Murder Can Hurt You

Murder Can Hurt You
Genre	Comedy
Written by	Ron Friedman
Directed by	Roger Duchowny
Starring	Tony Danza Burt Young Jamie Farr John Byner Gavin MacLeod Victor Buono Jimmie Walker Buck Owens Connie Stevens
Music by	Artie Kane
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Douglas S. Cramer Aaron Spelling
Producers	Shelley Hull Robert L. Jacks E. Duke Vincent
Cinematography	Archie R. Dalzell
Editor	John F. Schreyer
Running time	100 min.
Production company	Aaron Spelling Productions
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	May 21, 1980 (1980-05-21)

Murder Can Hurt You (stylized onscreen as Murder Can Hurt You!) is a 1980 American made-for-television comedy film that parodies detective and police TV shows of the 1960s and 1970s, much as Murder by Death spoofed literary detectives.^[1] The film was directed by Roger Duchowny.^[2]

Plot

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A mysterious "Man in White" is out to kill famous detectives in bizarre ways, and the heroes are obvious parodies of Kojak, Baretta, Starsky and Hutch, Ironside, Police Woman, Columbo, Mrs. Columbo, and McCloud.^[1]

The movie starts with the Man In White killing Lambretta, after which Lt. Nojack calls a meeting of all the best detectives in the city. During this meeting the man in white threatens to kill them all, locks them in their meeting room, and sets a bomb to kill them all while he makes his escape.

The Aaron Spelling Productions logo at the end pays homage to Mark VII Limited, using a hammer and stamp.

Cast

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Actor	Character	Sends up:
Don Adams (voice only)	Narrator	--
Marty Allen	Detective Starkos	Detective Stavros
Mel Blanc (voice only)^[3]	Chickie Baby	--
Victor Buono	Ironbottom	former Chief of Detectives Robert Ironside
John Byner	Hatch	Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson
Tony Danza	Pony Lambretta	Tony Baretta
Jamie Farr	Studsky	David Starsky
Mitchell Kreindel	The Man in White	--
Gavin MacLeod	Nojack	Lieutenant Theo Kojak
Buck Owens	MacSkye	Marshal Samuel McCloud
Connie Stevens	Salty Sanderson	Sergeant Suzanne "Pepper" Anderson
Liz Torres	Mrs. Palumbo	Mrs. Columbo
Jimmie Walker	Parks the Pusher	Mark Sanger
Burt Young	Lieutenant Palumbo	Lieutenant Columbo

References

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^ ^a ^b Hal Erickson (2014). "Murder Can Hurt You". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2014-03-01.
^ "Murder Can Hurt You". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
^ "Chickie Baby". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2022-01-13.

External links

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v t e Works produced by Aaron Spelling
Feature films	Guns of the Timberland (1960) California Split (1974) Baby Blue Marine (1976) Mr. Mom (1983) 'night, Mother (1986) Surrender (1987) Three O'Clock High (1987) Cross My Heart (1987) Satisfaction (1988) Loose Cannons (1990) Soapdish (1991) The Mod Squad (1999) Charlie's Angels (2000)
TV series	Zane Grey Theatre (1956–61) Johnny Ringo (1959–60) The Dick Powell Show (1961–63) The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962–63) Burke's Law (1963–66) Honey West (1965–66) The Smothers Brothers Show (1965–66) Rango (1967) The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967–69) The Mod Squad (1968–73) The New People (1969–70) The Young Rebels (1970–71) The Most Deadly Game (1970–71) The Rookies (1972–76) Chopper One (1974) Firehouse (1974) S.W.A.T. (1975–76) Starsky & Hutch (1975–79) Family (1976–80) Charlie's Angels (1976–81) Fantasy Island (1977–84) The San Pedro Beach Bums (1977) The Love Boat (1977–87) Vegas (1978–81) Friends (1979) Hart to Hart (1979–84) B.A.D. Cats (1980) Dynasty (1981–89) Aloha Paradise (1981) Strike Force (1981–82) T. J. Hooker (1982–86) Matt Houston (1982–85) At Ease (1983) Hotel (1983–88) Glitter (1984–85) Finder of Lost Loves (1984–85) MacGruder and Loud (1985) Hollywood Beat (1985) The Colbys (1985–87) Life with Lucy (1986) CBS Summer Playhouse (1987) HeartBeat (1988–89) Nightingales (1989) Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000) Melrose Place (1992–99) 2000 Malibu Road (1992) Hearts Are Wild (1992) The Heights (1992) The Round Table (1992) Burke's Law (1994–95) Winnetka Road (1994) Models Inc. (1994–95) Robin's Hoods (1994–95) Heaven Help Us (1994) Madman of the People (1994–95) University Hospital (1995) Savannah (1996–97) Malibu Shores (1996) Kindred: The Embraced (1996) 7th Heaven (1996–2007) Sunset Beach (1997–99) Pacific Palisades (1997) Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998–99) Buddy Faro (1998) Charmed (1998–2006) Rescue 77 (1999) Safe Harbor (1999) Forbidden Island (1999) Titans (2000–01) All Souls (2001) Queens Supreme (2003) Kingpin (2003) 10-8: Officers on Duty (2003–04) Summerland (2004–05) Clubhouse (2004–05) Wanted (2005)
TV films	Cricket on the Hearth (1967) The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969) Wake Me When the War Is Over (1969) The Monk (1969) The Pigeon (1969) The Ballad of Andy Crocker (1969) Carter's Army (1970) The Love War (1970) How Awful About Allan (1970) But I Don't Want to Get Married! (1970) The Old Man Who Cried Wolf (1970) Wild Women (1970) The House That Would Not Die (1970) The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970) Crowhaven Farm (1970) Run, Simon, Run (1970) Love Hate Love (1971) Yuma (1971) River of Gold (1971) Congratulations, It's a Boy! (1971) Five Desperate Women (1971) The Last Child (1971) A Taste of Evil (1971) In Broad Daylight (1971) The Death of Me Yet (1971) The Reluctant Heroes (1971) If Tomorrow Comes (1971) The Trackers (1971) Two for the Money (1972) The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972) No Place to Run (1972) Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole (1972) Rolling Man (1972) The Bounty Man (1972) Home for the Holidays (1972) Every Man Needs One (1972) A Cold Night's Death (1973) Snatched (1973) The Great American Beauty Contest (1973) The Letters (1973) The Bait (1973) Satan's School for Girls (1973) Hijack! (1973) Letters from Three Lovers (1973) The Affair (1973) Death Squad (1974) The Fireman's Ball (1974) Cry Panic (1974) The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped (1974) Savages (1974) Death Sentence (1974) Hit Lady (1974) Death Cruise (1974) Only with Married Men (1974) The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Return (1975) Murder on Flight 502 (1975) The Legend of Valentino (1975) One of My Wives Is Missing (1975) 33 Hours in the Life of God (1976) The Sad and Lonely Sundays (1976) Death at Love House (1976) The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1976) The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) Little Ladies of the Night (1977) The Love Boat II (1977) The San Pedro Beach Bums (1977) The Users (1978) Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid (1978) Wild and Wooly (1978) Cruise Into Terror (1978) The Power Within (1979) Beach Patrol (1979) Love's Savage Fury (1979) The Return of the Mod Squad (1979) Murder Can Hurt You! (1980) Waikiki (1980) Casino (1980) The Best Little Girl in the World (1981) Sizzle (1981) Don't Go to Sleep (1982) The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch (1982) Massarati and the Brain (1982) Shooting Stars (1983) Making of a Male Model (1983) Venice Medical (1983) Dark Mirror (1984) Velvet (1984) International Airport (1985) Mr. and Mrs. Ryan (1986) Dark Mansions (1986) The Hope Division (1987) Cracked Up (1987) Harry's Hong Kong (1987) The Loner (1987) Day One (1989) Just Temporary (1989) Rich Men, Single Women (1990) The Love Boat: A Valentine Voyage (1990) Jailbirds (1991) Back to the Streets of San Francisco (1992) Grass Roots (1992) And the Band Played On (1993) A Stranger in the Mirror (1993) Gulf City (1993) Jane's House (1994) Love on the Run (1994) Green Dolphin Beat (1994) Texas (1994) Crosstown Traffic (1995) Pier 66 (1996) After Jimmy (1996) Odd Jobs (1997) Satan's School for Girls (2000) Stop at Nothing (2001) The Law and Mr. Lee (2003) Hotel (2003) Silver Lake (2004) Hitched (2005) Bounty Hunters (2005) Split Decision (2006)
TV miniseries	The French Atlantic Affair (1979) Hollywood Wives (1985) Crossings (1986) Dynasty: The Reunion (1991) The Invaders (1995) A Season in Purgatory (1996)

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