Neil Simon wrote the script for this parody of stories starring fictional detectives, where Lionel Twain is an eccentric millionaire who invites a group of them to stay in his remote mansion, with a $1 million award to the ones who solve the murder mystery. Besides him, he has a butler and a female cook living there, and the visitors include parodies of Charlie Chan and his son, Sam Spade and his secretary, Nick and Nora and their dog from the Thin Man series, Hercule Poirot, and Miss Marple, all given altered names. Twain locks up his mansion and gives his guests one night to solve the mystery.
There are some laughs, but overall the story could and should have been funnier. Instead the whole thing is confusing, and presumably the idea is to mock the ridiculous cliches of many murder mystery novels from various authors. But in the end it is not very entertaining.
There are some laughs, but overall the story could and should have been funnier. Instead the whole thing is confusing, and presumably the idea is to mock the ridiculous cliches of many murder mystery novels from various authors. But in the end it is not very entertaining.