The Late Show

– Over-the-hill gumshoe in Los Angeles seeks to avenge the killing of an old pal, another detective wh..

Type:
Movie
Rating:
7.00 / 10
Duration:
One Hour and 33 Minutes
Release Year:
1977
The Late Show (1977)

Over-the-hill gumshoe in Los Angeles seeks to avenge the killing of an old pal, another detective who had gotten himself involved in a case concerning a murdered broad, stolen stamps, a nickel-plated handgun, a cheating dolly, and a kidnapped pussycat.

The Late Show (1977) - Trailer

Release Date:

04 Jul 1977

Language:

English

MPAA Content-Rating:
PG – Parental Guidance Suggested

Some material may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give "parental guidance". May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.

Director:

Robert Benton

Writer:

Robert Benton

Main Actors:

Art Carney, Lily Tomlin, Bill Macy, Eugene Roche

Plot:

Ira Wells is an aged retired Los Angeles based private investigator, who is slightly overweight, needs to wear a hearing aid, has a bum leg and an ulcer-laden stomach, and can only afford to rent a room in a house as a place to live. He decides to come out of retirement when a still active contemporary, Harry Regan, shows up on his doorstep with a bullet wound to the gut, from which he eventually dies. Ira wants to find out who killed Harry. Ira is contacted by another long-time acquaintance, Charlie Hatter, a self-proclaimed loser and Hollywood hack, about Harry's last case, something about which probably led to Harry's death. Harry's client was Margo Sterling, a former client of Charlie's who is a flaky penniless new-ageist actress/agent/dress maker. She hired Harry to retrieve her missing cat, Winston, who is still being held ransom by an acquaintance named Brian Hemphill. Ira learns from Margo that Brian hired her to transport goods for him, she unconcerned that those goods probably stolen and the drop-off person probably a fence. Brian stole Winston because Margo "borrowed" some money from one of those jobs. Ira will also eventually learn that Brian was recently involved in a high profile robbery gone wrong, that resulted in one person dead. With all these things Brian was involved in, Ira has to figure out what would be the reason for someone wanting to kill Harry. As big a problem for loner Ira is Margo, who wants to add another "/" to her already large resume, namely that of private investigator partner despite its inherent dangers.

Awards:

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations.

Production:

Warner Home Video

Ratings:
Internet Movie Database:
7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes:
100%