Sleuth

A movie by Joseph Mankiewicz about manipulation, made in 1972. Milo Tindle (Michael Cain), a successful hairdresser coming from a poor Italian family that has emigrated to England, is invited to the castle of Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier), a famous detective story writer from an aristocratic family. Strange premise, as Andrew Wyke's wife is Milo Tindle's mistress. Then it gets even stranger, as Andrew Wykes is willing to help Milo Tindle to steal his wife's jewelry - Andrew would still keep the insurance money. Yet, as the staged burglary goes on, we learn that Wyke only wants to have an occasion to kill Tindle without hassles...

To go on longer would be a major spoiler. Yet be prepared for many a surprise while watching this great movie. There may be only few actors in it, yet there is not a moment of boredom. The filming is awesome, the dialogs are witty... And there is even some social comments thrown in!

Sleuth, written for the stage by Anthony Shaffer (twin brother of playwright Peter Shaffer), deliberately sets out to undermine its own genre, the British drawing room murder mystery, and its human chess game has kept audiences guessing for three decades. Sleuth toured various towns throughout England before finally opening at St. Martin's Theatre, London in February 1970. Anthony Quale played Andrew Wyke, and Keith Baxter was the original Milo Tindle. The production got great reviews, and ran for five years (2,359 performances). The original cast opened the show on Broadway in November 1970 and it ran for 1,222 performances. (Patrick MacNee would join the cast on Broadway). It was nominated for three Tony awards (direction, lighting design, and best play) and won best play. Shaffer went on to write the screenplay, and the film, directed by Joseph Mankiewicz, was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Olivier and Caine.

The drawing room in the play was supposedly inspired by the Turtle Bay living room of composer Stephen Sondheim.

Sleuth (?), n. [Icel. sl&omac;&edh;. See Slot a track.]

The track of man or beast as followed by the scent.

[Scot.]

Halliwell.

 

© Webster 1913.