Therefore I will be brief in saying it concerns a play, one man who is a famous mystery playwright, another man who is a promising writer, the playwright's wife who is much younger and sexier than the role should have been, and one German psychic along for the ride. Deathtrap has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. (Although marketeers decided to go with a more fun Rubik's Cube icon for the movie.). But his last four plays have flopped, and he’s been reduced to living off his wealthy wife Myra (Gina Yates). The deviously cynical Michael Caine is delightful as usual while his partner Christopher Reeve (lights years away from "Superman") brilliantly blows hot and cold. Given when the play was written, both women seem more like afterthoughts/stereotypes. Caine gives another astonishing performance, but I've watched "Deathtrap" three times and that "stormy" resolution always seems barely comprehensible. I just do and that's enough for me. But when Clifford arrives on the scene, he isn’t quite the naïve youngster that he first seemed to be, and he has a few tricks of his own up his sleeve. The premise is that an accomplished playwright, whose star is falling, receives a magnificent manuscript from a former student and so he plans to off his protege and appropriate his play, to the (loud) protests of his wife. Over the top at times but in the best way. The trick to creating a good, solid mystery story is as much a matter of timing as its about plot contrivances, colorful characters or surprising twists. The cast is great. One of the most underrated films of all time! Michael Caine excels in roles like these. "Deathtrap" is a wonderful windup fiction machine with a few modest ambitions: It wants to mislead us at every turn, confound all our expectations, and provide at least one moment when we levitate from our seats and come down screaming. And kudos needs to go to Tommy Scott, who is responsible for the lighting design, and Jason Klonkowski for sound design. As Sidney, Donohue has a hint of the louche, man-of-the-world-weariness combined with expectations of being waited on hand and foot that so embodied the 1970s. Great fun throughout, don't miss it! This is Sidney Lumet's territory, and he does very well at it. Metacritic Reviews. Michael Caine and Chris Reeve in fine form, a filmed play about a play, a wicked dark comedy.. Great movie but where is the widescreen DVD? Irene Worth stands out as the funny psychic. Chris Winfield provides the handsome interior set, ornamented with a display of exotic weapons, while all the other technical elements contribute to the suspense. Weekly email with links to latest posts. As the attorney Porter Milgrim, Larry Daniele gives a solid performance as a certain type of club man who golfs and gives his clients cautious, well-thought-out advice. Incredibly convoluted mystery-thriller is highlighted by witty dialogue ("Well, it's not what you'd call involuntary homicide") but has a few TOO many twists. Unlike Tinseltown's version of HELLO, DOLLY!, Jay Presson Allen's screen adaptation of Ira Levin's hit Broadway thriller couldn't wait for it's stage incarnation to shutter before putting it up on the silver screen, so producers wisely decided to make the most of it's lengthy White Way run! Very uneven with mediocre performances by Reeves, miscasting of Dyan Cannon,and even Caine, although good, couldn't carry this feeble performance. User Ratings If you are looking for a sonic-boom-special-effects monster, click the BACK button on your browser. In the skillful play by Ira Levin (author of "Rosemary's Baby"), filmed with diabolical efficiency by Sidney Lumet, quite on the ball on that one, dramatic turns indeed follow dramatic turns, a sure guarantee of thrills and chills galore. | As the season winds down, Port Tobacco Players joins with many theatres in producing a lovely piece of nostalgia. And Keigley’s Helga combines a touch of looniness with a taste for self-promotion. ‘Deathtrap’ is one of those crowd-pleasing plays that you really can’t go wrong with—it’s witty, delicious to stage, and murder among the upper crust can be delightfully droll. The play, "Deathtrap", is a five character, two-act thriller so perfect in its construction that, as Sidney says, "A gifted director couldn't even hurt it." “Deathtrap” is knowingly self-referential, wryly witty, and convoluted enough to provide some surprises. Deathtrap is one of those films, by proxy of its stage play roots (both based upon and being a satire of), that not only gets better by the halfway point, it becomes something even more incredible when it focuses on two characters we wouldn't think would be like this together. Nothing's more enjoyable for me than a who-dun-it or suspense tale that keeps you guessing throughout as to how the whole thing will end. Enjoyable if forced murder mystery whodunit kind of thing played to the max and beyond pretty much as a two-hander by Caine and Reeve. The set was beautifully designed to take advantage of the Port Tobacco Theatre’s surprisingly large stage; it encompasses an entrance hall, stairways leading up, a halls leading to the formal living areas and the kitchen, and then a framed opening leading to the study, which is large and well-appointed, with lots of rich-man toys. “Deathtrap” holds the record for the longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway, and was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Play. But why quibble with an obvious attempt to bribe its male viewers when nothing will change it now? It's an excellent mystery movie soaked in wit. It's one of those movies I like that I have a hard time articulating exactly why I like it. Even Dyan Cannon - who I normally don't care for - is perfectly cast in a role that exploits her annoyance value as an actress. It holds the record for the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway, and was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Play. The comparison to Sleuth, the earlier stage-play-turned-film, is obvious and upon my first viewing I too thought Sleuth was better, but Deathtrap has, at least for me, many more repeat viewings in it than Sleuth. Director Jules Aaron gives the piece a slick, finely articulated production, aided by an able cast. The mystery has some glaring flaws which do detract somewhat, and I was not wholly satisfied with the ending, but watching Caine and Reeve under Lumet's direction with Levin's elevated verbiage was enough to ensnare my interest and keep it captive the entire length of the film. Even the film's final fadeout on the theatre marquee is a version of the stageplay's famous logo. It's great and the acting is brilliant. Well just adorable as Caine's neurotic wife. Running time: two hours and 25 minutes. I wasn’t thrilled with the last scene and | For this production, Brian Donohue plays Sidney Bruhl, the blocked playwright; Heather Wetherald is Myra Bruhl, the wealthy wife who supports him (the wealthy wife with a heart condition and a tendency toward hysteria); Christopher Fleming is Clifford Anderson (the young playwright seemingly thrilled to have a chance to meet and possibly collaborate with a prize-winning BROADWAY playwright; Leslie Kobylinski as the Dutch clairvoyant Helga Ten Dorp; and Larry Daniele as Porter Milgrim, the family lawyer. No one better spoil this piece of work! TJ Neill, Gina Yates, and Robert Benedict Nello in. Christopher Reeve is serviceable and actually grows on you the more you see him act. Most noted for its on screen kiss between Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve (which was unfortunately cut from the televised version I saw), this movie has a great deal more to recommend it. Christopher Reeve and Micheal Caine were brilliant and kept me going through the whole affair. Every time you think you have a handle on Deathtrap, another plot twist comes along. Set decoration was done by Tessa Silvestro (who also worked the soundboard) and Benjamin Simpson, and Kim Moore Bessler on properties; they did a masterful job of finding/creating the objects, many of which are as much a part of the story as the words. It is an appropriate image: originally written for the stage by Ira Levin, who authored such memorable works as ROSEMARY'S BABY and THE STEPFORD WIVES, the play was one of Broadway's most famous twisters, and under Sidney Lumet's direction it translates to the screen extremely well. And they play fair; on second, third and fourth viewings of the clues and red herrings we should be just as pleased to marvel at how well it all comes together as we were at being surprised in the first place.