The Private Eyes (1980)

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Don Knotts and Tim Conway are THE Private Eyes in this silly film about murder. In the beginning, we see an elderly rich couple in their Rolls-Royce, just before going out to dinner for the evening, as the husband goes in the mansion of a house to retrieve his gloves or something or other, when an unknown assailant (oh no) from the back seat strangles the poor wife. The husband comes back and gets bopped on the head from behind, and the culprit drives them and their car into a nearby lake. So enters Scotland Yard's best! detectives on the job to investigate the murders. But wait there's a shadow parading through the secret crevices and compartments throughout the mansion and killing all the help, while the detectives are trying to figure out their assignment. That is the plot in a nutshell. I admit that needs the right kind of easy-going mind-set going into this type of film, because if you don't have it, then all these shenanigans and one-liners will seem simple, childish, and downright dumb. But I found myself really getting into it with some really good laughs. Costarring Bernard Fox, "Dr. Bombay" from the hit TV show "Bewitched,"this is a silly but entertaining murder mystery that delivers.

Like many other reviewers on IMDb, I remember this movie from when I was a kid. My friends and I all thought it was cool, and the biggest reason was probably the mansion. Full of secret passages and trap doors, an old house like that is just one of those things that every kid gravitates to. Like dinosaurs or superheroes, a spooky house is an easy sell for young audiences.Watching it for the first time as an adult, I am convinced that anyone giving the movie a positive review is doing so based only on fond childhood memories. This movie might be the most unfunny thing I have ever watched. Everybody likes Don Knotts, but I got no enjoyment from him calling Tim Conway names for 90 minutes. If lines like "You Dope!" and "Will you shut up?" sound funny to you, then this might be comedy gold. As the movie continued, I just kept thinking, Who would laugh at this? The other defense that I see people using is that this movie is good, clean family entertainment. We see several murders on screen, including a strangulation. We see the detectives watching a woman undress in her bedroom through a peephole. And we hear constant insults from Don Knotts' character, some harmless, some inappropriate. To me, it feels like the movie was made for family audiences by people who were out of touch with what was appropriate for kids. Which is true of many family films. I personally have a very low tolerance for music, books, or movies that are marketed towards children but are either over their heads or not age-appropriate. I think that if something is produced for children, it should have input from someone who understands something about them. I would compare it to how children's toys have to be inspected for safety by experts.I'm sure I wouldn't bother bringing any of this up if I had found the movie even mildly entertaining. I'm giving it the lowest rating, a one out of ten. I prefer a little higher standard than this lazy effort. Just because it's for kids doesn't mean it has to be stupid.

If you haven't seen this flick, it is right up there with Young Frankenstein as the funniest of all time. Written by Tim Conway.Please note that the DVD is indeed edited. Some of the best gags with the pigeons were cut altogether in addition to some other dialouge scenes. These scenes are still available on the old Video Treasures VHS release that is available used.For those curious, the gag with the pigeon painted black/wings is cut, the pigeon catching fire is cut and the "Don't tell her they're canned peas!" scene was also cut. Unbelievable that Conway would let this happen to his only masterpiece....Perhaps maybe we'll get an uncut DVD someday - yeah right - it's amazing this is out on DVD now. Saw this in the theater when I was young and went back the very next day to see it again. After that I waited for 10 years before it came on TV and it still holds up today. RIP Don Knotts, thanks for all of the laughter...

In the same era of true family entertainment movies like The Apple Dumpling Gang and Cloak and Dagger, I grew up watching this movie over and over again. Since Don Knott's recent death and subsequent attention, it seemed this movie was never mentioned. For whatever reason, I think it's terrific. Classic slap-stick for those of us who miss the days of real comedic screenplay, and also zero special affects on a mediocre budget makes it all the more real. The music is perfect and the Biltmore grounds even more so. If watching Threes Company reruns aren't enough to get your Don Knotts dose, then this movie is for you. We miss you Don!