[Quick Summary: Bumbling Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart investigate the deaths of Lord and Lady Morely, but barely keep up with clues, ghosts and missing bodies.]
I love Tim Conway and Don Knotts! However I did not know this was the second of two films that they starred in together and that Conway co-wrote both.
Is the mystery good? Not particularly. The story leans heavily toward the comedy.
Is the script funny? It is so-so, on the page. It's definitely a two-hander and imagine that it is performance dependent on Conway and Knotts.
I did like that the pratfalls and sight gags were well thought out.
For example, in the sight gag below:
- This scene has nothing to do with the mystery plot, but we do learn about Dr. Tart's character (impulsive, honest, follows orders).
- The writers take the time to lay out Tart's ludicrous dilemma, to eat or not eat.
- The writers end with a funny "button" on the scene: Tart knows he's wrong to be eating now. What if it's evidence? ...And yet he takes a second one!
INT. PANTRY - NIGHT
There are a lot of canned goods in the pantry and homemade preserves. Plenty for the two to inspect.
WINSHIP: Well, start looking.
Tart starts looking, then stops.
TART: What are we looking for?
WINSHIP: We are looking for evidence.
TART: Do you suspect Mr. Uwatsum?
Tart is still not sure what that might be. He takes down a Mason jar filled with peach halves. He looks at it, then decides to open it. Tart unscrews the top, smells the contents and is about to put it back down when he finds the aroma to his liking. He decides to sample one. He is forced to take a whole peach half. He puts it into his mouth and tries to eat it. There is a great deal of difficulty trying to manage the large peach half. (Similar to a person trying their first oyster.) Winship talks as Tart goes through the motions of trying to swallow the peach half. As Winship talks, he slowly becomes interested in Tart's controtions.
WINSHIP: I suspect everyone. That's my job. Everyone here has motive to have killed the Morleys so we...
His curiosity gets the better of him after he stares at Tart trying to down the peach half.
WINSHIP (CONT'D): What are you doing?
TART (tries to talk): Beech.
WINSHIP: Beech?
Tart tries to correct him.
TART: Peech.
He spits on Winship.
TART (CONT'D): Orry.
He exits. Tart pops another peach into his mouth.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I liked the button on the scene because it was funny AND showed me a lot about Tart w/o any dialogue (heedless, impulsive, oblivious).
The Private Eyes (1980)(4/18/80, 4th rev. final draft)
by Tim Conway and John Myhers
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