Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)

A middle-aged couple suspects foul play when their neighbor's wife suddenly drops dead.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writers:

Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman

Stars:

Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Jerry Adler

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Allen	...	Larry Lipton
Diane Keaton	...	Carol Lipton
Jerry Adler	...	Paul House
Lynn Cohen	...	Lillian House
Ron Rifkin	...	Sy
Joy Behar	...	Marilyn
William Addy	...	Jack, the Super
John Doumanian	...	Neighbor
Sylvia Kauders	...	Neighbor
Ira Wheeler	...	EMS Doctor
Alan Alda	...	Ted
Anjelica Huston	...	Marcia Fox
Melanie Norris	...	Helen Moss
Marge Redmond	...	Mrs. Dalton
Zach Braff	...	Nick Lipton

Storyline

Larry and Carol are fairly normal New Yorkers who have sent their son off to college. They meet an elderly couple down the hall and later in the week find that the wife has suddenly died. Carol becomes suspicious of Paul who seems to be too cheerful and too ready to move on. She begins her investigation. Larry insists she is becoming too fixated on their neighbor as all of the irregularities seem to have simple non-homicidal explanations. Ted, a recently divorced friend helps her investigation and Larry begins to become jealous of their relationship and agrees to help her.

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Plot Keywords:

neighbor | coffee | restaurant | investigation | apartment | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild language, and for elements of violence in a comic murder mystery

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 August 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un misterioso asesinato en Manhattan

Filming Locations:

21 Club - 21 West 52nd Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$11,285,588

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures,Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (Mono)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Woody Allen: [writer] Marcia Fox is a writer.

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Goofs

At their neighbours house, Diane Keaton prepares coffee in the kitchen. She makes filter coffee and puts a can of water under the filter. You have to pour water in the machine to warm it up and then go through the filter. The can will be filled with coffee in the end.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Larry Lipton: C'mon, you promised to sit through the hockey game without being bored,
Carol Lipton: [overlapping] I know, honey, I promised.
Larry Lipton: and I'll sit through the Wagner opera with you next week.
Carol Lipton: I know.
Larry Lipton: I already bought the earplugs.
Carol Lipton: Yeah, well, with your eyesight I'm surprised you can see the puck. Wow, yay, come on.

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Connections

References Rear Window (1954)

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Soundtracks

Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)
(1936)
Written by Louis Prima
Performed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (as Benny Goodman & His Orchestra)

User Reviews

If you want a happy movie, go see Manhattan Murder Mystery.

Wonderful creative (and not only) relationship between Woody Allen and Diane Keaton has resulted in such movies as "Bananas" (1971), "Sleeper" (1973), "Love and Death" (1975), "Annie Hall" (1977), "Interiors" (1978), "Manhattan" (1979), "Radio Days" (1987), "Manhattan Murder Mystery" (1993), and has brought them both well-deserved fame and Oscars.

Made 20 years ago, "Manhattan Murder Mystery" could be symbolical final chapter of imaginary Manhattan trilogy that would also include "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan", and it would give (among many more great things) a chance to happy ever after to Woody's and Diane's "neurotic romance". The reunion of Keaton and Allen as a married couple, Larry and Carol Lipton, trying to figure out if their new next door neighbor has committed murder of his wife is their last film together, and IMO, the funniest. Angelica Houston and Alan Alda provide additional comic relief as friends helping the couple solve the mystery.

For me, Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993) is the most delightful and enjoyable of all Allen's films and I never laugh as much and hard as when I re-watch this comedy/whodunit. I have been Allen's fan for many years and I've seen every movie he's made. Manhattan Murder Mystery may not be considered his masterpiece but it is very high on my list of all- time favorite films and one of the most beloved comedies ever. It is so clever and funny that I would take it with me to any deserted island, and if I felt lonely and down, I'd watch the scene in the hotel's lift, and the Allen's face when he delivers one of his funniest lines ever, "Claustrophobia and a dead body - this is a neurotic's jackpot!"

I believe Manhattan Murder Mystery has more witty and hilarious dialogs and one-liners than any of Allen's films, and I enjoy every one of them. Allen claims to have "indulged" himself with this movie in which he referred openly to such classics of cinema as Double Indemnity, Rear Window, and The Lady from Shanghai. The third time collaboration of Allen and Marshall Brickman in writing the script ("Annie Hall", "Manhattan") proved to be brilliant. The result is uniquely Allenesque - breezy, joyous, and absolutely fabulous.