The Private Eyes (1980)

This spoof of the Sherlock Holmes stories finds Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart investigating a strange death in a possibly haunted mansion, while dealing with the beautiful heiress and the ... See full summary »

Director:

Lang Elliott

Writers:

Tim Conway, John Myhers

Stars:

Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Trisha Noble

Cast

Cast overview:
Tim Conway	...	Dr. Tart
Don Knotts	...	Inspector Winship
Trisha Noble	...	Mistress Phyllis Morley
Bernard Fox	...	Justin
Grace Zabriskie	...	Nanny
John Fujioka	...	Mr. Uwatsum
Stan Ross	...	Tibet
Irwin Keyes	...	Jock
Suzy Mandel	...	Hilda
Fred Stuthman	...	Lord Morley
Mary Nell Santacroce	...	Lady Morley
Robert V. Barron	...	Gas Station Attendant
Patrick Cranshaw	...	Roy
Russi Taylor	...	Doll Voice (voice)

Storyline

This spoof of the Sherlock Holmes stories finds Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart investigating a strange death in a possibly haunted mansion, while dealing with the beautiful heiress and the crazed staff which live therein.

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Plot Keywords:

sherlock holmes spoof | inspector | mansion | heiress | spoof | 

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Taglines:

Who better to solve England's most puzzling mystery than these two international crime busters?

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Genres:

Comedy | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 April 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Detectives casi privados

Filming Locations:

Biltmore Estate - 1 Approach Road, Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$18,014,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 97 min (Laserdisc) 100 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Don Knotts was stricken with mononucleosis during the production.

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Goofs

When Dr. Tart reads the line "By the way, you're standing in bull ca-ca," the dialogue is clearly dubbed in, and one can tell by watching his lips that Dr. Tart was saying "you're standing in bullsh..." (it's not clear whether he finished the swear or broke off).

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Quotes

Gas Station Attendant: [to Dr. Tart] Oh say, do you know you got stuff all over your face?
Dr. Tart: Huh?
Gas Station Attendant: You got stuff all over your face.
Inspector Winship: He's oiling his brain.

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Crazy Credits

In the opening animated credits, as Dr. Tart walks by he changes the Director's name painted on the fence from "Long Elliott" to "Lang Elliott"

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Alternate Versions

The television version which first aired in the early '80s included an extra scene, set in the dining room of Morley Manor. Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart switch identities trying to fool Mistress Phyllis and her staff.

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Connections

Spoofs The House of Fear (1945)

User Reviews

A Personal Favorite

I've loved this film from the moment I saw it as a kid. To this day Tim Conway's rambling "I think that someone doesn't want anyone to know that there may be someone here that might be someone that's a killer" line still gets me laughing! Highly recommended to anyone in search of a fun (and funny) film!