Late Show, The (1977)

"The Late Show" (1977), Robert Benton's valentine to the 1940's detective film genre has it all: the structure, the language, the grit and noir, plus something more--humor and heart. Long overlooked and drastically under rated by 1970's reviewers, the film and especially its title seemed to dredge up images of some old B&W flick that belonged on late night TV and perhaps didn't fit the mold of being "with it" or of being retro-slick in a then-generation of the Think Young, Drink Pepsi (not Alka Seltzer) society it reflected. Yet what most critics seem to have missed about the title alone is its play on words which embraced not only the old, late night TV movie idea but also the spirit of the tribute writer/director Robert Benton presents here: the vernacular of 1940's detective speak, where "show" meant a client or a job, and, "late" meant late, as in beyond the time someone or something is expected to arrive. Thus, the slang title refers to both Ira Wells (Art Carney) and Margo Sperling (Lily Tomlin), who are thrown together, quite unexpectedly, at a crucial time--before it's really too "late" (as in "dead"). Carney brilliantly (yet so unassumingly) plays 'Ira Wells,' a set in his ways broken down old heat packing (private) detective with "a bum leg, perforated ulcer, and hearing aid," who's been living out what's left of an empty and lonely life in a rented bedroom in an older widow's home. Resigned to this seeming fate, Ira believes his best days, times, and friends are all behind him (especially at the rate people he's known are "kicking off"). Ira can see his own end, which is brought home even more forcefully when his former PI partner, Harry Regan (Howard Duff), who seemingly arrives for a long over-due visit after a bender, dies in Ira's rented bedroom bed from a gunshot to the gut (yet spilling nothing save for blood). Enter Charles Hatter (Bill Macy), a chiseler and con artist, along with a wonderfully zany and off-beat wannabe actress, Margo Sperling (Lily Tomlin). They show up with a stolen cat "case" for Ira Wells at Regan's funeral entombment--and the game of cat and mouse, or, rather, rat, is almost ready to begin--again--for Ira, who says only he's "out of the business" and never uses the word "retired." But this will not be "just another case," it will be THE case, coming in the nick--and Nora--of time to make a difference and a change possible in the lives of two people. Of course, hindrances loom immediately: old-school/generation collides with new, language usage throws up an initial barrier as does Ira's 1940's mind set about women ("dolls") and how they're supposed to act. Yet all this goes by the boards when Ira and Margo start to work the related cases of the missing cat and Regan's murder together. These two people turn out to be an unlikely team that has needed the likes of one another all along. Their differences are far outweighed by what they have in common--such things as character, dignity, regard for others, loyalty, caring, and inner strength. They complement each other which tends to bring out the best in both of them. Ira has not ever had a pal, partner, buddy, or romantic interest who wasn't simply out for himself or herself until Margo; and Margo hasn't ever met anyone quite like Ira, who inspires her, looks out for her, and not only encourages but trusts her to sleuth with him, the pro, even before he discovers she could really excel at it and is more savvy about life and things than even he expected. He becomes enough at ease with Margo. though, that when pressed, he emotionally reveals his inner most fear with her--the scene between the two at the diner, after Ira collapes and Margo wants to take him to the hospital, should have earned Art Carney an Oscar nomination alone. But will they solve the murder? Will they ever team up? "The Late Show" is as much a story of the human condition as it is a noir murder mystery to be solved. Even the bad guys like Ronnie Birdwell (Eugene Roche) and Charles Hatter (Bill Macy) have real dimension and differences--and are portrayed as likeable louses with their own problems in life. The plot is skillfully and painstakingly developed with twists and turns which cover, much as the detective films of the 1940s did, mystery, which can turn to comedy, then switch to tragic drama, and even twist to include a hint of romance. Robert Benton deserved the Oscar for this original screenplay, not simply the nomination. The only remaining question is: when will the director's cut become available on video or DVD so that audiences can discover the rather obvious chunks of missing footage from the film including (but not limited to) John Davey as 'Sgt. Dayton'?--Lenore Hutton Normal, Illinois

This Robert Benton movie didn't raise much interest back in 1977 but it deserves much, much more. Benton, who also wrote the script, clearly knew his Raymond Chandler novels backwards and forwards. The movie opens with a knock at the door of the boarding house where retired private detective, Ira Wells (Art Carney), lives. The person at the door is Wells' friend and fellow detective, Harry Regan (Howard Duff), dying of a fatal gunshot wound and trying to pass along some information to Wells before he dies. If you don't know Chandler's writings you might miss the clues. Harry Regan is a stand-in for Sean "Rusty" Regan whose disappearance is the real motive force behind Chandler's The Big Sleep. What we have here is Benton's meditation on what if Philip Marlowe were now nearly 80 years old, partially deaf but still the toughest, smartest private gum shoe in Los Angeles. Throw into this mystery of who murdered Harry Regan and why, we have fast-talking, manic Margot Sterling (Lily Tomlin in top form), sleazy Charlie Hatter (Bill Macy who some may remember from the sitcom Maude) and even sleazier Ron Birdwell (Eugene Roche) representing the late 1970's low-lifes of Los Angeles. Carney and Tomlin are delightful together and the whole cast gives fine performances. This is a small movie without outlandish CGI, 2-dimensional comic book characters and always confined as is any top-flight mystery whose primary motif is ignorance trying to claw its way toward knowledge. If you like John Houston's The Maltese Falcon, Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep or Dick Richards' Farewell, My Lovely, you will find this movie as much of a treasure as I do.

I really like this sweet semi-comic homage to the great detectivefilms. Art Carney is simply wonderful as a gumshoe now in his 60s,gaining weight and losing foot-speed, but with wits as sharp as ever,and wisdom gained by time. This is what one of Bogie's great detectivecharacters probably would be like 30 years later.He's drawn into an absurdly complex crime situation, when a slightlywacko aging hippie wanna-be actress (played by Lily Tomlin) hires himto help find her lost cat. 'Some of the humor is a bit broad for the more serious themesunderneath, and as much as I always love Tomlin, there were times sheseemed to be flirting with caricature.But the almost-romantic chemistry between this supremely miss-matchedpair is terrific and fun to watch. It doesn't add up to anything huge,but it's intelligent, fun well-executed entertainment for grown ups -something that's far too rare in the current cinema.

The only movie DVD I ever bought and one of the few movies I can watch over and over, always seeing something new.Upon repeated viewing one of the things which emerges is that this is a love story. Margot falls in love with Ira Well's self assurance and 40's gumshoe style -- and she does it the first time he talks like a hard boiled detective. Every time he talks that way to her, she looks dreamy and the romantic music plays.The plot is just about incomprehensible. The crime was fairly simple, but the coverup is labyrinthine. Just about everybody who talks to Ira is lying.There's a screen credit at the end for a policeman whose role, apparently, was cut from the film. Then, there's the hippie gardener who has one of the few speaking parts in the picture and doesn't get a credit. So, to give credit where it's due, he was a crew member in Crafts Services named Linn Zuckerman, who died too young.The movie has a number of quotable lines. My current favorite is, "what I never told you is that this is the hardest goddam way in the world to make a buck".Overall, I'd call it a masterpiece, but it takes itself so unseriously that you can miss it.

This is a great film with a lot of humor in it. Art Carney, who many viewers will remember from the tv show as sidekick with Jackie Gleason in the honeymooners. This is very much a film noir. Carney plays a retired detective. Lily Tomlin portrays a sort of laid back hippie. She has lost her cat Winston and hires Carney to find him. He lives in a rooming house and there is a murder just outside his residence. Also in the movie is Bill Macy (Maude) who plays a slightly shady character. I loved the back and forth dialogue with Carney and Tomlin. This movie is a through back to the Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade books and movies. Highly recommended and I enjoyed it immensely.

Very good !!!!!!!!!!!!