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Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Trisha Noble, Bernard Fox, Grace Zabriskie ... see more see more... , Irwin Keyes , Suzy Mandel , Stan Ross , John Fujioka , Fred Stuthman , Mary Nell Santacroce , Robert V. Barron , Lang Elliott , Patrick Cranshaw

Tim Conway and Don Knotts play two bumbling Scotland Yard investigators out to solve a double murder in this silly send-up of vintage, "old dark house" films. The intrepid Winship (Knotts) and his ass... read more read more...istant Tart (Conway) arrive at a Gothic mansion occupied by the grieving heiress Phyllis (Tricia Noble), whose parents have just perished under suspicious circumstances. Meanwhile, a quirky crew of servants ranging from a butler with serious rage issues to a samurai warrior cook and busty maid with a bubbly personality all display likely motives for murder. As a mysterious, black-cloaked killer methodically dispatches with the help, the inept investigators search for clues while being watched by paintings with moving eyes, exploring a frightful a torture chamber, and attempting to communicate with their superiors at Scotland Yard via carrier pigeons who never seem to reach their intended destination. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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78% liked it

4,563 ratings

PG, 1 hr. 31 min.

Directed by: Lang Elliott

Release Date: April 10, 1981

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DVD Release Date: September 28, 2010

Stats: 236 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (236)

  • cancercapricorn2002
    June 26, 2009
    cancercapricorn2002
    Lord and Lady Morley have been murdered and even worse, Inspector Winship (Knotts) and Dr. Tart (Conway) are on the case. Sent in by the yard to investigate, Tart and Winship are on the prowl to catch a killer that is staying right in the Lord and Ladies manor. They also received... read more a letter from Morley AFTER he was dead. Say what? Somethin' a funny's a brewin' here?
    At the Morley mansion the private eyes meet the staff of the house, including a bimbo maid, a gypsy caretaker, a hunchback stable groom, a nutty butler, and a seductive mistress. One of these people is the killer?but who? Tart and Winship continue to piece together the mystery by questioning the staff and crew. But as the night wears on the bodies start piling up as one staff member after another is picked off by a mysterious shadow lurking in the dark.
    Time starts running out as the two men bumble and stumble their way through the house looking for clues in the form of notes left by the killer. But will they find the fiend in time, or will Tart, Winship, and the rest of the manor end up as yesterday's leftovers?
    I saw this as a kid and loved it. Its still hold up as a lite and fun film for the entire family. No bad words (one is implied, but not spoken) totally clean for the whole family. One scary part for kids younger than 6 or so, if you want to censor it, have your kids leave the room when they go outside to dig up the body. You have plenty of warning, they are in the crypt for a while before they open the coffin.
    It is written by Tim Conway, and of course stars Tim Conway and Don Knotts. Some of my favorite lines are "for a short person, you have long sentences" and Tim Conway's rambling "I think that someone doesn't want anyone to know that there may be someone here that might be someone that's a killer" line still gets me laughing! Highly recommended to anyone in search of a fun film
  • hypathio7
    July 20, 2009
    hypathio7
    A lot of lost potential here. The poems/clues the murderer/ghost leaves for the detectives are slightly funny. All the jokes are groaners. I might have appreciated the movie more when I was younger. The plot is a mess. Knotts and Conway had partnered in Disney comedies with ... read morethis type of humor a few times during the 70's. The success of this type of comedy had ended by this decade though.
  • moviefan1725
    July 31, 2009
    moviefan1725
    Now THIS is what I'm talking about. THIS is how you do a spoof. Unlike today, where "spoof" movies copy shots from popular movies and attempt to make a joke of them, this movie spoofs an entire genre by honoring it. Don Knotts and Tim Conway were a great comedy duo. Knotts was fo... read morerever the straight man, and Conway is one of the great improvisational comedians the world has ever known. Here they play two bumbling detectives investigating the murders of a rich English couple. We get the usual motley collection of suspects, the creepy castle setting, secret passages, trap doors, and a mysterious, shadowy figure who may or may not be responsible for everything happening. Not only is the movie funny, but it also provides a genuine mystery. The setting is fantastic, the characters are interesting, and the two lead actors are at the top of their games.
  • leekyle1968
    April 14, 2009
    leekyle1968
    lol i remember seeing this as a kid. Pretty funny
  • DrLappos
    October 11, 2007
    DrLappos
    Unbeleivably stupid....but very good.
  • LeoToTo2025
    September 6, 2011
    LeoToTo2025
    When Lord and Lady Morley are killed, Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart are called in to investigating their "murder".... if they can? A spoof on the Sherlock Holmes stories, stars Tim Conway and Don Knotts bring to the screen a hiliarious take on one of the most beloved detectives ... read moreof all time. With countless jokes and a supporting cast of funny characters, this superb and silly film is a must own for fans of the duo.
  • keeponwithbrian
    December 22, 2009
    keeponwithbrian
    This one holds a special place for me. One of those films I grew up with. Knotts and Conway are hilarious as Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart (an inept Holmes and Watson) investigating a murder and missing person at Morley Manor, which may or may not be haunted. Highly Recommende... read mored. "Listen up dummies. The help is all gone, the house is bare. Now you know, a shadow is there. There's one left to die, then my job'll be done. I like killing people, it's a lotta kicks! "
  • fatnmean
    January 8, 2009
    fatnmean
    Perhaps the funniest pairing of Tim Conway & Don Knotts. So sad that they were'nt used more than the four films they made. This is clearly their best.
  • nicholsonisgod
    January 1, 2009
    nicholsonisgod
    Wow! i havnt seen this movie in ten years. Classic comedy at it's finest. Who ever heard of a gun that goes off every hour? LOL. The letters/poems the killer makes are absolutely hysterical. Man i wish I had it on DVD
  • Skoit7Up
    October 20, 2008
    Skoit7Up
    Funny spoof on the classic Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson movies. Don Knotts is Inspector Winship and Tim Conway is Dr. Tart. The plot isn't very deep but the humor is and the film is quite funny. The two dim-witted detectives are sent in to solve a murder by the man who was m... read moreurdered. As if that's not enough the servants begin to be killed one by one. A race to find the killer before everyone dies turns into comical fun in a house of "horror" with suprising results.

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Critic Reviews

Steve Crum
December 23, 2006
Steve Crum, Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers

Silly laughs, far beneath the two comedy stars.

Jonathan Rosenbaum
January 1, 2000
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

Jeffrey Westhoff
February 6, 2003
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

No review available.

Scott Weinberg
July 25, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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  • In the 1980 classic comedy, 'The Private Eyes', Don Knotts and Tim Conway play two bumbling detectives, what are their names in this film?  Answer »
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