The Late Show (1977)

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Even though he barely makes enough money to cover his expenses and finds divorce cases (his bread and butter) unsavory, aging detective Ira Wells (Art Carney) is determined to stay active and to retain some amount of self-respect. When his partner Harry Regan (Howard Duff) is killed while on assignment, Ira agrees to take on his current case, although he can't see how it has anything to do with his friend's murder, which he is anxious to solve. In order to survive, by solving the case of his client's missing cat, and solving the murder of his friend, Ira winds up accepting a lot of help from his client Margo (Lily Tomlin). By the end of the film, it looks like an offbeat romance, or perhaps a new business partnership, is blooming. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Starring:: Art Carney, Lily Tomlin, (more)

Director(s):: Robert Benton

Theatrical MPAA Rating:: PG

Format(s):: DVD
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Synopsis of The Late Show

Theatrical Feature Running Time:: 93 mins

Complete Cast of The Late Show

Art Carney - Ira Wells
Bill Macy - Charlie Hatter
Joanna Cassidy - Laura Birdwell
Ruth Nelson - Mrs. Schmidt
Howard Duff - Harry Regan

Lily Tomlin - Margo
Eugene Roche - Ron Birdwell
John Considine - Lamar
John Davey - Sgt. Dayton

Director(s):: Robert Benton

Writer(s):: Robert Benton

Producer(s):: Robert Altman, Scott Bushnell

Theatrical MPAA Rating:: PG(Questionable for Children, Violence, Adult Language)

Categories:: Mystery & Suspense

The Late Show Awards:

1977 - Berlin International Film Festival - Silver Bear for Best Actress
1977 - Edgar Allan Poe Awards - Best Screenplay

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	Keith G.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful

I really like this sweet semi-comic homage to the great detective films. Art Carney is simply wonderful as a gumshoe now in his 60s, gaining weight and losing foot-speed, but with wits as sharp as ever, and wisdom gained by time. This is what one of Bogieâs great detective characters probably would be like 30 years later. He is drawn into an absurdly complex crime situation, when a slightly wacko aging hippie wanna-be actress, played by Lily Tomlin, hires him to help find her lost cat. Some of the humor is a bit broad for the more serious themes underneath, and as much as I always love Tomlin, there were times she seemed to be flirting with caricature, or commenting on her character. Still the almost romantic chemistry between this supremely miss-matched pair is terrific and fun to watch. It doesn"t add up to anything huge, but itâs intelligent, fun well-executed entertainment for grown ups â something far too rare in the current cinema.

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