Funnymen Tim Conway and Don Knotts, having proved themselves as a successful comedy team with the "Apple Dumpling Gang" pictures as well as "The Prize Fighter", are paired again as bumbling American sleuths working for Scotland Yard. They're sent to investigate the mysterious, fatal accident that befell proper British couple the Morleys. They find a castle full of staff who behave in the most suspicious manner possible, as well as the Morleys' adopted daughter (the sexy Trisha Noble, "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith").
A pretty good parody of classic "murder in an old dark house" mysteries, this was filmed in the stately Biltmore Castle, and features a number of trappings of the genre, especially secret passageways and chambers. It's an entertaining mix of PG-rated chills and chuckles, going far on the chemistry between the stars. As was usually the case, Knotts is more of the straight man, reacting in the most hilariously exasperated way to Conways' goofy antics. (Repeated gags involve Conways' overcoat full of carrier pigeons, and his invention of a gun that fires once every hour, on the hour.) The mystery to be solved is ultimately rather predictable, but if you're just looking for laughs, "The Private Eyes" delivers a fair amount of them.
Knotts & Conway are well supported by Noble, Bernard Fox (Camerons' "Titanic") as the flustered butler, Grace Zabriskie ('Twin Peaks') as the nanny, John Fujioka ("American Ninja") as the cook, Stan Ross ("The Witch Who Came from the Sea") as the groundskeeper, Irwin Keyes ("House of 1000 Corpses") as the character "Jock", and Suzy Mandel ("Blonde Ambition") as the ravishing maid. Fox is a standout as a man who always reacts badly to the word "murder".
If you're a fan of Knotts, Conway, or both of them, I can assure you that this is one of their funniest, best teamings.
Written by Conway and fellow actor John Myhers.
Seven out of 10.
A pretty good parody of classic "murder in an old dark house" mysteries, this was filmed in the stately Biltmore Castle, and features a number of trappings of the genre, especially secret passageways and chambers. It's an entertaining mix of PG-rated chills and chuckles, going far on the chemistry between the stars. As was usually the case, Knotts is more of the straight man, reacting in the most hilariously exasperated way to Conways' goofy antics. (Repeated gags involve Conways' overcoat full of carrier pigeons, and his invention of a gun that fires once every hour, on the hour.) The mystery to be solved is ultimately rather predictable, but if you're just looking for laughs, "The Private Eyes" delivers a fair amount of them.
Knotts & Conway are well supported by Noble, Bernard Fox (Camerons' "Titanic") as the flustered butler, Grace Zabriskie ('Twin Peaks') as the nanny, John Fujioka ("American Ninja") as the cook, Stan Ross ("The Witch Who Came from the Sea") as the groundskeeper, Irwin Keyes ("House of 1000 Corpses") as the character "Jock", and Suzy Mandel ("Blonde Ambition") as the ravishing maid. Fox is a standout as a man who always reacts badly to the word "murder".
If you're a fan of Knotts, Conway, or both of them, I can assure you that this is one of their funniest, best teamings.
Written by Conway and fellow actor John Myhers.
Seven out of 10.