Murder by Death (1976) on Netflix
PG19761h 34mComedyMysteryThriller
Wealthy Lionel Twain invites five of the world's most famous detectives, each with a sidekick, to his mansion for dinner and a murder. A million dollars goes to whoever solves the crime.
- Netflix3.6/5
- IMDb7.2/1046,175 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes65%
Trailer
Plot summary
Lionel Twain, who owns the mansion called Two Two Twain, has sent the same invitation to five detectives without telling any of them who else is coming. Dick and Dora Charleston arrive with their terrier Myron; Monsieur Milo Perrier brings his chauffeur Marcel; Inspector Sidney Wang has his adopted son Willie Wang; Miss Jessica Marbles travels with her nurse Miss Withers; and Sam Diamond has his secretary Tess Skeffington. Dinner goes badly, since Twain's blind butler Bensonmum and his new deaf-mute cook Yetta cannot communicate. Then Twain seals the house and explains the evening: one of the people at his table will be murdered before midnight, and he will call himself the greatest detective if his guests cannot name the killer. Whichever of them can will collect a million dollars and the rights to the story.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Murder by Death (1976)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Author Ron Haydock states that an early draft of Neil Simon's script featured Holmes and Watson actually solving the mystery, but their roles were reduced to a cameo appearance and finally deleted, as the lead actors felt they were being "upstaged".
- Charles Addams, creator of The Addams Family, drew the art and caricatures displayed at the beginning of the film, during the end credits, and on the poster.
- Peter Sellers played Inspector Sidney Wang in yellowface, a send-up of Earl Derr Biggers' Chinese/Hawaiian police detective Charlie Chan; Wang wears elaborate Chinese inspired costumes and speaks in broken English, which Twain and others criticize.
SPOILER
The novelization contains deleted Tess Skeffington and Willie Wang scenes, as well as a totally different ending in which Bensonmum is revealed to be still alive and Twain admits that although the detectives failed, they failed brilliantly.- The film features a rare acting performance by the author Truman Capote, one of very few screen roles in his career.
