Classic 70s Movie: “Murder By Death”
September is Classic 70s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Karla McNeese.
Movie Title: Murder by Death
Year: 1976
Writer: Neil Simon
Lead Actors: Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith
Director: Robert Moore
IMDB Plot Summary: Five famous literary detective characters and their sidekicks are invited to a bizarre mansion to solve an even stranger mystery.
Why I Think This Is a Classic 70s Movie: The cast that was assembled to make this spoof of murder mysteries is legendary. Where else can you find David Niven trading suggestive quips with Maggie Smith? And Truman Capote (in his feature film debut) correcting the grammar of Peter Sellers?
Add to this a script written by none other than the king of comedy Neil Simon and prepare for laughs, most of them politically incorrect as proper 1970s humor should be. ☺
My Favorite Moment in the Movie: When each of the detectives and their companions must evade death once they settle into their rooms for the night, outsmarting each other and the killer. One by one we see the guest fall victim to their fates…or do we?
My Favorite Dialogue in the Movie: Where to begin? This film is filled with one liners. My favorite comes courtesy of Peter Sellers’ “Sidney Wang” as he discusses theories with David Nivens’ “Dick Charleston”:
Sidney Wang: Very interesting theory, but, you overlook one very important point.
Dick Charleston: And that is?
Sidney Wang: Is stupid. Is most stupid theory I ever heard.
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: The opening credits with the darting eyes and genre appropriate music let us know we are in for some fun.
As each of the guests arrive, we are given a look at their backstories and how they will function in our murder mystery. The sexual innuendos between Dick and Dora give us a peek at their marital relationship just as the insults Wang hurls at his adopted son tells us who the brains of that team is (hint: not Willie).
Having a familiarity with the films and characters that this film spoofs adds to an appreciation of the story and the performances for the viewer. Sellers’ detective Wang spouts fortune cookie-like observations throughout the film just as Charlie Chan (on whom his character is based) does. Capote’s Lionel Twain remarks to his dinner guest’s that their years of plot twists both disappoint and confuse their readers, leaving the viewer to correctly assume that the film’s plot twist and resulting plot holes are provided intentionally, courtesy of Neil Simon.
An interesting side note: director Moore tried to have Capote replaced during filming as he was disappointed with his performance. Capote would go on to earn a Golden Globe nomination for his acting debut in this film.
Thanks, Karla! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
You may follow Karla on Twitter: @KarlaKMcNeese.
We already have a set of 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, we’re working on 70s Movies.
Thanks to all of you for your participation in this project, creating a resource for writers, movies we should all watch to help learn the craft of screenwriting!
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