An eccentric millionaire (Truman Capote) invites five of the world's greatest detectives (and their companions) for the weekend to his isolated country home for "dinner and a murder". At dinner, he tells them someone seated at the very table will be murdered at midnight and challenges them to solve it for one million dollars. This clever parody of the detective genre, an original screenplay by Neil Simon, is a feast for detective movie fans. Simon's often witty, sometimes silly quips are delivered by an impeccable cast, all playing parodies of famous movie and literary detectives. Peter Sellers as Sidney Wang (Charlie Chan), James Coco as Milo Perrier (Hercule Poirot), Peter Falk as Sam Diamond (Sam Spade), Elsa Lanchester as Jessica Marbles (Jane Marple) and David Niven and Maggie Smith as Dick and Dora Charleston (Nick and Nora Charles). Simon's script is both a send up of the genre and an affectionate
homage and he's not afraid of political correctness with many of the jokes directed toward the blind butler (Alec Guinness) and the deaf mute cook (Nancy Walker). Directed by Robert Moore (
THE CHEAP DETECTIVE) and with Eileen Brennan, Estelle Winwood, James Cromwell and Richard Narita.
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