Sleuth

Sleuth (1972)

Timing: 2:18 (138 min)

7.7/10
705

7.922/10
11236

7.9/10
53000

All about film

Video 0

Photo 43

Actors and characters

Release date

1972-12-10

Country

United Kingdom

Production

Palomar Pictures International

Genre

Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Comedy

Budget

$3 500 000

Revenue

$5 750 000

Website

Director

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Actors

Laurence Olivier, Michael Caine, Alec Cawthorne, John Matthews, Eve Channing, Teddy Martin
All actors and roles (6)

Scenario

Producer

Morton Gottlieb, Edgar J. Scherick

Operator

Oswald Morris

Composer

John Addison

Artist

Audition

Editing

Richard Marden
All team (28)

• Filming period: April – July 1972.
• Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s final film.
• Alan Bates declined the role of Milo Tindle, considering it unsuitable for an actor of his stature. Albert Finney was deemed somewhat full-bodied. The role went to Michael Caine.
• Caine was delighted to work with Laurence Olivier, but he couldn't figure out how to address the great actor. Reaching a dead end, he even asked him about it. Olivier replied: “Alright, I’ll be Lord Olivier, and you Mr. Michael Caine. But we’ll only be able to address each other like that once. After that, I’ll be Larry, and you Mike.”
• The laughter of the statue of Jolly Jack Tar is the laughter of Laurence Olivier himself.
• Margaret Wyke in Andrew’s painting was painted from the actress Joanne Woodward.
• The Edgar Allan Poe statuette on Andrew Wyke’s shelf is a genuine Edgar A. Poe Award, which Anthony Shaffer first received for a play, and then for a screenplay. Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz also has his own “Edgar” – for the film *Five Fingers* (1952).
• Anthony Shaffer's play premiered on Broadway on November 12, 1970. Andrew was played by Anthony Quayle, and Milo by Kate Baxter. The play ran for 1222 performances.
• The name of the fictional actress Eva Channing, who supposedly plays Andrew's wife Margaret, was created by Mankiewicz from the names of Eve Harrington and Margo Channing – the heroines of his famous film “All About Eve” (1950).
• There are only two actors in the film – Olivier and Kane. All other names appearing in the opening credits belong to non-existent actors. Alec Coutorne, who supposedly appears in the film as Inspector Doppler, does not exist either. Nor do any of the others, who do not appear in the film at all. All this was done to mislead the audience, who should be prepared for the appearance of new characters in the film.
• Since there are no other actors in the film, it can be said that this is the first film whose entire cast was nominated for an “Oscar”. The second such film will be “Send Them to Hell, Harry!” (1975) by Steve Binder and Peter Hunt, where James Whitmore, who played the only role, will also receive an “Oscar” nomination.
• The Edgar Allan Poe statuette on Andrew Wyke's shelf is a genuine Edgar A. Poe Award, initially received by Anthony Shaffer for a play and later for the screenplay. Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz also has his own “Edgar” – for the film “Five Fingers” (1952).
• The name of the fictional actress Eva Channing, who supposedly plays Andrew's wife Margaret, was created by Mankiewicz from the names of Eve Harrington and Margo Channing – the heroines of his famous film “All About Eve” (1950).
• Since there are no other actors in the film, it can be said that this is the first film where the entire cast was nominated for an Oscar. The second such film will be Steve Binder and Peter Hunt’s “Send Me No Flowers” (1975), where James Whitmore, who played the only role, will also receive an Oscar nomination.