Private Eye

• Director: Mark Tinker
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Crime
• Themes: Private Eyes
• Main Cast: Lisa Jane Persky, Bill Sadler, Jay O. Sanders, Michael Woods
• Release Year: 1987
• Country: US
• Run Time: 100 minutes

Plot

Private Eye was the pilot for the 1987 TV series of the same name. The setting is the Los Angeles of 1956. Ex-cop Jack Cleary (Michael Woods), embittered over his brother's death, becomes a Spillanelike private detective, principally to solve his sibling's murder. A Rock 'n' roll idol (John Brolin) becomes Cleary's largely unwelcome partner when the trail of evidence leads to a scandal in the record industry. The film is partly inspired by the "Payola" imbroglio of 1959, which (so far as we know) resulted in very few murders. Bill Sadler and Lisa Persky costar, while Jay O. Sanders has a fall-on as Cleary's unfortunate brother; the background music was provided by Joe Jackson. Private Eye was first telecast September 13, 1987, while the series proper commenced five days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast

Josh Brolin - Johnny Betts; Don Calfa; Anthony Charnota - Raymond Battista; Frederick Coffin; Hugh Gillin - Narvel Husky; Faye Grant - Lana Williams; Stanley Kamel; Lisa Jane Persky - Dottie Dworski; Bill Sadler - Charlie Fontana; Jay O. Sanders - Nick Cleary; Michael Woods - Jack Cleary

Credit

Mark Tinker - Director, Joe Jackson - Composer (Music Score), Bradford May - Cinematographer, Mark Tinker - Screenwriter