Murder by Death

:Murder by Death is also an independent rock band, named after the movie. See Murder by Death (band).

Cast of Characters

The action of the movie takes place in and around the isolated country home of eccentric multi-millionaire Lionel Twain (Capote), inhabited by his blind butler, Jamesir Bensonmum (Alec Guinness) and a deaf-mute maid called Yetta (Nancy Walker). As the movie opens, our heroes, all pastiches of famous detectives, are approaching the house through dense, fog-bound forest, accompanied by their assistants or sidekicks; it emerges that they have been invited to "dinner and a murder", over a weekend at Twain's wacky mansion.

Related Topics:
Capote - Alec Guinness - Nancy Walker

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sidney Wang, played by Peter Sellers, is based on Charlie Chan, and appropriately accompanied by his son Willie (Richard Narita). Wang wears elaborate Chinese costume, and his grammar is frequently criticised by the host.

Related Topics:
Peter Sellers - Charlie Chan - Richard Narita

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dick and Dora Charleston (David Niven and Maggie Smith) are polished, sophisticated society types modelled on Nick and Nora Charles from the Thin Man series of films. Their excellent breeding gets them out of a few scrapes during the course of the weekend.

Related Topics:
David Niven - Maggie Smith - Nick and Nora Charles - ''Thin Man''

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Milo Perrier (James Coco) is a take on Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, and arrives at the house with his chauffeur Marcel (James Cromwell, of Babe and L.A. Confidential fame). Portly Perrier is over-fond of food , and is annoyed that he must share a room with lowly Marcel.

Related Topics:
James Coco - Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot - James Cromwell - ''Babe'' - L.A. Confidential

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sam Diamond represents the hard-boiled American style of detective, perhaps most closely based on The Maltese Falcons Sam Spade. Played by Peter Falk, he is ably assisted by Eileen Brennan as his loyal and efficient secretary, Tess Skeffington.

Related Topics:
The Maltese Falcon - Sam Spade - Peter Falk - Eileen Brennan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Christie's other great creation, Miss Marple, appears here as Jessica Marbles, played by Elsa Lanchester as a hearty, tweed-clad Englishwoman, with a frail, elderly companion, her "nurse" Miss Withers (a 93-year-old Estelle Winwood).

Related Topics:
Christie - Miss Marple - Elsa Lanchester - Estelle Winwood

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~