MURDER BY THE BOOK

US, 1987, 100 minutes, Colour.
Robert Hays, Catherine Mary Stewart, Fred Gwynne, Celeste Holm.
Directed by Mel Damski.

Murder By The Book is an enjoyable caper murder mystery. It has echoes of the Romancing the Stone genre. It could also be compared, in its light way, with Larry Gelbart's and Cy Coleman's musical, City of Angels, where a detective and his alter ego character dialogue.

Robert Hayes enjoys himself as the rather serious writer of murder mystery paperbacks who wants to write something better. He enjoys himself even more as Biff Degan, the tough private eye who comes to life and dialogues with him. Katherine Mary Stuart is the heroine. Fred Gwynne enjoys himself as a greedy and sinister art dealer. Celeste Holm makes a cameo appearance as the dominating mother.

Nothing special, but nicely and lightly entertaining.

1.Entertaining telemovie? Murder mystery? Thriller writer? Private eye?

2.New York settings, the world of the novelist, the city itself, the art world? Musical score?

3.The title, the reference to the writer, his ideas in creating a character, his subconscious, popular writing and the wide audience, the character coming to life and advising the writer how to solve the case?

4.Hank, his success, his nightmares and fighting with Biff? His wanting to change his style? The domination of his mother and her literary circle? Her taunting him? His agent and the bet? The meal, attracted to Marisa, seeing her kidnapped? The matchbox? Following the clues, the hotel, the clerk and his responding to Hank's reputation? The disordered room? The link with Victor, pretending to research the book? His being followed, Biff's appearances, wisecracks, language style (and Hank changing his vocabulary)? (The humour of the Invisible Man style of comedy with Biff talking to the air and people watching?) The murder from his apartment, the police inspector and his interrogations, the police and the arrest, being charged with murder? With Marisa, the phone call, discussions, trying to retrieve the photos, the death of the private eye? The woman and her shooting? The death of the clerk? Being out on bail, interviews? Victor and the drug interrogation of Marisa and of Hank? Biff getting him out? The rescue of Marisa? The showdown, the visit to the gallery, his bluffing, the fight, the shootout - and Peter's arrival? The solution of the case? His mother's disapproval of Marisa? The farewell, his growing a beard and writing the serious book, the failure, Marisa's phone call, falling in love, a new Biff Degan book?

5.Biff Degan and his appearance, moustache, clothes and hat? Language? The figment of Hank's imagination? The dialogue with his subconscious? Helping him out in tight spots, Biff getting offended, the returns and the rescues?

6.Marisa, her wealth, the art background, her brother and his skills, mounting the exhibition, taken by Victor, the interrogations, the photos, using Hank? The showdown? The success of the show - and her return?

7.Victor, sinister, his henchmen, the murder of the man following him, the murder of the clerk, the private eye? The convolutions of the plot? Timothy and his drug interrogations? Victor and the suave manner, the director of the museum being in on the plan? Peter's not being dead, disguised as a woman, the confrontation, the blackmail intentions? the shootout - Hank thinking he had shot Victor, but Marisa shooting?

8.The supporting cast - from private eye thrillers: the admiring English clerk, his breaking the rules, his death? The small private eye pretending to be a policeman?

9.Hank's mother, her dominance, literary circles?

10.Popular ingredients for a murder mystery, a caper in New York, odd characters - and fond memories of private eye thrillers?