1976 Columbia
    "Murder by Death," Truman Capote 1976 Columbia
    Murder by Death (1976)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Peter Falk
    Peter Falk
    • Sam Diamond
    Alec Guinness
    Alec Guinness
    • Bensonmum
    Peter Sellers
    Peter Sellers
    • Sidney Wang
    Eileen Brennan
    Eileen Brennan
    • Tess Skeffington
    Truman Capote
    Truman Capote
    • Lionel Twain
    James Coco
    James Coco
    • Milo Perrier
    Elsa Lanchester
    Elsa Lanchester
    • Jessica Marbles
    David Niven
    David Niven
    • Dick Charleston
    Maggie Smith
    Maggie Smith
    • Dora Charleston
    Nancy Walker
    Nancy Walker
    • Maid
    Estelle Winwood
    Estelle Winwood
    • Nurse
    James Cromwell
    James Cromwell
    • Marcel
    Richard Narita
    Richard Narita
    • Willie Wang
    Myron
    • Myron the Dog
    • (uncredited)
    Fay Wray
    Fay Wray
    • Screaming Door Bell
    • (archive sound)
    • (uncredited)
      • Robert Moore
      • Neil Simon
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The screaming woman sound used as a doorbell is Fay Wray's screams from King Kong (1933). Her unique scream has made her known as the "Scream Queen" of movies.
    • Goofs
      (at around 1h 14 mins) Milo Perrier tells Sam Diamond, "I'm not a Frenchy... I'm a Belgie", referring to the fact he is from Belgium and not France. However, in discussing Twain's annual poodle hunt in France, he implies that's his home country, and later he says, referring to himself, that you should "never underestimate a Frenchman's nostrils."
    • Quotes

      Sam Diamond: Locked, from the inside. That can only mean one thing. And I don't know what it is.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits: Starring (In Diabolical Order)
    • Alternate versions
      The original ABC Network broadcast of the film contained four additional scenes not found in the theatrical or DVD version. 1. Jessica Marbles' taxi driver (played by Peter Sellers) requests a large fare. 2. Dick and Dora Charleston narrowly avoid running over Tess Skeffington, who is walking back to Sam Diamond's car from a service station because she and Sam ran out of gas. Satisfied that Tess is all right, the Charlestons simply drive off, leaving her there. 3. When Willie Wang covers up the body of Twain, he finds a note in Twain's hand and smugly announces this to the others. 4. As the detectives drive away from Twain's house at the end of the film, Inspector Wang and Willie pass another car carrying Sherlock Holmes (Keith McConnell) and Dr. Watson (Richard Peel) heading towards the Twain home. When Willie asks his father "Why didn't you warn them?" Wang replies "Let idiots find out for themselves."
    • Connections
      Featured in The 52nd Annual Academy Awards (1980)

    User reviews217

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Five known private eyes undertake an investigation and a millionaire offers a million dollars to the one who can solve the murder
    This popular charade deals with a fistful of famed stars incarnating notorious detectives . By the time the world's greatest detectives work out whodunit, you could die laughing! Five famous literary detective characters and their sidekicks are invited to a bizarre mansion full of secret passages and spinning rooms to solve an even stranger mystery , as James Coco as Milo Perrier who looks like Hercules Poirot (by Agatha Christie), as Peter Falk as Sam Diamond who looks like Sam Spade , Elsa Lanchester as Jessica Marbles similarly to Mistress Marple , David Niven as Dick Charleston as Nick Charles (created by Dashiell Hammett, whose Nick Charles and Sam Spade were the basis), Peter Sellers as Sidney Wang or Charlie Chan (written by Earl Derr Biggers). They are received by a blind butler played by Alec Guinness as Bensonmum and the eccentric millionaire Lionel Twain performed by Truman Capote invites them to dinner , offering one million to the one who can resolve the night's killing . As the popular characters must unravel a night of murder at a spooky country house , including a blind butler, a deaf-mute maid (Nancy Walker) . Exactly at midnight, a killing is going to take place.

    This rendition of a Neal Simon's novel in an entertaining and fun spoof of Agatha Christie , specially from books titled ¨Ten little Indians¨and ¨And then there were none¨ . Neil Simon remained on the set to take care of re-writes, as he did with this picture's sequel, The Cheap Detective. Simon took such a shine to Alec Guinness during the picture's production that he told him if he did not like anything in the film, he'd immediately rewrite it for him, but Guinness assured him it was great fun for him. The screenplay is funny and high quality in which it's not difficult to work out on which murder-solvers each of them is modeled ; furthermore , stands up Alec Guinnes as a botcher and hyperactive blind butler and a suitable eccentric James Coco as Poirot lookalike and Nancy Walker's last movie , ironic in that she does not utter a single word throughout the entire film. In the opening credits, each character's eyes move except for Peter Falk's (which may be an in-joke reference to his glass eye), and Alec Guinness's blind butler . It is in fact an amusing imitation of Crime Story including enjoyable and sympathetic performances by the entire cast . Well-known actors have the famous sleuths at large in a sinister country mansion , then appears amusement and entertainment , as all of them running around and taking place murders , who's the killer? . The entire cast seems to be subsisting on sugar with wild eyes and frenetic movements the order of the day . You'll enjoy enormously the impersonations of legendary detectives of cinema and fictions . Lively and fun musical score by Dave Grusin . Evocative and colorful cinematography by David Walsh. The motion picture was well directed by Robert Moore . Rating : Better than average . Followed by another hammy spoof titled ¨Clue¨(1985) a pale imitation of the earlier parody , being directed by Jonathan Lynn with Tim Curry , Christopher Lloyd , Lesley Ann Warren and Madeline Khan .
    helpful•18
    5
    • ma-cortes
    • May 8, 2012

    FAQ1

    • Whom are the characters based upon?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 23, 1976 (United States)
      • United States
      • Sony Movie Channel (United States)
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Oakley Court, Windsor Road, Oakley Green, Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Rastar Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 35 minutes
      • Color
      • Mono

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