01
Murder by Death
Why this pick
Another Robert Moore ensemble spoof, pairing Peter Falk’s deadpan detective with rapid-fire gags, elaborate genre parody, and a playful locked-room murder setup.
A FILM WORTH A CLOSER LOOKTHE FEATURE PRESENTATION
MOVIE1978 1h 32m USA
IF THIS ONE STAYED WITH YOU
Movies like
The Cheap Detective
ComedyThrillerCrime
CINEHUNCH / THE NEXT FRAME
Keep the feeling.
SIMILAR PICKS / A PERSONAL CONNECTION
If you loved The Cheap Detective, try these.
01
02
The Private Eyes
Why this pick
Its Clouseau-like sleuthing, broad period mystery comedy, and conspicuously silly suspects make it a natural fit for The Cheap Detective’s affectionate detective-fiction send-up.
03
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
Why this pick
A lovingly constructed noir pastiche with a deadpan private eye, black-and-white visual style, and a dense web of comic clues; it shares the film’s old-Hollywood spoof spirit.
04
The Last of Sheila
Why this pick
For the pleasure of parsing shifting alliances and planted clues beneath glamorous comic barbs, this is a sharper, more intricate mystery-game companion.
05
Foul Play
Why this pick
A buoyant late-1970s comic thriller that combines an increasingly absurd conspiracy, eccentric characters, and genuine suspense without losing its breezy romantic-comedy momentum.
Finding the atmosphere, tension and little details that made this one stay with you.
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01 / THE STORY
A little about the film.
Lou Peckinpaugh (Peter Falk), a bumbling San Francisco private detective, tries to prove himself innocent of his partner's murder while helping a bizarre array of characters recover a lost treasure.
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02 / FACES IN THE FRAME
The people who bring it to life.
Eileen Brennan
Betty DeBoop
James Coco
Marcel
Louise Fletcher
Marlene DuChard
Fernando Lamas
Paul DuChard
Marsha Mason
Georgia Merkle
Paul Williams
Boy
Vic Tayback
Lieutenant DiMaggio
Scatman Crothers
Tinker