The Late Show

Writer/director Robert Benton's affectionate 1976 salute to the private-eye dramas of the ‘40s, The Late Show stars Art Carney as Ira Wells, an aging detective whose spirit is willing but his body is fading fast. Having hung up his holster, he's surprised one night by a visit from a former colleague (Howard Duff), who doesn't have a lot to say--primarily because he's bleeding from a fatal gunshot wound. Back on the trail again, Ira discovers that his partner was searching for a missing cat, and he joins forces with the feline's owner Margo Sperling (a fast-talking Lily Tomlin) to find the tabby and avenge the murder. As a sleuthing pair, Carney and Tomlin are superb; it's a shame they were never reunited for another go. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay, The Late Show makes its DVD debut with a widescreen transfer that is relatively clean but nonetheless shows the film's age with some grain evident (especially during dark interior shots), and a serviceable Dolby Digital mono track. Besides the original trailer, the disc's only other extra is a five-minute segment from Dinah! featuring Tomlin (sitting with the Doobie Brothers) doing a brief Ernestine impersonation, before introducing a two-minute clip from the film. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)