*Neil Simon's MURDER BY DEATH ('76) Second Draft Screenplay 7-07-75 Rev 9-22-75

Description

This is a vintage original Second Draft script from the classic 1970's comedy mystery crime thriller,
MURDER BY DEATH
, released in 1976 by Columbia Pictures and directed by Robert Moore. The plot is a broad parody or spoof of the traditional country-house whodunit, familiar to mystery fiction fans of classics such as Agatha Christie's
And Then There Were None
. The cast is an ensemble of British and American actors playing send-ups of well-known fictional sleuths, including Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Charlie Chan, Nick and Nora Charles, and Sam Spade. The film stars Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker, and Estelle Winwood. It also features a rare acting performance by author Truman Capote.
Written by Neil Simon
, this Second Draft script is dated July 7, 1975 (with a handwritten "Rev. 9/22/75" in pencil on the bottom right corner of the title page) and a filmed ending with Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson does not appear in this Draft. It consists of 134 pages on off-white blue, and pink stock, which have been 3-hole punched and bound with two metal grommets without any outer covers. The number "8" was handwritten in blue pencil in the top right corner of the front cover (which assumes that this was the eighth copy of this script that was given out at the time). It is in overall fine+ condition. The title page exhibits signs of wear along the right edge, and impression from a large binder clip beneath the top edge; and signs of wear on the bottom left corner. All of the interior pages are essentially very fine condition but the final 30 pages also have a light horizontal mark as an impression from the binder clip that was affixed to the top at one time. The last page is page 134 (there is no following blank page) and this page has signs of wear along hole punches and around the top and bottom grommets.
The film was presented at the Venice International Film Festival in September 5, 1976. An additional scene, not in the theatrical version but shown in some television versions, shows Sherlock Holmes (Keith McConnell) and Doctor Watson (Richard Peel) arriving as the other guests are leaving. Author Ron Haydock states that an early draft of Simon's script featured Holmes and Watson actually solving the mystery, but their roles were reduced to a cameo appearance and finally deleted, as the lead actors felt they were being "upstaged." Myrna Loy was originally offered the part of Dora Charleston (a role that was a spoof of the character that she had played in the
Thin Man
film franchise), but she declined, later stating that "It would have been ridiculous to have Myrna Loy doing Myrna Loy." She also stated that she didn't want her "ass pinched by David Niven. Neil Simon remained on the set to take care of re-writes, as he did with this movie's sequel,
The Cheap Detective
(1978). Simon took such a shine to Sir Alec Guinness during production that he told him if he did not like anything in the movie, he'd immediately re-write it for him, but Guinness assured him it was great fun for him.
Vincent Canby of
The New York Times
wrote that the film had one of Simon's "nicest, breeziest screenplays," with James Coco "very, very funny as the somewhat prissy take-off on Hercule Poirot" and David Niven and Maggie Smith "marvelous as Dick and Dora Charleston, though they haven't enough to do." Arthur D. Murphy of
Variety
called it "a very good silly-funny Neil Simon satirical comedy, with a super all-star cast," adding, "It's the sort of film one could see more than once and pick up on comedy bits unnoticed at first. Dave Grusin's music is another highlight."Charles Champlin of the
Los Angeles Times
found the film "amusing" but added, "Why it is only amusing, and not hilarious, madcap, riotous, rip-roaring, or richly romping, I don't entirely know. It's a short movie (94 minutes) but a slow one, surprisingly so when you'd have said knockabout speed was called for." Gene Siskel of the
Chicago Tribune
gave the film three stars out of four and wrote that "after getting off to a shaky start, the picture quickly hits a speedball comedy pace it doesn't lose until the unsatisfactory unravelling of the mystery.” Gary Arnold of
The Washington Post
stated that "this burlesque whodunit is probably too static and thinly contrived to generate a lasting sense of pleasure, but it's the kind of skillfully obvious, mock-innocent spoof that seems good fun while it lasts, and the fun is enhanced by the most adept and attractive comedy cast in recent memory." John Simon wrote "
Murder by Death
is not a movie to write or read about, but to be seen and modestly enjoyed."