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Mystery thriller

Murder by Death (1976): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Murder by Death (1976) movie poster

Murder by Death is a 1976 mystery thriller starring David Niven, Peter Sellers and Peter Falk. It runs 1 hour 34 minutes and earned $38,200 worldwide. It earned 1 award nomination, including New Star of the Year – Actor at the Golden Globes 1977. Critics gave it 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and 59 on Metacritic.

Rotten Tomatoes
63%
worldwide gross
$38.2K
award nomination
1
Metascore
59
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Murder by Death (1976) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 34m (94 min)
Genres
Mystery , Thriller , Comedy , Crime
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Murder by Death About?

The premise of Murder by Death without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A group of quirky private detectives are invited to a mysterious castle for a murder mystery game hosted by eccentric millionaire Lionel Twain. The detectives, each with unique skills and personalities, are competing for a substantial $1 million prize. However, the game takes a dark turn when Twain's blind butler is found dead, raising the stakes and forcing the detectives to become suspects themselves. Now, they must use their investigative talents to determine who among them is the real killer.

Murder by Death Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • eyes watching from behind a painting
  • whodunit
  • dark and stormy night
  • cut telephone line
  • private detective
  • neo screwball comedy
  • butler did it cliche
  • castle thunder
  • butler
  • inspector
  • caucasian actor playing asian character
  • asian stereotype
+38 more
  • irreverence
  • mystery killer
  • old dark house
  • disguise
  • millionaire
  • surprise ending
  • fog machine
  • death in title
  • blind man
  • scorpio
  • chinese stereotype
  • french stereotype
  • british stereotype
  • japanese stereotype
  • locked room mystery
  • whodunnit mystery
  • all star cast
  • bearded man
  • postage stamp
  • pun in name
  • animated opening credits
  • parody comedy
  • metafiction
  • ensemble cast
  • murder play
  • stage thriller
  • dinner party murder
  • cozy mystery
  • stranger
  • party invitation
  • multiple suspects
  • woman private detective
  • posing as a deaf mute
  • weekend guest
  • taxidermied animal
  • farce comedy
  • spoof comedy
  • gothic thriller
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Cast & crew

Murder by Death Cast

David Niven leads the cast, with Peter Sellers and Peter Falk.

Ratings

Murder by Death Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Murder by Death 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and 59 on Metacritic.

Plot

Murder by Death Plot Summary

What happens in Murder by Death from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

As the evening sun gracefully faded from view, five esteemed detectives arrived at the mysterious Lionel Twain’s lavish mansion, each accompanied by a trusted companion or significant other. The house was managed with an unsettling precision by the seemingly blind Jamessir Bensonmum. Tension filled the air as the group assembled for dinner, blissfully oblivious to the thrilling challenge that awaited them. Their enigmatic host, Twain, entertained his guests with grandiose tales of his prowess as a criminologist. However, the true motive behind their gathering was soon unveiled: a murder was set to take place at midnight, and the detective who could solve it within the hour would walk away with an astonishing reward of $1 million.

Full summary

The whole story of Murder by Death, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Murder by Death Box Office

Murder by Death grossed $38,200 worldwide.

1976 box office

Worldwide gross

$38.2K

International
$38.2K
Awards

Murder by Death Awards & Nominations

Murder by Death earned 1 award nomination, including New Star of the Year – Actor at the Golden Globes 1977.

1 nomination1 ceremony

Videos

Murder by Death Trailers & Videos

2 videos: 2 trailers.

Murder by Death - Trailer
  • Trailer Murder By Death ≣ 1976 ≣ Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Murder by Death?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who is the enigmatic host of the evening?

Cars

Cars in Murder by Death

5 cars on screen, including the 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster and the 1953 Citroën 11 B.

All 5 cars
  • 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster in Murder by Death 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Important role
  • 1953 Citroën 11 B in Murder by Death 1953 Citroën 11 B Important role
  • 1947 Ford Super De Luxe Station Wagon in Murder by Death 1947 Ford Super De Luxe Station Wagon Important role
  • 1937 Packard Twelve in Murder by Death 1937 Packard Twelve Important role
Details

Murder by Death Also Known As

30 alternative titles, including “Een lijk als nagerecht” and “Prosklisi se gevma apo enan ypopsifio dolofono”.

Also known as
  • Een lijk als nagerecht
  • Prosklisi se gevma apo enan ypopsifio dolofono
  • Un cadáver a los postres
  • Um Cadáver de Sobremesa
  • Mord med døden til følge
  • Eine Leiche zum Dessert
  • Invito a cena con delitto
  • Meghívás egy gyilkos vacsorára
  • Släpp deckarna loss, det är mord
  • Un cadavre au dessert
  • Ужин с убийством
  • 22 Numarada Cinayet
+18 more
  • Πρόσκληση σε Γεύμα από έναν Υποψήφιο Δολοφόνο
  • חמישה בלשים לקינוח
  • Vražda na večeři
  • 5인의 탐정가
  • 名探偵登場
  • 怪宴
  • Murha, murha, päästäkää etsivät irti!
  • Убийство чрез смърт
  • Mirtina žmogžudystė
  • Zabity na śmierć
  • Middag med mord
  • Assassinato Por Morte
  • Убивство смертю
  • قتل با مرگ
  • Un cadaver a los postres
  • Un cadàver per postres
  • ฆาตกรรมซ่อนเงื่อน
  • Poziv na večeru sa umorstvom

Seen Murder by Death?

FAQ

Murder by Death FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Murder by Death, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Murder by Death?

Murder by Death runs 1 hour 34 minutes (94 minutes).

When was Murder by Death released?

Murder by Death was released on June 23, 1976.

Who is in the cast of Murder by Death?

Murder by Death stars David Niven, Peter Sellers and Peter Falk, among 10 credited actors.

How much did Murder by Death make at the box office?

Murder by Death grossed $38,200 worldwide.

How is Murder by Death rated?

Murder by Death has 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, 59 on Metacritic and 72% on TMDB.

Was Murder by Death nominated for any awards?

Murder by Death received 1 nomination across 1 ceremony.

Does Murder by Death have a post-credit scene?

No. Murder by Death has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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