Eccentric millionaire (played by author Truman Capote in a rare acting role) invites five legendary detectives to his secluded estate. Upon arrival, he announces that a murder will take place at the stroke of midnight. The detective who solves the crime will receive $1 million . The All-Star Parodies
: The film was a box-office success, grossing $32.5 million. It eventually led to a spiritual sequel, The Cheap Detective (1978), also written by Neil Simon and starring Peter Falk . Availability
The film’s humor stems from its caricature of iconic literary and cinematic detectives: subtitle Murder.by.Death.1976.720p.BluRay.x264....
(David Niven & Maggie Smith): Elegant socialite sleuths based on Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man .
(Elsa Lanchester): A no-nonsense British spinster based on Miss Marple. Notable Cast & Crew Eccentric millionaire (played by author Truman Capote in
(James Coco): A fussy, food-obsessed Belgian detective parodying Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot.
(Peter Sellers): A caricature of Earl Derr Biggers' Charlie Chan, known for speaking in malapropisms and Confucius-style sayings . The All-Star Parodies : The film was a
(Peter Falk): A grizzled, hard-boiled gumshoe based on Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade.