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A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the
detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
,
private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...
or amateur
sleuth Sleuth may refer to: *Detective *Sleuth, collective noun for a group of bears Computing * The Sleuth Kit, a collection of forensic analysis software *SLEUTH assembler language for the UNIVAC 1107 Entertainment and media *Cloo Cloo (stylized ...
to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction. The plot often centers on the deductive ability, prowess, confidence, or diligence of the detective as he attempts to unravel the crime or situation by piecing together clues and circumstances, seeking
evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, evidenc ...
, interrogating witnesses, and tracking down a criminal. Suspense is often maintained as an important plot element. This can be done through the use of the
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...
, camera angles, heavy
shadow A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two- dimensional silhouett ...
s, and surprising
plot twist A plot twist is a literary technique that introduces a radical change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot in a work of fiction. When it happens near the end of a story, it is known as a twist or surprise ending. It may change the au ...
s.
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
used all of these techniques, but would sometimes allow the audience in on a pending
threat A threat is a communication of intent to inflict harm or loss on another person. Intimidation is a tactic used between conflicting parties to make the other timid or psychologically insecure for coercion or control. The act of intimidation for co ...
then draw out the moment for dramatic effect. This genre has ranged from early mystery tales, fictional or literary detective stories, to classic Hitchcockian suspense- thrillers to classic private detective films. A related film subgenre is spy films.


Definition and characteristics

Mystery films mainly focus on solving a
crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in C ...
or a
puzzle A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct or fun solution of the puzzl ...
. The mystery generally revolves around a
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the ...
which must then be solved by
policemen A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...
, private
detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
s, or amateur sleuths. The viewer is presented with a series of likely
suspect In law enforcement jargon, a suspect is a known person accused or suspected of committing a crime. Police and reporters in the United States often use the word suspect as a jargon when referring to the perpetrator of the offense (perp in dated ...
s, some of whom are "
red herring A red herring is a figurative expression referring to a logical fallacy in which a clue or piece of information is or is intended to be misleading, or distracting from the actual question. Red herring may also refer to: Animals * Red herring (fi ...
s," –persons who have the motive to commit the crime but did not actually do it–, and attempts to solve the puzzle along with the investigator. At times the viewer is presented with information not available to the main character. The central character usually explores the unsolved crime, unmasks the perpetrator, and puts an end to the effects of the villainy. The successful mystery film adheres to one of two story types, known as Open and Closed. The Closed (or
whodunit A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the c ...
) mystery conceals the identity of the perpetrator until late in the story, adding an element of
suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being Decision-making, undecided, or being Doubt, doubtful. In a Drama, dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the wikt:outcome, outcome of a plot (narrative), plot or of the solution t ...
during the apprehension of the
suspect In law enforcement jargon, a suspect is a known person accused or suspected of committing a crime. Police and reporters in the United States often use the word suspect as a jargon when referring to the perpetrator of the offense (perp in dated ...
, as the audience is never quite sure who it is. The Open mystery (or howcatchem), in contrast, reveals the identity of the perpetrator at the top of the story, showcasing the "
perfect crime Perfect crimes are crimes that are undetected, unattributed to an identifiable perpetrator, or otherwise unsolved or unsolvable as a kind of technical achievement on the part of the perpetrator. The term is used colloquially in law and fiction (e ...
" which the audience then watches the
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
unravel, usually at the very end of the story, akin to the unveiling scenes in the Closed style. Mystery novels have proven to be a good medium for translation into film. The
sleuth Sleuth may refer to: *Detective *Sleuth, collective noun for a group of bears Computing * The Sleuth Kit, a collection of forensic analysis software *SLEUTH assembler language for the UNIVAC 1107 Entertainment and media *Cloo Cloo (stylized ...
often forms a strong leading character, and the plots can include elements of drama, suspense, character development, uncertainty, and surprise twists. The locales of the mystery tale are often of a mundane variety, requiring little in the way of expensive special effects. Successful mystery writers can produce a series of books based on the same sleuth character, providing rich material for sequels. Until at least the 1980s, women in mystery films have often served a dual role, providing a relationship with the
detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
and frequently playing the part of woman-in-peril. The women in these films are often resourceful individuals, being self-reliant, determined and as often duplicitous. They can provide the triggers for the events that follow or serve as an element of suspense as helpless victims.


History


Literary influences

The earliest mystery films reach back to the
silent era A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
. The first detective film is often cited as '' Sherlock Holmes Baffled'', a very short Mutoscope reel created between 1900 and 1903 by
Arthur Marvin Arthur Weed Marvin (May 26, 1859 – January 18, 1911), was an American cinematographer who worked for the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in which his brother Harry Marvin was one of the four founders (the others being Herman Casler ...
. It is the earliest-known film to feature the character of detective
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
, albeit in a barely recognisable form.Jon Tuska, ''The detective in Hollywood'' (Doubleday, 1978), p.1 Jim Harmon, ''Radio Mystery and Adventure and Its Appearances in Film, Television and Other Media'' (McFarland, 2003), p.176 In France, the popular Nick Carter detective novels inspired the first
film serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...
, '' Nick Carter, le roi des détectives'' (1908). This six-episode series was followed with ''Nouveaux aventures de Nick Carter'' in 1909. Louis Feuillade created the highly popular Fantômas (1913–14) serial based on the best-selling serial novel about a super-criminal pursued by a stubborn inspector Juve.
Dujardin Dujardin is a French surname, meaning "from the garden", and may refer to: * Charlotte Dujardin, British dressage rider * Édouard Dujardin, French writer * Félix Dujardin (1801–1860), French biologist * Jean Dujardin, French actor and comedian ...
wears a mask and costume similar to Fantomas' in an apparent tribute in '' The Artist'', a nostalgic 2011 film about silent cinema. Later detective serials by Feuillade include '' The Vampires'' (1915), '' Judex'' (1916), ''
Tih Minh ''Tih Minh'' is a 1918 French film serial directed by Louis Feuillade. Plot ''Tih Minh'' tells the story of Jacques d'Athys who returns to his home in Nice after an expedition to Indochina. Tih Minh (Mary Harald), a young woman from Laos, acco ...
'' (1918), and '' Barrabas'' (1919). Feuillade's films, which combined realism, poetic imagery, and pure fantasy, influenced the American '' The Perils of Pauline'' (1914), directors such as
René Clair René Clair (11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. He wen ...
, and Surrealists such as
André Breton André Robert Breton (; 19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism. His writings include the first '' Surrealist Manifesto'' (''Manifeste du surréalisme'') ...
. The earliest true mystery films include ''The Gold Bug'' (1910), also from France, and ''The Murders in the Rue Morgue'' (1914). Both are derived from stories by
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...
, which is appropriate as Poe is often credited with creating modern
detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as sp ...
as well as the first private detective character, C. Auguste Dupin.
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
renamed him Pierre Dupin in ''
Murders in the Rue Morgue "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in ''Graham's Magazine'' in 1841. It has been described as the first modern detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". C. Auguste Dup ...
'' (1932), an atmospheric horror-mystery starring
Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...
. The film was remade twice more in 1953 and 1971. Poe's second Dupin story, '' The Mystery of Marie Rogêt'', was filmed in 1942. More recently, ''
The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myst ...
'' (2012) presented a fictionalized account of the last days of Poe's life. Here, the author pursues a mysterious serial killer whose murders are directly inspired by his stories.
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
' unfinished novel ''
The Mystery of Edwin Drood ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' is the final novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in 1870. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, it focuses more on Drood's uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirmaster and opium ...
'' (1870) was completed by another author and eventually adapted to the screen. Two films, now believed lost, were made in 1909 and 1914. Universal produced ''
The Mystery of Edwin Drood ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' is the final novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in 1870. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, it focuses more on Drood's uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirmaster and opium ...
'' (1935). The story was remade again in 1993. Universal, known mostly for its long list of classic horror films, also created perhaps the first
supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
horror-whodunit hybrid with '' Night Monster'' (1942). American author Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958), is credited with inventing the " Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing (as well as the phrase, "The butler did it"). Her 1920 "old dark house" novel (and play) ''The Bat'' was filmed as '' The Bat'' (1926), as '' The Bat Whispers'' (1930), and a third time a remake, '' The Bat'' (1959), starring
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...
. Another movie based on a play, '' The Cat and the Canary'' (1927), pioneered the "comedy-mystery" genre. Remade several times, including a version with
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...
released in 1939. Undoubtedly the most famous of the amateur detectives to appear on the silver screen is the archetypal
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
. Since 1903, Holmes has been portrayed by a multitude of actors in over 200 films. Perhaps the earliest detective comedy is
Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...
's '' Sherlock Jr.'' (1924). Until recently, the only American-made series starred
Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...
and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Dr. Watson. Together they made 14 films between 1939 and 1946. The first two, at
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...
, were period piece mysteries set in the late-
Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...
of the original stories. By the third film, ''
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror ''Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror'' is a 1942 American mystery thriller film based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. The film combines elements of Doyle's short story " His Last Bow", to which it is credited ...
'' (1942), now taken up by
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
, Holmes was updated to the present day. Several films dealt with World War II and thwarting Nazi spies. The crime novelist Dorothy L. Sayers (1893–1957) created the archetypal British aristocratic sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey in 1923. Peter Haddon first played Wimsey in '' The Silent Passenger'' (1935), written by Sayers specifically for the screen. This was followed by ''
Busman's Honeymoon ''Busman's Honeymoon'' is a 1937 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her eleventh and last featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and her fourth and last to feature Harriet Vane. Plot introduction Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane marry and go to spend th ...
'' (1940), also released as ''Haunted Honeymoon'', with Robert Montgomery as Wimsey. Later, Montgomery would also play
Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...
's detective
Philip Marlowe Philip Marlowe () is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler, who was characteristic of the hardboiled crime fiction genre. The hardboiled crime fiction genre originated in the 1920s, notably in ''Black Mask'' magazine, in which Dashiel ...
in '' The Lady in the Lake'' (1947). Doubleday's
The Crime Club ''The Crime Club'' was an imprint of the Doubleday publishing company, which later spawned a 1946-47 anthology radio series, and a 1937-1939 film series. Literature Many classic and popular works of detective and mystery fiction had their fir ...
imprint published a variety of mystery novels that also inspired a radio show. Universal Pictures struck a deal to produce a series of 11 Crime Club mystery films released from 1937 to 1939. These include ''The Westlake Case'' (1937) and ''Mystery of the White Room'' (1939). Other literary sleuths who were brought to the screen include Charlie Chan,
Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...
,
Nancy Drew Nancy Drew is a fictional character appearing in several mystery book series, movies, and a TV show as a teenage amateur sleuth. The books are ghostwritten by a number of authors and published under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Cre ...
,
Nero Wolfe Nero Wolfe is a brilliant, obese and eccentric fictional armchair detective created in 1934 by American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe was born in Montenegro and keeps his past murky. He lives in a luxurious brownstone on West 35th Street in ...
, and
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...
's Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. To date, 32 films and dozens of television adaptations have been made based


Classic period: the 1930s

A few silent Charlie Chan films, now lost, were produced in the 1920s. Starting in 1929, the B-picture unit at Fox Film Corporation (later part of
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...
) began a series of 28 commercially successful Charlie Chan films. (
Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...
continued the series from 1944 to 1949 with 17 more entries.) The success of the Chan films led Fox to hire exiled actor Peter Lorre to play Japanese sleuth Mr. Moto in 8 films from 1937 to 1939. Monogram responded by creating their own gentlemanly Oriental detective, Mr. Wong, adapted from a Hugh Wiley story. Beginning with ''
Mr. Wong, Detective ''Mr. Wong, Detective'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by William Nigh and starring Boris Karloff in his first appearance as Mr. Wong.Stephen Jacobs, ''Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster'', Tomahawk Press 2011 p. 223-224 Plot Simon Da ...
'',
Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...
played Wong in 5 of 6 films produced from 1938 to 1941. Over at
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
studios, the Perry Mason novels by Erle Stanley Gardner were faithfully adapted into a series of six films from 1934 to 1937. Most of these placed the crusading attorney in a standard murder mystery whodunit story. Warner Bros. also created the
Torchy Blane Torchy Blane is a fictional female reporter, the main character of nine films produced by Warner Bros. between 1937 and 1939. The Torchy Blane series were popular second features during the later 1930s and were mixtures of mystery, action, adven ...
films which were notable for featuring one of the few female sleuths in a series. Starting with ''Smart Blonde'',
Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classical Hollywood films. Farrell's career spanned more than 50 years, appearing in numerous Broadwa ...
played the brassy, mystery-solving news reporter in 8 of 9 films made between 1936 and 1939. Another novel film is '' When Were You Born'' (1938) with Chinese actress
Anna May Wong Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese-American actress to gain interna ...
as an astrologer who helps solve a murder using her star-gazing talents. RKO purchased the rights to a Hildegarde Withers story by
Stuart Palmer Stuart Palmer (June 21, 1905 – February 4, 1968) was a mystery novel writer and screenwriter best known for his character Hildegarde Withers. He also wrote under the names Theodore Orchards
and launched a six-film series starting with '' The Penguin Pool Murder'' (1932). Edna May Oliver played Withers, a schoolteacher with a yen for sleuthing who becomes involved with a police inspector. The last film was released in 1937. The
Philo Vance Philo Vance is a fictional amateur detective originally featured in 12 crime novels by S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s and 1930s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, films, and radio. He was portrayed as a stylish—even foppish� ...
detective novels by
S. S. Van Dine S. S. Van Dine (also styled S.S. Van Dine) is the pseudonym used by American art critic Willard Huntington Wright (October 15, 1888 – April 11, 1939) when he wrote detective novels. Wright was active in avant-garde cultural circles in pre- Wor ...
inspired 15 feature films released from 1929 to 1947. ''
The Canary Murder Case ''For the film adaptation see The Canary Murder Case (film)'' ''The Canary Murder Case'' (1927) is a murder mystery novel which deals with the murders of a sexy nightclub singer known as "the Canary," and, eventually, her boyfriend, solved by Ph ...
'' (1929), starring William Powell as Vance, has been called the first modern detective film. Initially made as a silent movie, it was converted into a talkie halfway through production. (Co-star Louise Brooks was blacklisted by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
after famously refusing to return to Hollywood to dub her dialog.) Powell played the suave New York detective in the first three films. A pre-Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...
played Vance in the 4th movie. Powell returned once more for the fifth feature, the highly regarded ''
The Kennel Murder Case ''The Kennel Murder Case'' is a 1933 murder mystery novel written by S. S. Van Dine with fictional detective Philo Vance investigating a complex locked-room mystery. Plot summary One of the Coe brothers is found dead in his bedroom, locked f ...
'' (1933) produced by Warner Brothers. Powell then landed his signature role playing the equally debonair Nick Charles opposite Myrna Loy as his carefree wife "Nora" in the ''Thin Man'' series. Six films in all were produced by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
from 1934 to 1947. Based on '' The Thin Man'' novel by
Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett (; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade ('' ...
, these were witty, sophisticated romps that combined elements of the screwball comedy film within a complex murder mystery plot. In the middle of this series, RKO hired Powell and Jean Arthur for ''
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford ''The Ex-Mrs. Bradford'' is a 1936 American comedy-mystery film. William Powell and Jean Arthur star as a divorced couple who investigate a murder at a racetrack. This was the last film directed by Stephen Roberts before his untimely death from ...
'' (1936), a breezy comedy-mystery that successfully replicated MGM's ''Thin Man'' formula. Warner Brothers responded with a similar comedy, '' Footsteps in the Dark'' (1941), with
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, freque ...
playing a married stockbroker who leads a double life as a mystery writer/sleuth. Many of the films of this period, including the ''Thin Man'' series, concluded with an explanatory detective dénouement that quickly became a cinematic (and literary) cliche. With the suspects gathered together, the detective would dramatically announce that "The killer is in this very room!" before going over the various clues that revealed the identity of the murderer. There were also a great many low-budget "old dark house" mysteries based on a standard formula (a dark and stormy night, the reading of a will, secret passageways, a series of bizarre murders, etc.) that were plot- rather than star-driven. Some typical examples are '' The Cat Creeps'' (1930), a remake of '' The Cat and the Canary'', ''
The Monster Walks ''The Monster Walks'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code black-and-white horror film directed by Frank R. Strayer. Plot The film opens with Ruth Earlton and her fiancé Dr. Ted Carver arriving at her father's house. She has been told that her fathe ...
'' (1932), '' Night of Terror'' (1933) with
Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...
, and '' One Frightened Night'' (1935). The 1930s was the era of the elegant
gentleman detective The gentleman detective, less commonly lady detective, is a type of fictional character. He (or she) has long been a staple of crime fiction, particularly in detective novels and short stories set in the United Kingdom in the Golden Age. The hero ...
who solved drawing-room whodunit murders using his wits rather than his fists. Most were well-to-do amateur sleuths who solved crimes for their own amusement, carried no weapons, and often had quirky or eccentric personality traits. This type of crime-fighter fell out of fashion in the 1940s as a new breed of tough, hardboiled professional private detectives based on the novels of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and an ensuing slew of imitators were adapted to film.


The 1940s–1950s

With the onset of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, crime films and melodramas in particular suddenly took on a dark mood of cynicism and despair that had not existed in the optimistic 1930s. Eventually, this cycle of films (which cuts across several genres) would be called
film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...
by French film critics. Pessimistic, unheroic stories about greed, lust, and cruelty became central to the mystery genre. Grim, violent films featuring cynical, trenchcoat-wearing private detectives who were almost as ruthless as the criminals they pursued became the industry standard. The wealthy, aristocratic sleuth of the previous decade was replaced by the rough-edged, working-class gumshoe.
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
became the definitive cinema shamus as
Sam Spade Sam Spade is a fictional character and the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel '' The Maltese Falcon''. Spade also appeared in four lesser-known short stories by Hammett. ''The Maltese Falcon'', first published as a serial in the pulp ...
in Hammett's '' The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) and as
Philip Marlowe Philip Marlowe () is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler, who was characteristic of the hardboiled crime fiction genre. The hardboiled crime fiction genre originated in the 1920s, notably in ''Black Mask'' magazine, in which Dashiel ...
in Chandler's '' The Big Sleep'' (1946).
Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility, and successfully transformed into ...
also made an indelible impression as Marlowe in the classic '' Murder, My Sweet'' (1944), adapted from Chandler's '' Farewell, My Lovely''. '' The Falcon Takes Over'' (1942), starring George Sanders, was also based on the same novel. '' Lady in the Lake'' (1947), from the Raymond Chandler novel, starred Robert Montgomery, who also directed. This film was filmed entirely from Marlowe's viewpoint. The audience sees only what he does. Montgomery only appears on camera a few times, once in a mirror reflection. Another Chandler novel '' The High Window'' was made into the film '' The Brasher Doubloon'' (also 1947) starring George Montgomery. This was essentially a remake of '' Time to Kill'' (1942), a Michael Shayne adventure starring Lloyd Nolan. Chandler also wrote an original screenplay for ''
The Blue Dahlia ''The Blue Dahlia'' is a 1946 American crime film and film noir with an original screenplay by Raymond Chandler''Variety'' film review; January 30, 1946, page 12.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; February 2, 1946, page 19. directed by George M ...
'' (1946) starring
Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...
. '' The Glass Key'' (1942), also starring Ladd, was the second film adaptation of Hammett's novel. Another standout film of this period is '' Out of the Past'' (1947) starring
Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...
, who would go on to play Philip Marlowe three decades later.
Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( , ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American theatre and film director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre. He first gai ...
's '' Laura'' (1944) is also a classic murder mystery featuring
Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...
as a lone-wolf police detective. Pulp novel detective Nick Carter returned in a trilogy of films released by MGM starring Walter Pidgeon: ''
Nick Carter, Master Detective ''Nick Carter, Master Detective'' was a Mutual radio crime drama based on tales of the fictional private detective Nick Carter from Street & Smith's dime novels and pulp magazines. Nick Carter first came to radio as ''The Return of Nick Carte ...
'' (1939), ''
Sky Murder ''Sky Murder'' is a 1940 detective film starring Walter Pidgeon as detective Nick Carter in his third and final outing for MGM as Nick Carter. The film was part of a trilogy based on original screen stories starring the popular literary series c ...
'' (1940), and ''
Phantom Raiders ''Phantom Raiders'' is a 1940 film, the second in the series starring Walter Pidgeon as detective Nick Carter. The film was part of a movie trilogy based on original stories featuring the character from the long-running ''Nick Carter, Detective'' ...
'' (1940). Columbia produced a serial, ''
Chick Carter, Detective ''Chick Carter, Detective'' is a 1946 Columbia film serial. Columbia could not afford the rights to produce a Nick Carter serial so they made ''Chick Carter, Detective'' about his son instead. This was based on the radio series '' Chick Carter, ...
'' (1946). The lead character was changed to Nick Carter's son as the studio could not afford the rights to produce a Nick Carter serial. The whodunit novels of
Baynard Kendrick Baynard Hardwick Kendrick (April 8, 1894 – March 22, 1977) was an American mystery novelist. He wrote whodunit novels about Duncan Maclain, a blind private investigator who worked with his two German shepherds and his household of assistants t ...
about blind private detective Mac Maclain were made into two films starring Edward Arnold, '' Eyes in the Night'' (1942) and ''The Hidden Eye'' (1945). The popular radio show '' The Whistler'' was turned into a series of 8 mystery films from 1944 to 1948.
Richard Dix Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...
would introduce the stories and alternate between playing a hero, a villain, or a victim of circumstance. In ''
Mysterious Intruder ''Mysterious Intruder'' is a 1946 American mystery film noir based on the radio drama ''The Whistler''. Directed by William Castle, the production features Richard Dix, Barton MacLane and Nina Vale. It is the fifth of Columbia Pictures' eight " ...
'' (1946), he was a private eye. It was one of the few series to gain acceptance with the public and critics alike. Another radio drama,
I Love a Mystery ''I Love a Mystery'' is an American radio drama series that aired 1939–44, about three friends who ran a detective agency and traveled the world in search of adventure. Written by Carlton E. Morse, the program was the polar opposite of Morse's ...
(1939–1944), about a private detective agency, inspired three films starring Jim Bannon. ''I Love A Mystery'' (1945), ''
The Devil's Mask ''The Devil's Mask'' is a 1946 American crime film directed by Henry Levin and starring Anita Louise, Jim Bannon and Michael Duane. The film was the second of three B pictures based on the popular radio series '' I Love a Mystery''. As well a ...
'' and '' The Unknown'' (both 1946) combined offbeat murder mystery stories with atmospheric horror elements.
Chester Morris John Chester Brooks Morris (February 16, 1901 – September 11, 1970) was an American stage, film, television, and radio actor. He had some prestigious film roles early in his career, and received an Academy Award nomination for ''Alibi'' ( ...
played
Boston Blackie Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie, a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, became a detective in adaptations for films, radio and television—an "enemy to those who make him ...
, a former jewel thief turned detective, in fourteen films from 1941 to 1949. Produced by
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
, many were mysteries laced with comic relief such as '' Meet Boston Blackie'' (1941), '' Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion'' (1945), '' The Phantom Thief'' (1945), and '' Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture'' (1949). Columbia also turned the Crime Doctor radio show into a series of mystery films starring Warner Baxter. Most of them followed the standard whodunit formula. Ten features were produced beginning with '' Crime Doctor'' in 1943 and ending with ''
Crime Doctor's Diary ''The Crime Doctor's Diary'' is a 1949 American mystery film directed by Seymour Friedman and starring Warner Baxter, Stephen Dunne and Lois Maxwell. It is the last of the Crime Doctor series of films made by Columbia Pictures. Plot Cast * ...
'' (1949). Another popular series featured George Sanders as the suave
Falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...
. Sixteen films were made from 1941 to 1949. Sanders decided to leave the series during the fourth entry, '' The Falcon's Brother''. His character was killed off and replaced by Sanders' real-life brother, Tom Conway. Comedian
Red Skelton Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...
played inept radio detective "The Fox" in a trio of comedies, ''
Whistling in the Dark Whistling without the use of an artificial whistle is achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips, usually after applying moisture (licking one's lips or placing water upon them) and then blowing or sucking air through the space. The a ...
'' (1941), '' Whistling in Dixie'' (1942), and '' Whistling in Brooklyn'' (1943).
Brett Halliday Brett Halliday (July 31, 1904 – February 4, 1977) is the primary pen name of Davis Dresser, an American mystery and western writer. Halliday is best known for the long-lived series of Michael Shayne mysteries he wrote, and later commission ...
's "
Michael Shayne Michael "Mike" Shayne is a fictional private detective character created during the late 1930s by writer Brett Halliday, a pseudonym of Davis Dresser. The character appeared in a series of seven films starring Lloyd Nolan for Twentieth Century ...
" detective novels were made into a series of 12 B-movies between 1940 and 1947 (starring Lloyd Nolan and later Hugh Beaumont). Mickey Spillane's equally rugged Mike Hammer character was adapted to film with '' I, the Jury'' (1953), '' My Gun is Quick'' (1957), and the influential '' Kiss Me Deadly'' (1955). Spillane even played Hammer once in the 1963 film '' The Girl Hunters''. With '' Spellbound'' (1945), director
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
created an early psychological mystery thriller. This film, along with '' Fear in the Night'' (1947), explores the effects of
amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
,
hypnosis Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...
, and
psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might ...
. Both films also feature surreal dream sequences which are essential to the plot.


Provisional detectives

A frequently used variation on the theme involved an average person who is suddenly forced to turn ad hoc detective in order to solve the murder of a friend or clear their own name. Prime examples include
Jack Oakie Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on stage, radio and television. He portrayed Napaloni in Chaplin's ''The Great Dictator'' (194 ...
in '' Super-Sleuth'' (1937), Ella Raines in '' Phantom Lady'' (1944),
Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...
in both '' The Dark Corner'' (1946) and '' Lured'' (1947), Alan Ladd in the aforementioned ''The Blue Dahlia'' as well as ''
Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...
'' (1947),
George Raft George Raft (born George Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is ...
in '' Johnny Angel'' (1945), June Vincent and Dan Duryea in '' Black Angel'' (1946), Humphrey Bogart in ''
Dead Reckoning In navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating current position of some moving object by using a previously determined position, or fix, and then incorporating estimates of speed, heading direction, and course over elapsed time. ...
'' (1947), and Dick Powell in ''
Cry Danger ''Cry Danger'' is a 1951 film noir thriller film, starring Dick Powell and Rhonda Fleming. The film was directed by Robert Parrish, a former child star and later editor in his debut as a director. Plot Rocky Mulloy was sentenced to life in prison ...
'' (1951). Perhaps the last word in this subgenre is '' D.O.A.'' (1950), where a man dying from a slow-acting poison has to solve his own murder in the hours he has left. This film was remade in 1969 as '' Color Me Dead'' and again as '' D.O.A.'' in 1988. Also among this group, the issue of racism as motive for murder is central to '' Crossfire'' (1947), ''
Bad Day at Black Rock ''Bad Day at Black Rock'' is a 1955 American neo-Western film directed by John Sturges with screenplay by Millard Kaufman. It stars Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan with support from Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, John Ericson, Ernest ...
'' (1954), and ''
A Soldier's Story ''A Soldier's Story'' is a 1984 American mystery drama film directed and produced by Norman Jewison, adapted by Charles Fuller from his Pulitzer Prize-winning '' A Soldier's Play'', an adaptation of Herman Melville's novella ''Billy Budd''. It ...
'' (1984).


''Ten Little Indians''

Agatha Christie's novel ''
Ten Little Indians "Ten Little Indians" is a traditional American children's counting out rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 12976. The term "Indians" in this sense refers to Indigenous North American peoples. In 1868, songwriter Septimus Winner adap ...
'' (1939, originally ''Ten Little Niggers'', later changed again to ''And Then There Were None'') presented the concept of a mysterious killer preying on a group of strangers trapped at an isolated location (in this case, Indian Island). This was made into ''
And Then There Were None ''And Then There Were None'' is a mystery novel by the English writer Agatha Christie, described by her as the most difficult of her books to write. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 November 1939, a ...
'' (1945), directed by the French exile
René Clair René Clair (11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. He wen ...
. Three more film versions, all titled ''Ten Little Indians'', were released in 1965, 1974, and 1989 along with the 1987 Russian film '' Desyat Negrityat''. This premise has been used countless times, especially in "old dark house" genre horror films. A few examples include '' Five Dolls for an August Moon'' (1970) directed by
Mario Bava Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the M ...
, ''
Identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), an ...
'' (2003), ''Mindhunters'' (2004), made-for-television films (''
Dead Man's Island ''Dead Man's Island'' is a 1996 American made-for-television mystery-thriller film starring Barbara Eden, William Shatner and featuring an ensemble cast: Roddy McDowall, Morgan Fairchild, Traci Lords, David Faustino, Christopher Atkins, Olivia H ...
'', 1996), a miniseries ('' Harper's Island'', 2009), and episodic television such as '' The Avengers'' ("The Superlative Seven"), ''
The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels ...
'' ("The Night of The Tottering Tontine") both from 1967, and ''
Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from O ...
'' ("Steele Trap") in 1982.


Revival and revisionist era: 1960s–1970s

The 1960s and 1970s saw a neo-noir resurgence of the hardboiled detective film (and gritty police drama), based on the classic films of the past. These fall into three basic categories: modern updates of old films and novels, atmospheric period piece films set in the 1930s and 1940s, and new, contemporary detective stories that pay homage to the past.


Classics made contemporary

Veteran private eye Philip Marlowe returned as a modern-day sleuth in ''
Marlowe Marlowe may refer to: Name * Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593), English dramatist, poet and translator * Philip Marlowe, fictional hardboiled detective created by author Raymond Chandler * Marlowe (name), including list of people and characters w ...
'' (1969) played by James Garner (based on Chandler's ''The Little Sister''), and in
Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New ...
's revisionist '' The Long Goodbye'' (1973) played by
Elliott Gould Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s. Elliott's breakthrough role was in the '' Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination ...
.
Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...
played Marlowe in the remake of '' The Big Sleep'' (1978) set in contemporary London.
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
portrays a modernized Lew Archer (changed to Harper) in ''
Harper Harper may refer to: Names * Harper (name), a surname and given name Places ;in Canada *Harper Islands, Nunavut *Harper, Prince Edward Island ;In the United States *Harper, former name of Costa Mesa, California in Orange County * Harper, Illi ...
'' (1966) and '' The Drowning Pool'' (1976), based on
Ross Macdonald Ross Macdonald was the main pseudonym used by the American-Canadian writer of crime fiction Kenneth Millar (; December 13, 1915 – July 11, 1983). He is best known for his series of hardboiled novels set in Southern California and featur ...
's 1949–50 novels. Craig Stevens reprised his role as suave private eye Peter Gunn in '' Gunn'' (1967), a sixties-mod update of his atmospheric, film noir ''
Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...
'' TV series (1958–61). Bulldog Drummond returned as a contemporary sleuth in '' Deadlier Than the Male'' (1967) and ''
Some Girls Do ''Some Girls Do'' is a 1969 British comedy spy film directed by Ralph Thomas. It was the second of the revamped Bulldog Drummond films (following 1967's ''Deadlier Than the Male'') starring Richard Johnson as Drummond, made following the succes ...
'' (1969). Both films were produced in the extravagant style of a
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
espionage yarn. The remake of '' I, the Jury'' (1982) brought back Mike Hammer (revived again in the 1984–87 television series, '' Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer''). ''
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang ''Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'' is a 2005 American neo-noir black comedy mystery thriller film written and directed by Shane Black (in his directorial debut), and starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, and Corbin Bernsen. The scr ...
'' (2005) is a modernized adaptation of
Brett Halliday Brett Halliday (July 31, 1904 – February 4, 1977) is the primary pen name of Davis Dresser, an American mystery and western writer. Halliday is best known for the long-lived series of Michael Shayne mysteries he wrote, and later commission ...
's 1941
Michael Shayne Michael "Mike" Shayne is a fictional private detective character created during the late 1930s by writer Brett Halliday, a pseudonym of Davis Dresser. The character appeared in a series of seven films starring Lloyd Nolan for Twentieth Century ...
novel ''Bodies Are Where You Find Them''. The old-fashioned whodunit formula from the 1930s was given a fresh update in '' The List of Adrian Messenger'' (1963), ''
Sleuth Sleuth may refer to: *Detective *Sleuth, collective noun for a group of bears Computing * The Sleuth Kit, a collection of forensic analysis software *SLEUTH assembler language for the UNIVAC 1107 Entertainment and media *Cloo Cloo (stylized ...
'' (1972), ''
The Last of Sheila ''The Last of Sheila'' is a 1973 American whodunnit mystery film directed by Herbert Ross and written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim. It starred Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, James Coburn, Joan Hackett, James Mason, Ian McShane, and Ra ...
'' (1973), and the comedy '' Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?'' (1978). The early films of
Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...
include the slasher comedy ''
Murder a la Mod ''Murder a la Mod'' is a 1968 American film directed by Brian De Palma in his first feature film as a director and writer. An experimental, low-budget murder-mystery, it was shot on black-and-white 16mm film. Following its limited theatrical relea ...
'' (1968), the Hitchcock-inspired '' Sisters'' (1973), and '' Obsession'' (1976), a remake of Hitchcock's 1958 classic ''
Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
''. The influence of Hitchcock emerged in several French thrillers, especially '' The Champagne Murders'' (1967) directed by
Claude Chabrol Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues a ...
and ''
The Bride Wore Black ''The Bride Wore Black'' (french: La Mariée était en noir) is a 1968 French film directed by François Truffaut and based on the novel of the same name by William Irish, a pseudonym for Cornell Woolrich. It stars Jeanne Moreau, Charles Denner ...
'' (1968) by
François Truffaut François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. After a career of more th ...
.


Period films

The many period films set in the 1930s and 1940s are led by
Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...
's classic ''
Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Aust ...
'' (1974) starring
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
and its belated sequel, '' The Two Jakes'' (1990), which Nicholson also directed. Robert Mitchum played Marlowe for the first time in '' Farewell, My Lovely'' (1975), perhaps the most faithful adaptation of this often-filmed book. The obscure ''Chandler'' (1972) is set in the 1940s but has nothing to do with Raymond Chandler's writings. The lighthearted '' Peeper'' (1975) is set in 1940s Los Angeles. The television film ''Goodnight, My Love'' (1972) with Richard Boone and two short-lived TV series, '' Banyon'' (1972–73) and '' City of Angels'' (1976) were also set in the 1930s and pay tribute to the Sam Spade/Philip Marlowe model. And the television film ''Who Is the Black Dahlia?'' (1975) recreates the true unsolved murder case from 1947. Agatha Christie's elegant '' Murder on the Orient Express'' (1974) and '' Death on the Nile'' (1978) were colorful, lavish productions rich in 1930s period detail. Earlier, a series of lighthearted Miss Marple mysteries were loosely adapted from Christie's novels. Margaret Rutherford starred in '' Murder, She Said'' (1961), '' Murder Most Foul'' (1964), '' Murder Ahoy!'' (1965), and did a humorous cameo appearance as Marple in the Hercule Poirot mystery '' The Alphabet Murders'' (1965). The evergreen Sherlock Holmes was given a revisionist treatment in
Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holly ...
's '' The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes'' (1970). In '' The Seven Percent Solution'' (1976), Dr.
Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...
himself cures Holmes of his drug addiction. And two films, ''
A Study in Terror ''A Study in Terror'' is a 1965 British thriller film directed by James Hill and starring John Neville as Sherlock Holmes and Donald Houston as Dr. Watson. It was filmed at Shepperton Studios, London, with some location work at Osterley Hou ...
'' (1965) and '' Murder by Decree'' (1979), which includes scenes of lurid gore, put Holmes in pursuit of the mysterious real-life serial murderer
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer w ...
. The definitive and most faithful adaptation of the original stories was done by the British TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes starring
Jeremy Brett Peter Jeremy William Huggins (3 November 1933 – 12 September 1995), known professionally as Jeremy Brett, was an English actor. He played fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in four Granada TV series from 1984 to 1994 in all 41 episodes. His ...
as Holmes and David Burke as Watson, in 41 episodes which ran from 1984 to 1994. Later Holmes films are often inventions that have little or nothing to do with the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories, such as '' Young Sherlock Holmes'' (1985), produced by
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...
's
Amblin Entertainment Amblin Entertainment, Inc., formerly named Amblin Productions and Steven Spielberg Productions, is an American film production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg, and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marsha ...
, which puts the teenage sleuth in an action-adventure story replete with computer-generated special effects. The reinvention of Holmes has continued as evidenced by the revamped, big-budget Warner Bros. series directed by Guy Ritchie. In ''
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
'' (2009) and '' Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows'' (2011), the cerebral detective (played by Robert Downey Jr.) is transformed into an athletic (and romantic) action hero in a
steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian ...
fantasy version of Victorian England.


The New Wave

The New Wave of modern detective films may well begin with
Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as Fran ...
's offbeat '' Alphaville'' (1965) with its traditional, raincoat-and-fedora private eye placed in a futuristic, science fiction-based story. The film is part homage, part parody of the detective genre. Godard followed this with '' Made in U.S.A.'' (1966), an ironic, unconventional murder mystery of sorts that lightly references the
Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A ...
classic '' The Big Sleep''.
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
is a cynical, Bogart-like gumshoe in ''
Tony Rome ''Tony Rome'' is a 1967 American neo-noir mystery crime thriller film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Frank Sinatra in the title role, alongside Jill St. John, Sue Lyon and Gena Rowlands. It was adapted from Marvin H. Albert's novel ' ...
'' (1967) and its sequel '' Lady in Cement'' (1968) — and a tough police investigator in '' The Detective'' (1968).
John D. MacDonald John Dann MacDonald (July 24, 1916December 28, 1986) was an American writer of novels and short stories. He is known for his thrillers. MacDonald was a prolific author of crime and suspense novels, many set in his adopted home of Florida. On ...
wrote 21
Travis McGee John Dann MacDonald (July 24, 1916December 28, 1986) was an American writer of novels and short stories. He is known for his thrillers. MacDonald was a prolific author of crime and suspense novels, many set in his adopted home of Florida. One ...
novels, but only one, '' Darker than Amber'' (1970) was filmed. George Peppard is a traditional private detective in '' P.J.'' (1968).
Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. D ...
is an ex-cop turned private sleuth/body guard in the more light-hearted '' A Lovely Way to Die'' (1968). Robert Culp and Bill Cosby are hard-luck private eyes in the downbeat and violent '' Hickey & Boggs'' (1972).
Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...
plays a tongue-in-cheek '' Shamus'' (1973), and
Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...
is a retired cop turned sleuth in '' The Midnight Man'' (1974). Two of the finest examples star
Gene Hackman Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...
in '' The Conversation'' (1974) and '' Night Moves'' (1975). The
blaxploitation Blaxploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film that emerged in the United States during the early 1970s. The term, a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation", was coined in August 1972 by Junius Griffin, the president ...
B-movie industry adopted the standard private detective format for several action-mysteries such as '' Trouble Man'' (1972), '' Black Eye'' (1974), '' Sheba, Baby'' (1975) starring Pam Grier, and '' Velvet Smooth'' (1976). ''
Brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
'' (2005), written and directed by
Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film ''Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Transitio ...
, is a unique homage bordering on parody which brings the terse, slang-filled dialog of Raymond Chandler to a modern-day California high school where a teenage sleuth investigates a murder connected to a drug ring. Noteworthy police detective dramas of the period include The French film '' The Sleeping Car Murders'' (1965), '' In the Heat of the Night'' (winner of five
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, including Best Picture in 1967), '' Bullitt'', '' Madigan'' (both 1968), '' Klute'' (1971), ''
Electra Glide in Blue ''Electra Glide in Blue'' is a 1973 American action film, starring Robert Blake as a motorcycle cop in Arizona and Billy "Green" Bush as his partner. The film was produced and directed by James William Guercio, and is named after the Harley-Da ...
'' (1973), and two non-mysteries: ''
Dirty Harry ''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American neo-noir action thriller film produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the ''Dirty Harry'' series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department (SFP ...
'', and '' The French Connection'' (both 1971). '' The Parallax View'' (1974) is the first murder mystery structured around political assassinations and high-level conspiracies in America.


Memory loss mysteries

Using
amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
as a central plot device in mysteries began in 1936 with '' Two in the Dark'' (remade as '' Two O'Clock Courage'', 1945), followed by ''
Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...
'' (1942) starring William Powell, '' Crime Doctor'' (1943), ''
The Power of the Whistler ''The Power of the Whistler'' is a 1945 film noir thriller film based on the radio drama ''The Whistler''. Directed by Lew Landers, the production features Richard Dix. It is the third of Columbia Pictures' eight " Whistler" films produced in th ...
'' (1945), and '' Somewhere in the Night'' (1946). In the 1960s, amnesia stories had a resurgence in the mystery-thriller genre. Here, the protagonist loses his pre-existing memories after some mental or physical trauma and embarks on a quest to recover his identity. At the same time, he finds himself at the center of a mysterious conspiracy involving murder, espionage, or both. Films in this category include ''
Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...
'' with
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...
, ''
The Third Day ''The Third Day'' is a 1965 suspense thriller film directed by Jack Smight and starring George Peppard and Elizabeth Ashley. It was based on a novel by Joseph Hayes. Plot Steve Mallory has been involved in a car crash, and it appears he has k ...
'' starring George Peppard, the British film ''
Hysteria Hysteria is a term used colloquially to mean ungovernable emotional excess and can refer to a temporary state of mind or emotion. In the nineteenth century, hysteria was considered a diagnosable physical illness in women. It is assumed that ...
'' from
Hammer Films A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as wi ...
(all from 1965), ''
Mister Buddwing ''Mister Buddwing'' is a 1966 American film drama directed by Delbert Mann and starring James Garner. The film depicts a well-dressed man who finds himself on a bench in Central Park with no idea who he is. He proceeds to wander around Manhatta ...
'' (1966) with James Garner, and '' Jigsaw'' (1968), a remake of ''Mirage''. Concurrently, the hero-gets-amnesia story became a frequently used television cliche. There were two series, the western '' A Man Called Shenandoah'' (1965–1966), and the contemporary drama '' Coronet Blue'' (filmed 1965, broadcast 1967), both about a man with no memories. Numerous crime-dramas, adventure shows, and comedies featured episodes in which the lead character has temporary amnesia. These include '' The Addams Family'', '' The Munsters'' (both 1965),'' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (1966), '' Get Smart'' (1967), ''
The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels ...
'', ''
The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour ...
'', ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' (all from 1968), '' It Takes a Thief'' (1969), ''
The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, Clarence Williams III ...
'' (1971), '' Hawaii Five-O'' (1972), ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'' (1973), and ''
Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by ...
'' (1978). By the end of the 1970s, this now shop-worn plot device became dormant once again until resurfacing in a spate of mystery thrillers in the 1990s (see the ''Psychological thriller'' section below).


Italian Giallo thrillers

In Italy, a new type of controversial horror-based thriller called the
Giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...
film (which began in the 1960s) became a popular and influential genre by the early 1970s. These films, which often contain elements of gothic horror, usually involve ordinary people forced to solve a series of bizarre murders. (Police procedurals generally belong to the sister genre Krimi, a German cycle inspired by Edgar Wallace novels). The stories tend to center around a series of grisly murder sequences with shocking '' grand guignol'' style gore, sometimes mixed with sadistic eroticism (the victims often being beautiful women). The villains are usually mysterious, psychopathic
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
s (often wearing masks or disguises) who are eventually hunted down by the police and/or an average person turned sleuth. The first important film in this genre is ''
Blood and Black Lace ''Blood and Black Lace'' ( it, 6 donne per l'assassino, lit=6 Women for the Murderer) is a 1964 ''giallo'' film directed by Mario Bava and starring Eva Bartok and Cameron Mitchell. The story concerns the brutal murders of a Roman fashion house ...
'' (1964) directed by
Mario Bava Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the M ...
. Some examples that follow a standard murder mystery format include '' Five Dolls for an August Moon'' (1970) by Mario Bava, three by director
Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and critic. His influential work in the horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ''giallo'', has led him ...
: ''
The Cat o' Nine Tails ''The Cat o' Nine Tails'' ( it, Il gatto a nove code) is a 1971 ''giallo'' film written and directed by Dario Argento, adapted from a story by Dardano Sacchetti, Luigi Cozzi, and an uncredited Bryan Edgar Wallace. It stars Karl Malden, Jame ...
'', ''
Four Flies on Grey Velvet ''Four Flies on Grey Velvet'' ( it, 4 mosche di velluto grigio) is a 1971 ''giallo'' film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film concerns Roberto Tobias (Michael Brandon), who accidentally kills a man and is then tormented by someone who ...
'' (both 1971), and ''
Deep Red ''Deep Red'' ( it, Profondo rosso), also known as ''The Hatchet Murders'', is a 1975 Italian thriller- giallo film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Bernardino Zapponi. It stars David Hemmings as a musician who investigates ...
'' (1975) – as well as '' A Lizard in a Woman's Skin'' (1971), '' The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh'' (1971), '' Black Belly of the Tarantula'' (1971), ''
Who Saw Her Die? ''Who Saw Her Die?'' ( it, Chi l'ha vista morire?) is an Italian ''giallo'' film directed by Aldo Lado and Vittorio De Sisti, starring Anita Strindberg and George Lazenby. Lazenby and Strindberg play the parents of a murdered girl, who pursue he ...
'' (1972), ''
What Have You Done to Solange? ''What Have You Done to Solange?'' ( it, Cosa avete fatto a Solange?) is a 1972 ''giallo'' film directed by Massimo Dallamano and starring Fabio Testi, Karin Baal, Joachim Fuchsberger, Cristina Galbó, and Camille Keaton. The plot follows a se ...
'' (1972), '' Casa d'appuntamento'' (aka ''The French Sex Murders'', 1972), and '' The Red Queen Kills Seven Times'' (1972). The Giallo style has had an enduring influence on horror films in general as well as the subgenre
slasher Slasher may refer to: * Slasher (basketball), a style of play in basketball * Slasher film, a subgenre of the horror film * Slasher (tool), a scrub-clearing implement * ''Slasher'' (2004 film), a 2004 documentary film * ''Slasher'' (2007 film ...
and splatter films that would soon follow. Early examples of this influence can be seen in the British ''
Circus of Fear ''Circus of Fear'' (german: Das Rätsel des silbernen Dreieck / ''Mystery of the Silver Triangle''), also ''Scotland Yard auf heißer Spur'', also ''Circus of Terror'') is a 1966 Anglo- German international co-production thriller film starring ...
'' (1966), based on an Edgar Wallace novel, '' Berserk!'' (1967), and the American mystery-thrillers '' No Way to Treat a Lady'' (1968), '' Klute'' (1971), ''
Pretty Maids All in a Row ''Pretty Maids All in a Row'' is a 1971 American sexploitation film that is part black comedy, part sex comedy, and part murder mystery. Starring Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, and Telly Savalas, it was released on April 28, 1971. Roger Vadim dire ...
'' (1971), based on an Italian novel, '' Eyes of Laura Mars'' (1978), and Hitchcock's ''
Frenzy ''Frenzy'' is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer was based on the 1966 novel ''Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squa ...
'' (1972).


From ''Blowup'' to ''Blow Out''

One mystery film stands out in a category by itself.
Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...
's provocative '' Blowup'' (1966) is a unique anti-whodunit symbolizing the aimless hedonism of the 1960s. A
swinging London The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London as its centre. It saw a flourishing in art, mu ...
photographer uncovers clues to a murder, but solving the crime is rendered irrelevant in a society where no one really cares. This contrasts sharply with the ending of ''The Maltese Falcon'' where Sam Spade solves the murder of his partner, Miles Archer. He sacrifices the woman he's fallen for, not because he was fond of Archer (he wasn't), but because it's the right thing to do. In 1981,
Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...
remade this as ''
Blow Out ''Blow Out'' is a 1981 American neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma. The film stars John Travolta as Jack Terry, a movie sound effects technician from Philadelphia who, while recording sounds for a low-budge ...
'', turning it into a more traditional political thriller. In the DVD audio commentary for ''The Conversation'', director
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...
revealed that ''Blowup'' was a major source of inspiration for that film. ''
Electra Glide in Blue ''Electra Glide in Blue'' is a 1973 American action film, starring Robert Blake as a motorcycle cop in Arizona and Billy "Green" Bush as his partner. The film was produced and directed by James William Guercio, and is named after the Harley-Da ...
'' (1973) is another rare example of a murder-mystery plot used as a vehicle for a story concerning greater issues. In this case, disillusionment and the death of dreams and idealism in a world full of immorality.


The 1980s to the present

Since the mid-1970s, only a handful of films with private detectives have been produced. These include '' I, the Jury'', '' Angel Heart'', ''Hollywood Harry'', '' The Two Jakes'', ''
Devil in a Blue Dress ''Devil in a Blue Dress'' is a 1990 hardboiled mystery novel by Walter Mosley, his first published book. The text centers on the main character, Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins, and his transformation from a day laborer into a detective. Plot S ...
'', ''
Pure Luck ''Pure Luck'' is a 1991 American comedy film starring Martin Short and Danny Glover. It is a remake of the popular French comedy film '' La Chèvre'' (1981). Plot The film opens as the klutzy Valerie Highsmith arrives at an airport in Puerto ...
'', '' Under Suspicion'', ''
Twilight Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this i ...
'' with
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
, and Ben Affleck's '' Gone Baby Gone''. Raymond Chandler's original Philip Marlowe short stories from the '30s (which he later expanded into novels) were adapted by the HBO cable network into eleven one-hour episodes for cable television. The series, ''Philip Marlowe: Private Eye'' (1983–1986), starred Powers Boothe as the hard-bitten detective. Films with female detectives have not fared well.
Kathleen Turner Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards. Turner became widely ...
as private eye '' V.I. Warshawski'' (1991), was to be the start of a new franchise based on the book series by
Sara Paretsky Sara Paretsky (born June 8, 1947) is an American author of detective fiction, best known for her novels focused on the protagonist V. I. Warshawski. Life and career Paretsky was born in Ames, Iowa. Her father was a microbiologist and moved the ...
, but the film was a box-office failure. Plans to turn the '' Honey West'' novels into a film have been in and out of development for over a decade with no film in sight. Since 1980, ten films based on the ever-popular novels of Agatha Christie have been released. Two with eccentric sleuth Hercule Poirot, '' Evil Under the Sun'' (1982), '' Appointment with Death'' (1988), and one with Miss Marple '' The Mirror Crack'd'' (1980). Christie herself became the subject of a mystery film in 1979's '' Agatha'' starring
Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...
. The film was a fictional speculation on her famous 11-day disappearance in 1926.


Military mysteries and police procedurals

Complex murder mysteries related to military men began with '' Crossfire'' (1947). More recent examples include ''
A Soldier's Story ''A Soldier's Story'' is a 1984 American mystery drama film directed and produced by Norman Jewison, adapted by Charles Fuller from his Pulitzer Prize-winning '' A Soldier's Play'', an adaptation of Herman Melville's novella ''Billy Budd''. It ...
'' (1984), '' No Way Out'' (1987), '' The Presidio'' (1988), ''
A Few Good Men ''A Few Good Men'' is a 1992 American legal drama film based on Aaron Sorkin's 1989 play. It was written by Sorkin, directed by Rob Reiner, and produced by Reiner, David Brown and Andrew Scheinman. It stars an ensemble cast including Tom C ...
'' (1992), ''
Courage Under Fire ''Courage Under Fire'' is a 1996 American war film directed by Edward Zwick, and starring Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan. It is the second collaboration between Washington and director Zwick. The film was released in the United States on July ...
'' (1996), '' The General's Daughter'' (1999), and ''
Basic BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...
'' (2003). The
police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eit ...
film, often with a surprise twist ending, has also remained a vital format with '' Cruising'' (1980), '' Gorky Park'' (1983), '' Tightrope'' (1984), '' The Dead Pool'' (1988), ''
Mississippi Burning ''Mississippi Burning'' is a 1988 American crime thriller film directed by Alan Parker that is loosely based on the 1964 murder investigation of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in Mississippi. It stars Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe as two F ...
'' (1988), '' Mortal Thoughts'' (1991), '' Rising Sun'' (1993), ''
Striking Distance ''Striking Distance'' is a 1993 American action thriller film starring Bruce Willis as Pittsburgh Police homicide detective Thomas Hardy. The film co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, and Tom Sizemore. It was directed by Rowdy Herrington ...
'' (1993), ''
The Usual Suspects ''The Usual Suspects'' is a 1995 neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwait ...
'' (1995), '' Lone Star'' (1996), '' Under Suspicion'' (2000), '' Blood Work'' (2002), ''
Mystic River The Mystic River is a riverU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in Massachusetts, in the United States. In Massachusett, means "large estuary," alluding to ...
'' (2003), '' Mindhunters'' (2004), '' In the Valley of Elah'' (2007), and '' Righteous Kill'' (2008). The
political thriller A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle, high stakes and suspense is the core of the story. The genre often forces the audiences to consider and understand the importance of politics. The st ...
involving murder, cover-ups, and high-level conspiracies is represented by such films as '' JFK'' (1991), '' Murder at 1600'' (1997), '' Enemy of the State'' (1998), '' State of Play'' (2009), and '' Madras Cafe'' (2013).


Horror and thriller

In the 1990s and early 2000s, many horror films and thrillers started to blend mystery and suspense into stories centered around clever, sociopathic serial killers or various mysterious supernatural occurrences. The Hannibal Lecter novels by Thomas Harris have inspired four films, '' Manhunter'' (1986), the Academy Award-winning '' The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991), ''
Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Pu ...
'' (2001), and '' Red Dragon'' (2002). Other films in which this blend occurs include '' When the Bough Breaks'' (1994), '' Seven'' (1995), '' Kiss the Girls'' (1997), adapted from the James Patterson novel, '' The Bone Collector'' (1999), '' Mercy'' (2000), '' Along Came a Spider'' (2001), also by Patterson, ''
Insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...
'' (2002), and '' Taking Lives'' (2004). The 2007 film ''
Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The pa ...
'' is an account of the real hunt for a serial killer in the San Francisco area in the late-1960s and early 1970s. Contemporary real-life serial killings have been portrayed in ''
The Alphabet Killer ''The Alphabet Killer'' is a 2008 thriller- horror film, loosely based on the Alphabet murders that took place in Rochester, New York between 1971 and 1973. Eliza Dushku stars alongside Cary Elwes, Michael Ironside, Bill Moseley and Timothy H ...
'', '' Ed Gein'', '' Gacy'', '' Ted Bundy'' and '' Dahmer''. The French period-piece film '' Brotherhood of the Wolf'' (2001) examines a series of killings that took place in France in the 18th century. In many modern day mystery films, everyday characters (such as fathers, mothers, teens, business people, etc.) are dragged into a dangerous conflict or a mysterious situation, either by fate or their own curiosity. Common elements in these stories include searching for a
missing person A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, ...
(a friend or family member) as in '' Flightplan'' (2005) with
Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the hono ...
, while being surrounded by
red herring A red herring is a figurative expression referring to a logical fallacy in which a clue or piece of information is or is intended to be misleading, or distracting from the actual question. Red herring may also refer to: Animals * Red herring (fi ...
s, espionage, criminal or political conspiracies, and friends/relatives with a secret past or a double life. Such films include the horror mysteries ''Scream'' and its sequels (1996–2011), the ''Saw'' franchise (2004–2010), '' The Orphanage'' (2006), ''
What Lies Beneath ''What Lies Beneath'' is a 2000 American supernatural horror thriller film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as a couple who live in a haunted house. It was the first film by Zemeckis' production compan ...
'' (2000), '' Cry Wolf'' (2005), ''
Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of ...
'' (2010), '' The Ring'' (2002) and the mystery thrillers '' Secret Window'' (2004), '' The Machinist'' (2004), '' The Forgotten'' (2005), '' The Number 23'' (2006), and ''
Identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), an ...
'' (2003). The retrograde amnesia plot also resurfaced in a new wave of mysteries where discovering the lead character's true identity and/or history forms the core of the story. Main examples include: '' The Morning After'' (1986), '' Shattered'' (1991), '' The Long Kiss Goodnight'' (1996), '' Memento'' (2000), the ''Bourne'' film series (2002–2012), and '' Shutter Island'' (2010). Kenneth Branagh's highly stylized ''
Dead Again ''Dead Again'' is a 1991 neo-noir romantic thriller film directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by Scott Frank. It stars Branagh and Emma Thompson, with Andy García, Derek Jacobi, Hanna Schygulla, Wayne Knight, and Robin Williams appearing i ...
'' (1991) pays homage to Hitchcock and
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
in a complex story of amnesia, hypnosis, and reincarnation. There are also science fiction thrillers such as '' Total Recall'' (1990),
remade Bas-Lag is the fictional world in which several of English author China Miéville's novels are set. Bas-Lag is a world where both magic (referred to as "thaumaturgy") and steampunk technology exist, and is home to many intelligent races. It is in ...
in 2012, and ''
Paycheck A paycheck, also spelled paycheque, pay check or pay cheque, is traditionally a paper document (a cheque) issued by an employer to pay an employee for services rendered. In recent times, the physical paycheck has been increasingly replaced by e ...
'' (2003) which center around technology-induced memory loss.


Revisionist period piece films

Period-piece L.A. police detective stories set in the 1940s and 1950s returned — with a harder edge and occasional parallels to contemporary issues — in '' Mulholland Falls'' (1996), and ''
L.A. Confidential ''L.A. Confidential'' (1990) is a neo-noir novel by James Ellroy and the third of his L.A. Quartet series. It is dedicated to Mary Doherty Ellroy. The epigraph is "A glory that costs everything and means nothing"—Steve Erickson. Plot The s ...
'' (1997) which was nominated for nine
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
and won two. Both '' True Confessions'' (1981) and De Palma's '' The Black Dahlia'' (2006) are based on an actual unsolved Hollywood murder case from 1947. '' Hollywoodland'' (2006) explores the mysterious 1959 death of actor George Reeves, who is portrayed by Ben Affleck. Raymond Chandler's final unfinished novel, ''
Poodle Springs ''Poodle Springs'' is the eighth Philip Marlowe novel. It was started in 1958 by Raymond Chandler, who left it unfinished at his death in 1959. The four chapters he had completed, which bore the working title ''The Poodle Springs Story'', were ...
'', from 1958, was completed by another author and made into an HBO cable film in 1998. Set in 1963, it stars James Caan as Philip Marlowe. Among the few nostalgia-based comedy-mysteries are the board game-inspired '' Clue'' (1985), set in 1954, and '' Radioland Murders'' (1994), which recreates the era of old-time radio programs and pays homage to 1930s screwball comedies.
Larry Blamire Larry Blamire is an American filmmaker, writer and artist best known for the independent film '' The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra''. Biography Blamire was raised in Massachusetts and studied illustration at the Art Institute of Boston under Norman ...
's ''
Dark and Stormy Night ''Dark and Stormy Night'' is a 2009 independent film spoofing the haunted house and murder mystery films produced by Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s. Larry Blamire directed and acted in the film and wrote the screenplay. The film also includes ...
'' (2009), set in 1930, spoofs the clichéd characters and plot elements of vintage "old dark house" murder mysteries. ''
Devil in a Blue Dress ''Devil in a Blue Dress'' is a 1990 hardboiled mystery novel by Walter Mosley, his first published book. The text centers on the main character, Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins, and his transformation from a day laborer into a detective. Plot S ...
'' (1995), set in Los Angeles c. 1948, features an African-American private eye. The film captures the atmosphere of the hard-boiled detective stories of the past as well as the racial climate of the times. Coming full circle,
Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New ...
's nostalgic '' Gosford Park'' (2001), set in an English mansion in 1932, is an original story that revives the old-fashioned murder mystery format.


Notable mystery films

In 2008, the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...
ranked the top 10 mystery films of all time:


Genre blends: horror, fantasy, science fiction, historical

By the 1970s and 1980s, detective and mystery stories began to appear in other genres, sometimes as the framing device for a horror, fantasy or science fiction film or placed in an earlier, nontraditional time period. * ''
Hec Ramsey ''Hec Ramsey'' is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1972 to 1974, starring Richard Boone. The series was created by Jack Webb's production company, Mark VII Limited in association with Universal's television productions. Th ...
'', a 1972–74 television series starred Richard Boone as a Sherlock Holmes-type detective in the Old West at the turn of the 20th century. * The science fiction films '' Soylent Green'' (1973), '' Outland'' (1981), '' Minority Report'' (2002), and ''
I, Robot ''I, Robot'' is a fixup (compilation) novel of science fiction short stories or essays by American writer Isaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines ''Super Science Stories'' and ''Astounding Science Fiction'' be ...
'' (2004) all involve futuristic police detectives solving a murder that leads to a larger conspiracy. * '' Escape to Witch Mountain'' (1975), '' Return from Witch Mountain'' (1978) and '' Race to Witch Mountain'' (2009), created by Alexander Key and produced by
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...
are about two children from another world searching for their origins. * ''
The Reincarnation of Peter Proud ''The Reincarnation of Peter Proud'' is a 1975 American psychological horror film directed by J. Lee Thompson, and starring Michael Sarrazin, Margot Kidder, and Jennifer O'Neill. It follows a university professor who, after experiencing a seri ...
'' (1975),
supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
detective story about a man who solves his own murder from a previous life. * '' Eyes of Laura Mars'' (1978) is a
Giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...
-inspired murder mystery thriller that involves the paranormal. * '' Looker'' (1981), a science fiction murder mystery film involving futuristic computer technology. * ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's ...
'' (1982), a neo-noir science fiction classic set in the future. This comes closest to capturing the spirit of Raymond Chandler's Marlowe with
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
's sardonic, voice-over narration. * ''
The Name of the Rose ''The Name of the Rose'' ( it, Il nome della rosa ) is the 1980 debut novel by Italian author Umberto Eco. It is a historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327, and an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in ficti ...
'' (1986), from the
Umberto Eco Umberto Eco (5 January 1932 – 19 February 2016) was an Italian medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. In English, he is best known for his popular 1980 novel ''The Name of th ...
novel, features a 13th-century Sherlock Holmsian monk. The medieval era Cadfael series of television mysteries also took the form of historical fiction. * '' Angel Heart'' (1987), set in 1948, begins as a retro detective yarn but soon becomes a supernatural horror shocker. '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me'' (1992), and the cult TV series of which this is a prequel, also blends murder-mystery forensic work with supernatural horror. * ''
Alien Nation ''Alien Nation'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Rockne S. O'Bannon (later known for ''Farscape''), comprising film, television, and other media productions about alien refugees living on Earth. The series began with th ...
'' (1988), a murder-mystery police procedural in a science fiction setting. A race of stranded aliens must co-exist with humans on Earth in the near future. The story uses aliens to explore the issues of
xenophobia Xenophobia () is the fear or dislike of anything which is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression of perceived conflict between an in-group and out-group and may manifest in suspicion by the one of the other's activities, a ...
, exploitation, and
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagoni ...
. * '' Faceless'' (1988) is a gory
Jess Franco Jess is a unisex given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Jessica, Jesse, Jessie, etc., and a surname. It may refer to: Given name * Jess Atkinson (born 1961), American football player * Jess Cain (1926–2008), American radio host * J ...
private-eye horror-mystery. * '' Cast a Deadly Spell'' (1991) is a cable film with gumshoe Harry P. Lovecraft (a reference to horror/fantasy author H. P. Lovecraft) set in a fantasy version of 1948 Los Angeles where sorcery and voodoo abound. This was followed by '' Witch Hunt'' in 1994, a mock fantasy/mystery set in 1953. Private eye Lovecraft (
Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in '' Giant'' (1956). In the next ten year ...
) uncovers witchcraft and murder in Hollywood. * ''
Lord of Illusions ''Lord of Illusions'' is a 1995 American neo-noir supernatural horror film written and directed by Clive Barker, based on his own short story "The Last Illusion" published in 1985 in the anthology ''Books of Blood'' Volume 6. The same story introd ...
'' (1995), Clive Barker story of supernatural horror with New York P.I. Harry D'Amour, who has an affinity for the occult. * '' Sleepy Hollow'' (1999), set in 1799, this features a constable who uses Holmsian scientific methods and forensic science to solve a series of murders in this horror-fantasy film from
Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...
. * The Harry Potter films (2001–2011) are
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
stories that contain many mysteries concerning the main characters, especially in the first three entries: '' The Philosopher's Stone'' (2001), '' The Chamber of Secrets'' (2002) and '' The Prisoner of Azkaban'' (2004). * ''The Ring'' (2002) is a horror mystery in which a reporter named Rachel Keller investigates the origins of a cursed videotape which threatens to take her life. * '' The Reckoning'' (2003), a murder-mystery set in medieval England. * ''
Someone Behind You ''Someone Behind You'' is a 2007 South Korean psychological horror film written, directed and co-produced by Oh Ki-hwan, based on the manhwa ''It's Two People'' by Kang Kyung-ok. In this movie, a young woman tries to escape what seems to be a fa ...
'' (2007), is a South Korean supernatural thriller/murder mystery based on a comic book. * '' Yesterday Was a Lie'' (2008), neo-noir black-and-white detective mystery combines science fantasy and film noir. * '' The Wisdom Tree'' (2013), is an
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
that blends science fiction with mystery and mysticism, art and music. * ''
Friend of the World ''Friend of the World'' is a 2020 American independent black-and-white film written and directed by Brian Patrick Butler in his feature film debut, starring Nick Young and Alexandra Slade. The surreal experimental film takes place post-apocalyp ...
'' (2020), is an
art film An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...
that merges dark comedy with science fiction, mystery and horror.


Parodies and homages

* '' Who Done It?'' (1942), an
Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People * Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...
comedy, is one of the first film spoofs of the genre. * ''
Lady on a Train ''Lady on a Train'' is a 1945 American film noir crime film directed by Charles David and starring Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, and David Bruce. Based on a story by Leslie Charteris, the film is about a woman who witnesses a murder in a near ...
'' (1945) is a murder mystery comedy starring Deanna Durbin that also satirizes film noir. * In ''
My Favorite Brunette ''My Favorite Brunette'' is a 1947 American romantic comedy film and film noir parody, directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Written by Edmund Beloin and Jack Rose, the film is about a baby photographer on deat ...
'' (1947),
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...
is a cowardly baby photographer who is mistaken for a private detective (played by Alan Ladd in a brief cameo). Later that year,
The Bowery Boys The Bowery Boys are fictional New York City characters, portrayed by a company of New York actors, who were the subject of 48 feature films released by Monogram Pictures and its successor Allied Artists Pictures Corporation from 1946 through 19 ...
released ''
Hard Boiled Mahoney ''Hard Boiled Mahoney'' is a 1947 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the sixth film in the series. Plot Sach just lost his job as an assistant to a private detective, but he wasn't paid. Slip goes with him down to the dete ...
'' with the same mistaken-identity plot. * ''
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man'' is a 1951 American science fiction comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the team of Abbott and Costello alongside Nancy Guild. The film depicts the misadventures of Lou Francis and Bu ...
'' (1951), A&C are detectives out to save a man framed by mobsters. * '' Private Eyes'' (1953), The Bowery Boys open up a detective agency after Sach develops the ability to read minds. * Grindhouse
sexploitation A sexploitation film (or sex-exploitation film) is a class of independently produced, low-budget feature film that is generally associated with the 1960s and early 1970s, and that serves largely as a vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit s ...
filmmakers also spoofed the genre. ''Nature's Playmates'' (1962) is one of exploitation producer H.G. Lewis' many "nudie-cutie" flicks. A beautiful female private eye tours Florida
nudist camp A naturist resort or nudist resort is an establishment that provides accommodation (or at least camping space) and other amenities for guests in a context where they are invited to practise naturism – that is, a lifestyle of non-sexual socia ...
s in search of a missing man with a distinctive tattoo. '' Surftide 77'' (1962) parodied TV detective series '' Surfside 6'' (1960–1962). ''Take It Out In Trade'' (1970) is
Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novel author. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...
's softcore porn take on the Philip Marlowe films. '' Cry Uncle!'' (1971) is another sex comedy inspired by vintage private eye films. ''Ginger'' (1971), ''The Abductors'' (1972), and ''Girls Are for Loving'' (1973) are softcore sexploitation comedies featuring Cheri Caffaro as tough private-eye Ginger. England also produced the sex comedy ''
Adventures of a Private Eye ''Adventures of a Private Eye'' is a 1977 British sex comedy film directed by Stanley Long and starring Christopher Neil, Suzy Kendall, Harry H. Corbett and Liz Fraser. It followed the 1976 film ''Adventures of a Taxi Driver'' and was followed ...
'' (1977). * '' The Pink Panther'' (1964) is the first in a series of comedies featuring Peter Sellers as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. * ''
They Might be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a dr ...
'' (1971) stars George C. Scott as a mental patient who believes he is Sherlock Holmes. He and his female psychiatrist (Dr. Watson) go on a
Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...
-type odyssey through New York. * '' Gumshoe'' (1971) is a crime comedy about a man so inspired by Bogart's films he decides to play private eye. * '' The Black Bird'' (1975), critically panned comedy sequel to ''The Maltese Falcon'' starring
George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as ''Ship o ...
as Sam Spade Jr. and Elisha Cook Jr. reprising his role of Wilmer Cook. * '' The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother'' (1975), a Gene Wilder comedy. * '' Murder by Death'' (1976) is
Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...
's broad spoof of mystery films and Sam Spade, Charlie Chan, and Miss Marple. This was followed by ''
The Cheap Detective ''The Cheap Detective'' is a 1978 American mystery comedy film written by Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore. It stars Peter Falk as Lou Peckinpaugh, a parody of Humphrey Bogart. The film is a parody of Bogart films such as '' Casablan ...
'' (1978), an even broader spoof starring
Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the long-running television series '' Columbo'' (1968–1978, 1989–2003), for which he ...
as a Bogart-like private eye. * '' The Late Show'' (1977), quirky, contemporary detective story is largely an affectionate tribute to the classic Hammett/Chandler era. * A trio of
Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of '' Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
comedies, '' Foul Play'' (1978), '' Fletch'' (1985), and '' Fletch Lives'' pays homage to vintage detective films and Hitchcock. * ''
The Man with Bogart's Face ''The Man with Bogart's Face'' (also called ''Sam Marlowe, Private Eye'') is a 1980 American comedy film, released by 20th Century Fox and based on a novel of the same name. Andrew J. Fenady, author of the novel, produced the film and wrote the ...
'' (1980), a detective has his face changed and becomes involved in a mystery that resembles ''The Maltese Falcon''. * '' The Private Eyes'' (1980) is a detective comedy with
Tim Conway Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway (December 15, 1933 – May 14, 2019) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. From 1966 to 2012 he appeared in more than 100 TV shows, TV series and films. Among his more notable roles, he portrayed the ...
and
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on '' The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...
. * '' Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid'' (1982), set in the 1940s and filmed in black and white,
Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominate ...
plays a traditional hard-boiled detective who interacts with vintage film clips in Carl Reiner's cut-and-paste film noir farce. * '' Hammett'' (1982), fictional account of Dashiell Hammett involved in actual mysteries that inspired his novels. * ''
Trenchcoat A trench coat or trenchcoat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches. Originally made from gabardine, ...
'' (1983), comedy about a female mystery writer who has to solve a real crime. * '' Clue'' (1985), set in 1956, a period-piece whodunit spoof based on the popular board game. * '' The Singing Detective'' (1986), a British miniseries about a mystery writer named Philip Marlow who is confined to a hospital bed. There his vivid fantasies of being an old-fashioned gumshoe are brought to life. Later remade as a feature film '' The Singing Detective'' in 2003. * In 1987 Robert Mitchum was the guest host on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' where he played Philip Marlowe for the last time in the parody sketch, "Death Be Not Deadly". The show also ran a short film he made called ''Out of Gas'', a mock sequel to his 1947 classic ''Out of the Past''. Jane Greer reprised her role from the original film. * '' Without a Clue'' (1988) comedy about an actor ( Michael Caine) hired to impersonate Sherlock Holmes. * '' The Naked Gun'' (1988) and its sequels features Leslie Nielsen as an inept police lieutenant. Based on the short-lived '' Police Squad!'' TV series. * ''The Gumshoe Kid'' (1990), an adolescent obsessed with Bogart gets his chance to be a detective in this R-rated comedy with
Tracy Scoggins Tracy Dawn Scoggins (born in 1953 in Dickinson, Texas or November 13, 1959, in Galveston, Texas) is an American actress known for her roles as Monica Colby in the 1980s primetime soap opera ''Dynasty'' and its spin-off series ''The Colbys'', ...
. * ''
A Low Down Dirty Shame ''A Low Down Dirty Shame'' is a 1994 American action comedy film written, directed by, and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans. The film also stars Charles S. Dutton, Jada Pinkett, and Salli Richardson. Plot Former LAPD detective Andre Shame is a priv ...
'' (1994), comedy with Keenen Ivory Wayans as a private detective. * ''The Naked Detective'' (1996), an R-rated softcore parody of film noir with fetish model/actress Julia Parton. * '' The Scream franchise'' (1996-), which is a satire of the horror genre, has heavy elements of the detective, mystery and crime fiction genres, and is often self-referential. * ''A Gun, a Car, a Blonde'' (1997), a paraplegic's fantasy (filmed in black and white) of being a tough private eye in a 1950s film noir world. * '' Brown's Requiem'' (1998), detective story based on
James Ellroy Lee Earle "James" Ellroy (born March 4, 1948) is an American crime fiction writer and essayist. Ellroy has become known for a telegrammatic prose style in his most recent work, wherein he frequently omits connecting words and uses only short, s ...
's Chandleresque first novel. * ''
Zero Effect ''Zero Effect'' is a 1998 American mystery comedy film written and directed by Jake Kasdan in his feature directional debut. Starring Bill Pullman as "the world's most private detective", Daryl Zero, and Ben Stiller as his assistant Steve Arlo, ...
'' (1998) updates the Sherlock Holmes concept with a detective who is brilliant when working on a case but an obnoxious cretin when off duty. * ''
Where's Marlowe? ''Where's Marlowe?'' is a 1998 comedy mystery film written by Daniel Pyne and John Mankiewicz. Daniel Pyne also directed the film, which stars Miguel Ferrer, Mos Def, John Slattery, and John Livingston. Plot After making a three-hour fiasco ...
'' (1998) drama about film makers following a low-level L.A. private detective. *
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's nostalgia for film noir, mysteries, and Bogart's tough-guy persona is evident in '' Play it Again, Sam'' (1972), ''
Manhattan Murder Mystery ''Manhattan Murder Mystery'' is a 1993 American black comedy mystery film directed by Woody Allen, which he wrote with Marshall Brickman, and starring Alan Alda, Allen, Anjelica Huston, and Diane Keaton. The film centers on a married couple's ...
'' (1993), '' The Curse of the Jade Scorpion'' (2001) and ''
Irrational Man ''Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy'' is a 1958 book by the philosopher William Barrett, in which the author explains the philosophical background of existentialism and provides a discussion of several major existentialist thinke ...
'' (2015). * ''
Twilight Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this i ...
'' (1998), Paul Newman stars in this old-fashioned private eye yarn that's reminiscent of earlier films in the genre as well as his two Lew Harper films. * '' I Heart Huckabees'' (2004) offbeat philosophical comedy involves two "existential detectives" (
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
and
Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the varie ...
) hired to uncover the meaning of life. * Broken Lizard's '' Club Dread'' (2004) is a murder mystery film that spoofs
slasher film A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as ...
s. * ''
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang ''Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'' is a 2005 American neo-noir black comedy mystery thriller film written and directed by Shane Black (in his directorial debut), and starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, and Corbin Bernsen. The scr ...
'' (2005), crime-noir comedy inspired by hardboiled detective fiction and vapid L.A. culture. * ''
A Prairie Home Companion ''A Prairie Home Companion'' is a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed '' Live from ...
'' (2006), film of
Garrison Keillor Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radi ...
's radio show features the recurring character Guy Noir, a Chandler-esque hardboiled detective whose adventures always wander into farce. * In the season 6, episode 11 of '' Married... with Children'', Al Bundy dreams he's a private detective who's being framed for the murder of a rich woman's father. * '' Dark and Stormy Night (film)'' (2009), affectionate "old dark house" spoof set in the 1930s.


Movie sleuths

Mystery films have portrayed a number of notable fiction sleuths. Most of these characters first appeared in serialized novels.


See also

*
List of mystery films A mystery film is a genre of film revolving around the solution to a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of a protagonist to solve the mystery by means of clues, investigation, and deduction. This is a list of mystery films by decade. ...
* List of film noir *
List of female detective characters This is a list of fictional female investigators from novels, short stories, radio, television, films and video games. A * Abigail Adams, future first lady, detects in 1770s Massachusetts in a series by Barbara Hambly (as Barbara Hamilton) ...


References


Citations


Sources

; Books * Michael R. Pitts, ''Famous Movie Detectives'', 1979, Scarecrow Press, . * Ted Sennett, ''Great Hollywood Movies'',
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...
, . {{Authority control Film genres
Film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
Thrillers