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The Private Eyes

  • 1980
  • PG
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
3.8K
YOUR RATING
The Private Eyes (1980)
Scotland Yard sends a goofy pair to check on foul play at a mansion outside 1920s London.
Play trailer2:09
1 Video
77 Photos
Bumbling DetectiveParodyComedyMystery

Scotland Yard sends a goofy pair to check on foul play at a mansion outside 1920s London.Scotland Yard sends a goofy pair to check on foul play at a mansion outside 1920s London.Scotland Yard sends a goofy pair to check on foul play at a mansion outside 1920s London.

  • Director
    • Lang Elliott
  • Writers
    • Tim Conway
    • John Myhers
  • Stars
    • Tim Conway
    • Don Knotts
    • Trisha Noble
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    3.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Lang Elliott
    • Writers
      • Tim Conway
      • John Myhers
    • Stars
      • Tim Conway
      • Don Knotts
      • Trisha Noble
    • 46User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:09
    Official Trailer

    Photos77

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    Top cast15

    Edit
    Tim Conway
    Tim Conway
    • Dr. Tart
    Don Knotts
    Don Knotts
    • Inspector Winship
    Trisha Noble
    Trisha Noble
    • Mistress Phyllis Morley
    Bernard Fox
    Bernard Fox
    • Justin
    Grace Zabriskie
    Grace Zabriskie
    • Nanny
    John Fujioka
    John Fujioka
    • Mr. Uwatsum
    Stan Ross
    Stan Ross
    • Tibet
    Irwin Keyes
    Irwin Keyes
    • Jock
    Suzy Mandel
    Suzy Mandel
    • Hilda
    Fred Stuthman
    Fred Stuthman
    • Lord Morley
    Mary Nell Santacroce
    • Lady Morley
    Robert V. Barron
    Robert V. Barron
    • Gas Station Attendant
    Patrick Cranshaw
    Patrick Cranshaw
    • Roy
    Russi Taylor
    Russi Taylor
    • Doll Voice
    • (voice)
    Barney Rosner
    Barney Rosner
    • Wookalar
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Lang Elliott
    • Writers
      • Tim Conway
      • John Myhers
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews46

    6.53.8K
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    Featured reviews

    r_frankie

    "Two-thumbs Up" (Highly recommended if you need a good laugh)

    I first saw this movie about nine years ago. It was loaned to my younger brother by his friend. I never saw this movie again because my brother's friend (and the movie) left town. After months of searching movie rental locations, with no progress, I decided to try Amazon.com to find this hilarious comedy. I'm very happy to say that "The Private Eyes" movie was FOUND! When I told John(my brother) that I had found "The Private Eyes" movie(on VHS & DVD)he immediately ordered two of these Don Knotts & Tim Conway classics. We've never laughed so much!!! Thank You so much Amazon.com. P.S. I would like to know if Lang Elliot would consider or did consider making a sequel.
    Amber-McKinstry

    VERY funny!

    This is a wonderfully silly movie with just the right amount of "eek!" to delight even the youngest viewer. Don Knotts and Tim Conway are perfect as the bumbling detectives sent to crack the case, and the "Wookilar" is beyond funny. Truly a masterpiece....maybe. If you like them silly this is the movie for you.
    8Ed-Shullivan

    What a FUN movie to watch!

    To get Don Knotts and Tim Conway together in a haunted horror movie spoof was just a great treat to sit back, laugh, and enjoy the memorable interaction between these two kings of slap stick comedy. Both have great timing for slap stick comedy, and you just know that they are going to play off each others stupidity.

    No disappointment here, just plenty of laughs and good memories. I can't wait to have grand children and sit them down to be entertained without the use of any computer graphics, violence, or blood and gore.

    Don Knotts and Tim Conway remind me a lot of Abbot and Costello in their prime. The Private Eyes is a fun loving movie, with an endless reel of gag after gag, slap stick accident after accident, and you will probably shed a few tears of laughter before the movie ends. A must see for any age if you like two great comedians who make any scene special.
    7Mister-6

    Elementary, Don and Tim....

    Any movie that features Don Knotts as a brilliant detective and Tim Conway as his faithful assistant certainly has courage going for it.

    But "Private Eyes" is better than you might expect; the setting (Biltmore Castle) is beautiful, the supporting cast (Fox in particular) is hilarious and a lot, if not all, of the gags are priceless.

    Then again, what would you expect from Knotts' above-it-all air of pseudo-intelligence and Conway's endless pratfalls and an overcoat full of pigeons (don't ask)? They're two of the old-school comedians who know what's funny and never try to go further than the jokes will go.

    "Private Eyes" works because Knotts and Conway are, more or less, just being themselves. Definitely a film worth seeking out.

    You'll laugh. Trust me.

    Seven stars. And don't drink the ink.
    10BNewby13

    My favorite comedy since I was 8

    I saw this movie for the first time when I was eight years old, and loved it from the start. Even though at the time I wasn't old enough to get all the jokes, It still had a magic around it that was clearly evident.

    Tim Conway and Don Knotts provide the comic base, and are excellent comic partners. They are backed up with great performances by the crazy and somewhat odd "staff" of the couple who's murder they are investigating. This one will have you laughing from start to finish. The comedy is also good, clean humor that the entire family can laugh at.

    Another great thing is that the movie also is very suspenseful, as you the viewer don't know everything until the private eyes find it out.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      There was a sequel planned, which would have centered around Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart trying to find the Wookalar that appears at the end of the film.
    • Goofs
      When Dr. Tart reads the line "By the way, you're standing in bull ca-ca," the dialogue is clearly dubbed in, and one can tell by watching his lips that Dr. Tart was saying "you're standing in bullsh..." (it's not clear whether he finished the swear or broke off).
    • Quotes

      Dr. Tart: [reading the tombstone engraved by Tibet's killer] To dig your own grave, is quite a sight. But to bury yourself, is not very bright. There are more to kill, and the job'll be done. Now there are five, soon there'll be a lot less.

    • Crazy credits
      During the main title sequence, the cartoon version of Inspector Winship (the Don Knotts character) is blowing on a tuba when the music credit comes up. The director of photography's name appears when two flashlight beams cross.
    • Alternate versions
      The television version which first aired in the early '80s included an extra scene, set in the dining room of Morley Manor. Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart switch identities trying to fool Mistress Phyllis and her staff.
    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: The Postman Always Rings Twice/All Night Long/Galaxina/Back Roads/Private Eyes (1981)

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    FAQ16

    • How long is The Private Eyes?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 21, 1980 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Detectives casi privados
    • Filming locations
      • Biltmore Estate - 1 Approach Road, Asheville, North Carolina, USA(Morley Manor)
    • Production companies
      • Tri Star Productions
      • Private Eyes Partners
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $18,014,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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