“Vive La France!” “Hooray for Hollywood!” These are some of the pseudo-funny lines in The Cheap Detective, the wannabe satirical comedy, written by playwright Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore.
Grade: C
It was made as a follow-up to their more successful collaboration, Murder by Death, of 1976, which also featured an all-star cast.
The ensemble includes Madeline Kahn, Louise Fletcher, Ann-Margret, Eileen Brennan, Stockard Channing, Marsha Mason. Sid Caesar, John Houseman, Dom DeLuise, Abe Vigoda, James Coco, Phil Silvers, Fernando Lamas, Nicol Williamson and Paul Williams.
The spoof, which is too theatrical, reflecting Neil Simon’s real forte, and Moore’s lack of understanding of the film medium, stars Peter Falk as Lou Peckinpaugh, a detective very much in the Humphrey Bogart mold.
As Falk plays his part, Peckinpaugh is a bumbling San Francisco private detective, who needs to prove his innocence when he becomes suspected of his partner’s murder while helping some strange characters recover a lost treasure. Falk does the same shtick, donning the characteristics he used in the 1976 spoof thriller of Agatha Christie, Murder by Death.
Among other films, The Cheap Detective parodies affectionately–but not wittily–Casablanca (all the way down with a rendition of “La Marseilleuse”), The Maltese Falcon, and To Have and Have Not, all classic Bogart vehicles.
There are also some reference to modern noir detectives such as Chinatown and musicals like Gigi.
Oscar nominee Ann-Margret later said that she had based her character on “Rusty” from Viva Las Vegas (opposite Elvis Presley) and “Dallas” from the 1966 film, Stagecoach, a disappointing remake of the 1939 John Ford-John Wayne movie.
David Ogden Stiers juggled this role with his better known role in the TV series, M.A.S.H. as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III.
In the same year, Stockard Channing also played Betty Rizzo in the movie musical, Grease, starring John Travolta.
Cast
Peter Falk as Lou Peckinpaugh
Madeleine Kahn as Mrs. Montenegro
Dom DeLuise as Pepe Damascus
Louise Fletcher as Marlene DuChard
Ann-Margret as Jezebel Dezire
Eileen Brennan as Betty DeBoop
Stockard Channing as Bess
Sid Caesar as Ezra Dezire
Marsha Mason as Georgia Merkle
John Houseman as Jasper Blubber
Vic Tayback as Lieutenant DiMaggio
Abe Vigoda as Sgt. Rizzuto
James Coco as Marcel
Phil Silvers as Hoppy
Fernando Lamas as Paul DuChard
Nicol Williamson as Col. Schlissel
James Cromwell as Schnell
Scatman Crothers as Tinker
Paul Williams as Boy
David Ogden Stiers as Captain
