Shot in the Dark

A SHOT IN THE DARK is a riotous spoof of the classic 'old dark house' murder mysteries. It features exaggerated situations, larger-than-life characters, and amusing dialogue as it sends up the genre while providing fitful mystery antics for viewers of the era. I could almost imagine Columbo himself sitting back and getting a laugh out of this one!

The plot involves a miserly old man who is shot to death in his own bed one night during a storm. One of his assembled associates and family members did it, but which? A record gives away the identity of the murderer, but it is stolen before the name can be listened to. It takes an old reverend who's a friend of the family to get to the bottom of the mystery.

I thought A SHOT OF THE DARK provided a workable enough comedy given the low budget nature of the film. I like the unusual protagonist, the kindly reverend who knows more than he lets on. The supporting cast is full of clichéd characters: the young, star-crossed lovers (incuding a youthful Jack Hawkins), the comedian, the curmudgeonly elder, the waspish aunt. The way each of their stories is processed in turn is well staged and there's a hilarious action scene right at the climax if you've stayed with it that long.