The Cheap Detective | | Cast : | Peter Falk, Ann-Margret | | Director : | Robert Moore | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Full Screen | | Released Date : | June 23, 1978 | | DVD Released Date : | June 07, 2005 | | Language : | Unknown (Dubbed), English (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 16, 2005 | | Summary | Falk brings Bogey back...with a laugh | Content
 | We love Peter Falk. We love Humphrey Bogart. We got a good price on the DVD. Those are the reasons we bought this.
It's a great spoof, extremely funny at times, a little tiring and not so funny at times (but that's because of Neil Simon, not Falk or Bogey). You really have to know the spoofed movies ("The Big Sleep," "The Maltese Falcon," "Casablanca," etal.), and know them and like them rather well, in order to really get the humor and laugh at this movie.
5 stars for Falk and Bogey and the spoof of the classics.
Minus 1 star for Neil Simon's tiredness.
Minus 1 star cuz you can't watch it very often.
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| Rating | | | Date | May 08, 2005 | | Summary | A Pleasant, Affectionate Film Noir Spoof | Content
| Peter Falk does an impressive Bogart impersonation as gumshoe Lou Peckenpah throughout "The Cheap Detective," doing such a fine job that you'll never confuse Lou with Lieutenant Columbo. He's given ample support by a "Who's Who" of 1970s supporting actors, including Vic Tayback, Dom DeLouise, Ann-Margaret, and Madeline Kahn. There's a clever story full of red herrings and convoluted double-crosses. The entire film is bathed in gorgeous lighting and impressive period sets, effectively recreating the look of such Bogart star vehicles as "The Maltese Falcon" and "Casablanca." It's easily one of the best-looking films of the late 1970s. Indeed, the film looks so good that it puts similar Film Noir knockoffs like "Curse of the Jade Scorpion" and "Sin City" to shame.
The movie's fatal flaw is screenwriter Neil Simon's continuous reliance on sketch comedy setups and overt silliness. Sometimes this works; sometimes it doesn't. Most times it doesn't, and there are huge stretches in "The Cheap Detective" where you'll be grateful that you can stop the DVD, take a nice long break, and return to it later. While unquestionably affectionate, Simon's satire lacks the bite that Mel Brooks possessed during the same time period, and "The Cheap Detective" could have used a sharper parody attack during its slower moments. This is a tamer spoof than the setup demanded.
Still, Falk fans will not be disappointed in this film. Nor will anyone in love with the classic look of 1940s Bogart epics. I'm glad I have it because I'm a Noir buff and Columbo fan, but you might want to rent this one first before buying it. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 31, 2005 | | Summary | Grows On You | Content
| I saw this movie in the theatre when it first came out, and was hugely disappointed. I felt that it was the biggest waste of comedic talent since "Mad Mad Mad Mad World."
But it grows on you. My categorical prior objection to the broad farce played by Sid Caesar and Ann-Margret, for example, is overborne by how great she looks. Subtle details of production begin to emerge. The filled whisky glass in the night stand drawer, for example. The continuous Peter Falk rehearsals for Columbo, which all happened later...it's a good movie for an easy evening. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 13, 2004 | | Summary | In The City By The Bay | Content
| After acheiving something of a success with the very funny murder mystery spoof, Murder By Death, screenwriter Neil Simon and director Robert Moore teamed up again for the film noir send up The Cheap Detective. While not as good as Murder by Death, there are plenty of laughs still to be had, thanks to its star studded cast.
Blending the plots of the classics Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon, you don't have to have seen these films to get the jokes. Peter Falk is Lou Peckingpaugh, the worldly, cynical gumshoe who takes on thugs, crooks, Nazis, femme fatales and the Golden Gate Bridge in this tribute to Bogie and the Hammett/Chandler school of hard-boiled detectives. An incredible ensemble cast does take-offs of characters made famous by Mary Astor (Madeline Kahn), Sidney Greenstreet (John Houseman), Lauren Bacall (Ann-Margret), Peter Lorre (Dom DeLuise), Ingrid Bergman (Louis Fletcher), and Paul Henreid (Fernando Lamas).
Simon's script is another winner, even though the jokes in the film are not quite as finely tuned, of course its possible I'm spoiled by Murder By Death. Director Robert Moore plays to his cast's strengths. Falk uses his experience as TV's Columbo and really plays it up. The late Madeline Kahn is a riot, but then again she always made the most of any role she had. Consider yourself warned--things can get rather silly. It's clear that everyone involved had a lot of fun
The DVD extras include a 11 minute interview with Neil Simon in which he gives us an all too short glimse behind the scenes. A full sized retrospective would have probably been better and more satifying. Theatrical trailers for the film as well as Murder By Death (highly recommended), static talent files and a production notes insert top off the bonus material.
The Cheap Dectective is recommended...Although not as good as Murder By Death, you'll still have fun watching this film
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| Rating | | | Date | November 13, 2004 | | Summary | Sporadically Funny Spoof | Content
| Writer Neil Simon employs the same approach to humor here that he did in "Murder by Death" by peppering the film with non-stop jokes. The problem is that there are more duds per legitimate laughs here in this send-up of Bogart films. Peter Falk's prescence here redeems the proceedings;he'd be funny reading the phone book. That said, with the material he's given here he may as well have been. Many character actors appear here and are virtually wasted. You could whittle this film down to a fifteen minute sketch for, say, the old "Carol Burnett Show" and you may have a passable enterprise. |
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