Art Carney is cantankerous Ira Wells, an atypical private detective. Not only does he limp, but he also wears a hearing aid and owns a bleeding ulcer. His takes the local buses to get around, and rents space in a boarding house at $42.50 per month. But Ira, who has wisdom and knows the tricks of the trade, is tough when he has to be. His old time friend, Harry Regan (Howard Duff), has just been shot to death. Says Wells: "Sorry you're going off, pal. You've been real good company." There are stolen stamps. As there is a connection with Harry's death, Wells takes the job offer of wacky Margo (Lily Tomlin) to locate her missing cat Winston, who has been abducted by a bad guy. The complex mystery deepens, and there is adultery and murder; a shady fence surfaces. There is even an exciting car chase. Ira and Margo, who are on opposite ends of the spectrum, eventually become loose-partners. Will our heroes be able to fill in all of the missing pieces? Will Ira even manage to stay alive by movie's end? One gets the impression that Ira would rather go out that way than wind up in a nursing home.
This movie, a throwback to the detective genre of the 1940s, tends more to the dramatic than the comedic. The acting is fine throughout. The chemistry of Art Carney and Lily Tomlim ("on the edge of weird") is splendid for the silver screen. Although the production is hardly expensive, Robert Benton's screenplay is first-class. And all loose ends are tied by movie's end. This feature is worth seeing.
This movie, a throwback to the detective genre of the 1940s, tends more to the dramatic than the comedic. The acting is fine throughout. The chemistry of Art Carney and Lily Tomlim ("on the edge of weird") is splendid for the silver screen. Although the production is hardly expensive, Robert Benton's screenplay is first-class. And all loose ends are tied by movie's end. This feature is worth seeing.