The Cheap Detective (1978)
Facts
The Cheap Detective
DVD Price: $9.95
As of Aug 1 17:09 EDT (details)
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| Directed by | Robert Moore |
| Cast | Peter Falk, Ann-Margret, Eileen Brennan, Sid Caesar, Stockard Channing, Carmine Caridi, James Coco, James Cromwell, Scatman Crothers, Dom DeLuise, Louise Fletcher, John Houseman, Madeline Kahn, Fernando Lamas, Dom De Luise, Ann Margret, Marsha Mason, Phil Silvers, Abe Vigoda and Nicol Williamson |
| Theatrical Release | June 23, 1978 |
| DVD Release | November 13, 2001 |
| Running Time | 92 minutes |
| MPAA Rating | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) |
| UPC Code | 043396903999 |
| Buy this item | $9.95 at Amazon.com
As of Aug 1 17:09 EDT (details)
1 DVD, Sony Pictures, Usually ships in 24 hours, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Languages: Chinese (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), German (Original Language), Spanish (Dubbed)
Or 42 new from $4.16, 21 used from $3.50, 2 collectible from $10.89 |
About The Cheap Detective
Most fans of everything-but-the-kitchen-sink comedies like The Naked Gun and Hot Shots probably think the genre started with Airplane!, but Neil Simon's The Cheap Detective came two years earlier. It's a camp parody of Humphrey Bogart's 1940s detective flicks (particularly The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep), with a big dose of Casablanca thrown in for good measure. There's no point in describing the plot--it's little more than a series of cameos by just about every actor working in the 1970s, including Ann-Margaret, Eileen Brennan, Stockard Channing, James Coco, Scatman Crothers, Dom DeLuise, John Houseman, Marsha Mason, and Nicol Williamson. Peter Falk plays the detective and does a fine Bogey impression. Unfortunately, it's not Neil Simon's best work--he's better at character comedy such as The Odd Couple and The Goodbye Girl than this kind of slapstick--but there are a few good lines and the cast gives it their best. Louise Fletcher, not usually known for comedy, does a sharp satire of Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca, and Madeline Kahn never fails to entertain in a variety of disguises. --Bret Fetzer Amazon.com
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User Reviews
Average user review: 
(26 reviews)
LOVE this movie. I watched it 3 times and it had me rolling every time. The dialogue sometimes elicits groans, but it is so funny. If you enjoy classic detective movies, you have to watch this spoof. Hilarious!!!
February 6, 2008 |  | Widescreen available on Amazon.ca |  |
For those like me looking for a widescreen version of this title (it was filmed in anamorphic 2.35:1), it's available on Amazon's Canadian website - for a decent price I might add.
November 14, 2007 | | "Why do they tell me these things?" | |
I loved Peter Falk in this movie. I picked up the DVD some time back and only just now had an opportunity to watch it. FUNNY! Of course, you really have to know Casablanca to appreciate just how funny it really is.
May 4, 2007One of the most hilarious movies ever made -- Peter Falk is magnificent.
January 10, 2007This is a wonderful tribute to the films of Bogart. True, it's a spoof, but humor is a wonderful tribute. Peter Falk as Lou Peckinpah is outstanding, and the rest of the cast matches him. Neil Simon, who cut his teeth writing for Sid Caesar, does some of his best work here. The humor starts off with the prologue, and never quits. If you enjoy a good spoof, this is one of the best. Watch it with MURDER BY DEATH.
December 23, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ... 
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