Sleuth (1972 film)

Sleuth
Sleuth film poster
Directed by	Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Written by	Anthony Shaffer
Produced by	Morton Gottlieb
Starring	Laurence Olivier Michael Caine
Distributed by	Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Release dates	December 10, 1972 (U.S. release)
Running time	138 min
Language	English

Sleuth is the 1972 film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning play by British playwright Anthony Shaffer, who wrote the screenplay. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, it stars Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine.

Synopsis

The plot centers on Andrew Wyke, a wealthy writer of detective novels who delights in playing elaborate games. Aware that Milo Tindle, the owner of a chain of hairdressing salons, is having an affair with his wife, Marguerite, Wyke invites him to his country manor house. Wyke is also having an affair with a girl named Tea and is delighted his wife is occupied elsewhere. His main concern is that Tindle, a struggling businessman, will be unable to maintain Marguerite in the style to which she has become accustomed, and she'll leave him and return to Wyke.

Wyke suggests that Tindle steal some valuable jewelry and sell it in order to live happily with Marguerite, while Wyke will claim the insurance in order to live happily with Tea. The proposal sets off a series of schemes and double-crosses with potentially deadly results.

Background and Legacy

Shaffer initially was reluctant to sell the film rights to the play, fearful it would undercut its success of the stage. When he finally did relent, he hoped the film version would retain the services of Anthony Quayle, who essayed the role of Wyke in London and on Broadway. Alan Bates was Shaffer's pick for the part of Milo Tindle. In the end, director Mankiewicz opted for Olivier and Caine, though the former had once denounced the play as a "piece of piss."

The film is noted for its prop-cluttered set (courtesy of production designer Ken Adam), quasi-baroque music score by John Addison (whose Oscar nomination was announced after Nino Rota's score for The Godfather was ruled ineligible), and its Oscar-nominated performances from Olivier and Caine.

The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Michael Caine, Laurence Olivier), Best Director and Best Music, Original Dramatic Score. It was one of the few films in which the entire cast was nominated for Oscars. Olivier won the New York Film Critics award for Best Actor. Shaffer received an Edgar Award for his screenplay.

It was intended to reveal as little about the movie as possible so as to make the conclusion a complete surprise to the audience. Hence, a false casting at the beginning of the film consists of fictional people playing roles that do not exist. This "game" not only serves as irony, but continues to throw a curveball to new audiences. To have revealed that there were only two actors in the film, Shaffer felt, would have quite spoiled the surprise.

This was Joseph Mankiewicz's final film.

The likeness of Paul Newman's wife, Joanne Woodward, was used for the painting of Marguerite Wyke.

Remake

On September 7, 2006, Kenneth Branagh announced at the Venice Film Festival that he would be directing a remake of the film, with a screenplay by 2005 Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter, starring Caine as Wyke and Jude Law (who is also producing the film) as Tindle. Production is scheduled to start in January 2007.