Who Killed Mary Whats'ername?

Viewed this one for the first time in the summer of 2015.

Discovering it on an ancient ' Prism ' video cassette.

A treat for more than one reason.

If you're of a certain age or just an enthusiast of old films and television, you're in for at least a half dozen surprises concerning the cast. Characters pop up on a regular basis from the 60's and 70's, who, you may not immediately connect the face with a name, but you know you know them.

You have Red Buttons unlike I've never seen him. Don't want to call him a ' tough guy ' but he doesn't take any bull and he knows how to use his fists. Yes, that Red Buttons. Amazingly, it's not at all awkward and he plays it very, very well.

If, like me, you miss his name in the opening credits, you will eventually realize who the amateur film maker was who recorded ' Mary ' in the last moments of her life.

Late 60's , early 70's bleakness, to be sure. Throw - a - way citizens and how large parts of New York, and most other large, American cities, were allowed to deteriorate to the point that they did.

Worth looking for.

I saw this movie long ago. It was on a VHS tape with a somewhat worn cover. I thought "Red Buttons - I've watched him all my life, and he's a good comedian. But a detective? Well, OK, but I'm not going to get my hopes up." Well, I'll be darned if it wasn't one of the best movies I've seen! The cast is wonderful. It consisted of actors who were already big stars and actors that would become big stars. This movie was well made and under-publicized. I had never heard of it before I saw it in a video rental store. My advice would be to get out the popcorn, and prepare to be impressed. I don't know if it is on DVD yet, but it certainly should be!

Red Buttons is unbelievably riveting as the skid row detective in search of the truth with nothing to lose, not even his non-existent pride. The movie expertly mixes wit, pathos, mystery, and social commentary in a fast-paced classic film noir. The supporting cast play their parts to perfection, and the final solution is both satisfying and incalculable. A hidden gem.

I watched this on YouTube because I expected it to be tawdry fun or a good whodunit. It is neither. The script is void of suspense or wit.

Red Buttons was a beloved second banana, but didn't have the charisma or presence to be a leading man. Sylvia Miles looks like a truck driver dressed up as Doly Parton. You know what? That is why we loved her.

While the tagline is hilarious—"Somebody just murdered your friendly neighborhood hooker"—the crime thriller Who Killed Mary Whats'ername? is far from funny. It's a whodunnit without police intervention, because, since the victim was a prostitute in skid row, no one really cares about finding the killer. Red Buttons, a retired boxer with nearly constant references to his diabetes, is determined to take matters into his own hands and find out what happened to Mary.

Along the way, he recruits his daughter, Alice Playton, another hooker who knew the deceased, Sylvia Miles, the landlord and pimp, Dick Williams, and a young filmographer who had filmed Mary before her death, Sam Waterston. Who's helping because they care, and who's really guilty? You'll have to watch this extremely dated 1970s flick to find out. The one drawback is the dated filming style. If you normally like movies where a rugged hero gets immersed in a seedy environment, you might be able to get through the slang, hair, fashions, stereotypes, and camera-work. If the dated-ness will bother you, try a more modern version. This type of premise has been made dozens of times through the years.

DLM warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie is not your friend. It's nearly exclusively filmed with a hand-held camera, and without warning the camera will zoom in and out. It will probably make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"