MURDER CAN HURT YOU

US, 1980, 100 minutes, Colour.
Tony Danza, Victor Buono, Jamie Farr, Gavin McLeod?, Burt Young, Connie Stevens.
Directed by Roger Duchowsky.

Murder Can Hurt You is a pleasant oddball telemovie. It is a television version of Murder By Death. That is, it takes several television heroes and heroines of series, treats them in the manner and musical style and makes them the victims of a mad murderer. The film is fairly basic in its plot, in its performances and in its screenplay, amusing in an undemanding way.

The police and television stars lampooned include Starsky and Hutch, Barretta (Lambretta), Ironside (Ironbottom), Columbo (Polumbo), McCloud? (McSky) as well as Policewoman. Each is taken off quite well, for instance Victor Buono as Ironbottom, Tony Danza as Lambretta, Connie Stevens as Policewoman and, especially, Burt Young as Polumbo.

There is a series of murders, the various stars have attempts made on their lives and the villain is revealed to be Mrs Polumbo in disguise. She rants and raves about having to be the obscure Mrs Polumbo whereas she has talent in herself, is not actually Italian and loathes all the Italian things she has to do and is a good actress to boot.

The film is rather simple but enjoyable, indulging in over-heroics on television.