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The Private Eyes

 The Private Eyes
type
TVTItem
 The Private Eyes
label
The Private Eyes
 The Private Eyes
page
ThePrivateEyes
 The Private Eyes
comment
The Private Eyes is a 1980 comedy mystery film set in the early twentieth century. Tim Conway and Don Knotts star as two bumbling American detectives, Inspector Winship (Knotts) and Dr. Tart (Conway), who are assigned to solve the mysterious murder of a Lord and Lady Morley. The two encounter the heiress (Trisha Noble) and a questionable staff.As the investigation continues, each of the staff is seemingly killed off one-by-one by “The Shadow”, a mysterious figure who one can only assume is the prime suspect.This was the final pairing for Conway and Knotts and was filmed at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
 The Private Eyes
fetched
2023-03-22T20:57:14Z
 The Private Eyes
parsed
2023-03-22T20:57:14Z
 The Private Eyes
processingComment
Dropped link to AffectionateParody: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Private Eyes
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Private Eyes / int_10134c97
type
Artistic License – Gun Safety
 The Private Eyes / int_10134c97
comment
Artistic License – Gun Safety: The Time Gun (a pistol that fires itself every hour on the hour) is a negligent discharge incident waiting to happen. In fact, it's a negligent discharge that did happen: it's mentioned early on that during a previous case Winship had accidentally (nonfatally) shot one of their superior officers.
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The Private Eyes / int_10134c97
 The Private Eyes / int_14f6a42b
type
Cartoon Bomb
 The Private Eyes / int_14f6a42b
comment
Cartoon Bomb: Of course we see a bunch of these in the Animated Credits Opening, but the Shadow also rolls one toward Winship and Tart as they inspect the skeleton dressed as Santa; it explodes, sending them down the chimney and into the fireplace.
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The Private Eyes / int_14f6a42b
 The Private Eyes / int_24321e44
type
Only Sane Man
 The Private Eyes / int_24321e44
comment
Only Sane Man: Winship. He’s constantly exasperated by Tart’s stupidity and cluelessness.
 The Private Eyes / int_24321e44
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The Private Eyes / int_24321e44
 The Private Eyes / int_2764d432
type
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
 The Private Eyes / int_2764d432
comment
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Phyllis Morley. At first, she seems forlorn over her parents' deaths, but is in fact the actual killer.
 The Private Eyes / int_2764d432
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The Private Eyes / int_2764d432
 The Private Eyes / int_2854b56d
type
Uncertain Doom
 The Private Eyes / int_2854b56d
comment
Uncertain Doom: We never find out if Winship and Tart escaped the wookalar. The final shot is their car swerving and them panicking in comical fashion.
 The Private Eyes / int_2854b56d
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The Private Eyes / int_2854b56d
 The Private Eyes / int_2a9b1de6
type
Bear Trap
 The Private Eyes / int_2a9b1de6
comment
Bear Trap: Tibet's loyalty to the Morleys comes from how they saved him from an animal trap, although said trap is still stuck to his leg years later.
 The Private Eyes / int_2a9b1de6
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The Private Eyes / int_2a9b1de6
 The Private Eyes / int_2ab73660
type
Beast Man
 The Private Eyes / int_2ab73660
comment
Beast Man: The wookalar. A boar-person◊ who sucks brains out of noses.
 The Private Eyes / int_2ab73660
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 The Private Eyes / int_2ab73660
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The Private Eyes / int_2ab73660
 The Private Eyes / int_2d4fa515
type
Ax-Crazy
 The Private Eyes / int_2d4fa515
comment
Ax-Crazy: Justin, the butler, is clearly unstable, being accused of killing his wife and her thirteen lovers. Lord Morley, however, convinced the authorities that it was an act of “justifiable insanity”.
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The Private Eyes / int_2d4fa515
 The Private Eyes / int_2dd8ee0e
type
French Maid
 The Private Eyes / int_2dd8ee0e
comment
French Maid: Hilda is British, but wears the fanservicey outfit associated with this trope.
 The Private Eyes / int_2dd8ee0e
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The Private Eyes / int_2dd8ee0e
 The Private Eyes / int_32821ceb
type
The Unintelligible
 The Private Eyes / int_32821ceb
comment
The Unintelligible: Jock, the Groom, is a hunchback who is impossible to understand due to the fact his tongue was cut out for trying to steal a ruby from a woman’s navel.
 The Private Eyes / int_32821ceb
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The Private Eyes / int_32821ceb
 The Private Eyes / int_3437ee2c
type
Inheritance Murder
 The Private Eyes / int_3437ee2c
comment
Inheritance Murder: Phyllis Morley, sole heir to the Morley fortune, killed her parents so she could use their fortune to pay for her gambling addiction.
 The Private Eyes / int_3437ee2c
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The Private Eyes / int_3437ee2c
 The Private Eyes / int_4eddbc06
type
Animated Credits Opening
 The Private Eyes / int_4eddbc06
comment
Animated Credits Opening
 The Private Eyes / int_4eddbc06
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The Private Eyes / int_4eddbc06
 The Private Eyes / int_5f4c3290
type
Skeptic No Longer
 The Private Eyes / int_5f4c3290
comment
Skeptic No Longer: Inspector Winship spends the whole film disbelieving Tart's continuous mentions of the Wookalar (Tart being a Cloud Cuckoolander doesn't helps), up until the darn thing turns out to have gotten into their car. Winship instantly tells Tarp to use of the ways to deal with it that Tarp had mentioned before.
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The Private Eyes / int_5f4c3290
 The Private Eyes / int_5f611b7e
type
Good All Along
 The Private Eyes / int_5f611b7e
comment
Good All Along: The Shadow, whom we are led to believe is the killer. This is first hinted when Winship is strapped to an execution device, only to be rescued by the Shadow. Turns out this was because Lord Morley was the Shadow the entire time and it was all a plan to trick Phyllis into thinking it was safe for her to come out of hiding.
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The Private Eyes / int_5f611b7e
 The Private Eyes / int_6136e02f
type
Brain Food
 The Private Eyes / int_6136e02f
comment
Brain Food: The Wookalar; A weird were-boar creature that Tart mentions a few times in connection to some weird "Chupacabra"-like case (to the annoyance of Winship), has a thing for sucking out the brains of critters and people through their noses.
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The Private Eyes / int_6136e02f
 The Private Eyes / int_6a2c358d
type
A Death in the Limelight
 The Private Eyes / int_6a2c358d
comment
A Death in the Limelight: Every member of the staff is killed after being interviewed by Winship and Tart.
 The Private Eyes / int_6a2c358d
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1.0
 The Private Eyes / int_6a2c358d
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The Private Eyes / int_6a2c358d
 The Private Eyes / int_79a0e313
type
Bolivian Army Ending
 The Private Eyes / int_79a0e313
comment
Bolivian Army Ending: Played for Laughs with Tart and Winship trapped inside the car with the Wookalar.
 The Private Eyes / int_79a0e313
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1.0
 The Private Eyes / int_79a0e313
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The Private Eyes / int_79a0e313
 The Private Eyes / int_8c96ae78
type
No One Could Survive That!
 The Private Eyes / int_8c96ae78
comment
No One Could Survive That!: Both Winship and Tart find themselves in a trash compactor, but come out of it alive in a cube of garbage.
 The Private Eyes / int_8c96ae78
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The Private Eyes / int_8c96ae78
 The Private Eyes / int_8f7f2c6a
type
National Stereotypes
 The Private Eyes / int_8f7f2c6a
comment
National Stereotypes: Mr. Uwatsum. He’s a Japanese samurai who happens to serve as the chef at Morley Manner. He also tends to bow excessively when apologizing and assumes a fighting stance when threatened. Also Tibet, a stereotypical Gypsy.
 The Private Eyes / int_8f7f2c6a
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The Private Eyes / int_8f7f2c6a
 The Private Eyes / int_99ddfcec
type
Unwitting Instigator of Doom
 The Private Eyes / int_99ddfcec
comment
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: In gratitude for helping with the case; Lord Morley gives Winship and Tart an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus as a parting gift and has it loaded in their car....which turns out to be the hiding place of the wookalar.
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The Private Eyes / int_99ddfcec
 The Private Eyes / int_9dd2cbc2
type
CloudCuckooLander
 The Private Eyes / int_9dd2cbc2
comment
Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Nearly every single character in the film qualifies as this to varying degrees. The only characters who don’t qualify are Winship, Phyllis and Lady Morley.
 The Private Eyes / int_9dd2cbc2
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The Private Eyes / int_9dd2cbc2
 The Private Eyes / int_a6f23b2d
type
Skepticism Failure
 The Private Eyes / int_a6f23b2d
comment
Skepticism Failure: Inspector Winship; Meet Mr. Wookalar! Hi, Wookalar! You may scream, now.
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The Private Eyes / int_a6f23b2d
 The Private Eyes / int_ab21dce
type
TheCloudcuckoolanderWasRight
 The Private Eyes / int_ab21dce
comment
The Cloud Cuckoo Lander Was Right: See Real After All below.
 The Private Eyes / int_ab21dce
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The Private Eyes / int_ab21dce
 The Private Eyes / int_ae3d6438
type
Deadpan Snarker
 The Private Eyes / int_ae3d6438
comment
Deadpan Snarker: Winship's normal response to Tart's stupidity is with a sour remark.
 The Private Eyes / int_ae3d6438
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The Private Eyes / int_ae3d6438
 The Private Eyes / int_aef07b11
type
Pig Man
 The Private Eyes / int_aef07b11
comment
Pig Man: Again, the wookalar.
 The Private Eyes / int_aef07b11
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The Private Eyes / int_aef07b11
 The Private Eyes / int_b032e4ed
type
Ms. Fanservice
 The Private Eyes / int_b032e4ed
comment
Ms. Fanservice: Mistress Phyllis Morley. She even has a scene of her changing out of a bathrobe while the two detectives fight over who gets to peep on her. Hilda, the maid, sticks a card in her cleavage in her introduction scene and has been described as having a lot of “bounce”.
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The Private Eyes / int_b032e4ed
 The Private Eyes / int_b4eff8a8
type
Epic Fail
 The Private Eyes / int_b4eff8a8
comment
Epic Fail: One of the main running gags of the film is people constantly saying that Lord Morley "never could get anything right". Primary proof of this gag is Morley's absurdly convoluted plan to get Phyllis arrested. It did had the hoped-for results, but Winship and Tart actually ask afterwards why the heck Morley didn't just called the police. Morley just did not thought of it.
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The Private Eyes / int_b4eff8a8
 The Private Eyes / int_ba6db525
type
Fake Mystery
 The Private Eyes / int_ba6db525
comment
Fake Mystery: After Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart endure a great many comedic pratfalls for the sake of trying to figure out who murdered Lord and Lady Morley, as well as all of their servants, it turns out that there was only one person murdered. After Lord Morley barely dodged being killed alongside his wife, he faked his own death and then his servants faked being murdered one by one by a maniac in order to force a confession out of the person who really wanted to kill the Morleys, that being their vile heir Phyllis. Winship and Tart, after this reveal, then question the absurd amount of complexity of this scheme and then point out the more simple solution that was Lord Morley going to the police to accuse Phyllis, especially because he had all the evidence he needed at hand. The answer to that is simple: Lord Morley never could get anything right.
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The Private Eyes / int_ba6db525
 The Private Eyes / int_bc74ef27
type
Berserk Button
 The Private Eyes / int_bc74ef27
comment
Berserk Button: Say the word “murder” in front of Justin and you see just how crazy he really is.
 The Private Eyes / int_bc74ef27
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The Private Eyes / int_bc74ef27
 The Private Eyes / int_bcbf7aef
type
Plucky Comic Relief
 The Private Eyes / int_bcbf7aef
comment
Plucky Comic Relief: Dr. Tart. He’s more bumbling, clueless and dim-witted compared to Winship.
 The Private Eyes / int_bcbf7aef
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 The Private Eyes / int_bcbf7aef
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The Private Eyes / int_bcbf7aef
 The Private Eyes / int_bda72a5e
type
Clueless Detective
 The Private Eyes / int_bda72a5e
comment
Clueless Detective: Winship and Tart spend the entire movie wandering around the manor with no understanding of what's going on as nearly everyone gets killed, and only solve the case because the Shadow manipulated Phyllis into confessing.
 The Private Eyes / int_bda72a5e
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The Private Eyes / int_bda72a5e
 The Private Eyes / int_ccb97ff2
type
Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion
 The Private Eyes / int_ccb97ff2
comment
Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion: The notes left by The Shadow at the murder scenes contain poems which all end like this, except the one left with Hilda (and it's possible that Tart didn't finish reading that one, since we only hear two lines of it). This possibly because the Shadow is Lord Morley, who can't get anything right.
 The Private Eyes / int_ccb97ff2
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The Private Eyes / int_ccb97ff2
 The Private Eyes / int_d7fc9fd0
type
Vitriolic Best Buds
 The Private Eyes / int_d7fc9fd0
comment
Vitriolic Best Buds: Winship and Tart. As infuriating as Tart is to work with, Winship expresses his personal appreciation for him as a partner and a friend when he is tricked into thinking Tart has been murdered.
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The Private Eyes / int_d7fc9fd0
 The Private Eyes / int_e2d457
type
The Ditz
 The Private Eyes / int_e2d457
comment
The Ditz: Tart is way more scatter brained than Winship.
 The Private Eyes / int_e2d457
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The Private Eyes / int_e2d457
 The Private Eyes / int_e384c244
type
Phone Call from the Dead
 The Private Eyes / int_e384c244
comment
Phone Call from the Dead: The letter summoning Winship and Tart to investigate the Morley murder was signed by the late Lord Morley, who wasn't actually dead when he wrote it.
 The Private Eyes / int_e384c244
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 The Private Eyes / int_e384c244
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The Private Eyes / int_e384c244
 The Private Eyes / int_eb8ec7c8
type
Jerkass
 The Private Eyes / int_eb8ec7c8
comment
Jerkass: The Nanny is not a particularly pleasant woman. She speaks in a dull monotone most of the time and usually snaps Justin out of his violent rampages by beating the snot out of him.
 The Private Eyes / int_eb8ec7c8
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The Private Eyes / int_eb8ec7c8
 The Private Eyes / int_f32dadad
type
Instant Messenger Pigeon
 The Private Eyes / int_f32dadad
comment
Instant Messenger Pigeon: Tart’s method of communication with the Yard is through carrier pigeons. Unfortunately, every time he tries to use them, something goes wrong. For example, one get thrown through a glass window and breaks its wing, another is shot down by a hunter, and one is killed by the killer.
 The Private Eyes / int_f32dadad
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The Private Eyes / int_f32dadad
 The Private Eyes / int_f36c4f98
type
Easily Forgiven
 The Private Eyes / int_f36c4f98
comment
Easily Forgiven: Jock is a faithful servant to Lord Morley even though Morley had his tongue cut out when they were in the army together.
 The Private Eyes / int_f36c4f98
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The Private Eyes / int_f36c4f98
 The Private Eyes / int_f6b698ac
type
Complexity Addiction
 The Private Eyes / int_f6b698ac
comment
Complexity Addiction: The Shadow's plan to trick Phyllis into confessing is very complicated, and totally unnecessary - since he had witnessed the murder of Lady Morley, he could have just told the police she had done it and ended the case right then. But then, Lord Morley never could get anything right.
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The Private Eyes / int_f6b698ac
 The Private Eyes / int_f9876f7e
type
Faking the Dead
 The Private Eyes / int_f9876f7e
comment
Faking the Dead: Lord Morley and the staff. After surviving Phyllis’s attempted murder, Lord Morley summoned the staff and devised a plan of phony killings to trick Phyllis into a confession.
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The Private Eyes / int_f9876f7e
 The Private Eyes / int_fb724048
type
Real After All
 The Private Eyes / int_fb724048
comment
Real After All: Dr. Tart mentions a fearsome wear-boar called a wookalar, who sucks brains out of it's victim's noses. Winship naturally thinks Tart's being an idiot and fearing an imaginary monster. Then; At the end of the movie, as they drive and argue over the existence of the wookalar, the real deal rises up for a big Danger Takes a Backseat moment. Scary hilarity ensues...*cue credits*.
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ItemName
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The Private Eyes

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Private Eyes
hasFeature
Animated Credits Opening / int_6296014e
 The Private Eyes
hasFeature
Artistic License – Gun Safety / int_6296014e
 The Private Eyes
hasFeature
Asian Speekee Engrish / int_6296014e
 The Private Eyes
hasFeature
Bear Trap / int_6296014e
 The Private Eyes
hasFeature
Beast Man / int_6296014e
 The Private Eyes
hasFeature
Fake Mystery / int_6296014e
 The Private Eyes
hasFeature
Foreign Queasine / int_6296014e
 The Private Eyes
hasFeature
I Ate WHAT?! / int_6296014e
 The Private Eyes
hasFeature
Old, Dark House / int_6296014e