Gumshoe (1971)

Tedious attempt at either a parody of or homage to the film noir detective (Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Mike Hammer etc.) flounders around looking for an idea. A stand up comic and amateur detective (Albert Finney) in Liverpool puts an ad in the paper hiring himself out as a private investigator. He gets a response from a mysterious “fat man” who gives him money, a gun and a photo of a girl he wants found. From there it bounces around incoherently till, finally, exhausted of ideas limps to a conclusion. The film, directed by Stephen Frears (THE GRIFTERS), shows no real affection for the genre much less any wit. It’s too self conscious and lacks the sense of fun of Neil Simon’s THE CHEAP DETECTIVE or Carl Reiner’s DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID, both of which seemed to understand the genre much better than Neville Smith’s screenplay. The grimy cinematography by Oscar winner Chris Menges (THE MISSION) and deliberately intense score by Andrew Lloyd Webber seem on the right track though. With the wonderful Billie Whitelaw, Janice Rule, Frank Finlay and Carolyn Seymour.