''They Might Be Giants'' is a 1971 American

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...

based on the 1961 play of the same name (both written by

James Goldman James Goldman (June 30, 1927 – October 28, 1998) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He won an Academy Award for his screenplay '' The Lion in Winter'' (1968). His younger brother was novelist and screenwriter William Goldman. Biog ...

) starring

George C. Scott George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was an American actor. He had a celebrated career on both stage and screen. With a gruff demeanor and commanding presence, Scott became known for his portrayal of stern but complex ...

and

Joanne Woodward Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is an American retired actress. She made her career breakthrough in the 1950s and earned esteem and respect playing complex women with a characteristic nuance and depth of character. ...

. The play opened at Stratford East in 1961, and closed after only four weeks. The film's title was later adopted as the name of a popular music group.

Plot

Justin Playfair is an eminent

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

who retreats into

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

after his wife's death, imagining himself to be

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

, the legendary fictional detective. Complete with

deerstalker A deerstalker is a type of cap that is typically worn in rural areas, often for hunting, especially deer stalking. Because of the cap's popular association with the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, it has become stereotypical headgear f ...

hat, pipe and violin, he spends his days in a homemade criminal laboratory obsessing over plots hatched by his (Holmes's) archenemy,

Professor Moriarty Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and criminal mastermind created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be a formidable enemy for the author's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. He was created primarily as a device by which Doyle could ...

, and pursuing clues throughout the city. Justin's brother Blevins tries to commit Justin to a mental institution run by his friend Dr. Strauss so he can get

power of attorney A power of attorney (POA) or letter of attorney is a written authorization to represent or act on another's behalf in private affairs (which may be financial or regarding health and welfare), business, or some other legal matter. The person auth ...

and control Justin's finances. The criminal to whom Blevins owes money is more than willing to get it by killing Justin so Blevins can inherit. Psychiatrist Dr. Mildred Watson's signature is needed on the commitment papers. She insists on doing a proper interview and is immediately fascinated by Justin, who demonstrates a knack for what Holmes describes as "deduction" (technically better categorized as

abductive reasoning Abductive reasoning (also called abduction,For example: abductive inference, or retroduction) is a form of logical inference that seeks the simplest and most likely conclusion from a set of observations. It was formulated and advanced by Ameri ...

) as well as for hand-to-hand combat. He walks out of the institution during the ensuing confusion, and Watson comes to his home to attempt treatment. Justin is initially dismissive of Watson's attempts to psychoanalyze him. He knows Justin Playfair, who tried to make the world the kind of place it might have been and went mad. “I am not that man,” he declares, and tests his logic on her with a scathing analysis of her lonely life, down to the fact that her suit is 10 years old. But when he hears her name, he enthusiastically incorporates her into his life as

Doctor Watson Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). "The Adventure of Shosc ...

, the sidekick to his Holmes. Watson accepts the role of “chronicler”. They begin an enigmatic quest for Moriarty, following all manner of bizarre and (to Watson) unintelligible clues and encountering a rich tapestry of people in assorted urban situations. Eventually he takes her to Wilbur Peabody, who thinks Dr. Watson is deluded until she identifies herself. He has known Justin for more than 30 years. She leaves Justin there. The next morning, Wilbur wakes Justin, who fell asleep reading about himself in

Who's Who A Who's Who (or Who Is Who) is a reference work consisting of biographical entries of notable people in a particular field. The oldest and best-known is the annual publication ''Who's Who (UK), Who's Who'', a reference work on contemporary promin ...

. He asks Wilbur which is his life, since he has no memories. Wilbur wishes he were the

Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with her husband Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in Lo ...

. Watson rushes in declaring that Blevins wants Justin's money. They'll find Moriarty first and then deal with his brother. Justin is energized: “I'm very glad you're here. I like you very much.” At an abandoned building, they find an older couple who retired from the world in 1939 to grow magnificent topiaries. The crook and his henchman appear. Holmes and Watson escape by different exits. They are to meet as prearranged at Watson's small apartment at 7 pm. Holmes arrives late, by the fire escape, bearing flowers. Watson is wearing a white organdy dress with short puff sleeves and a pink satin sash. Her dinner preparations have been disastrous. They have a drink and he talks about going out together after this is over. She agrees. They are dancing when a bullet smashes the window, grazing his forehead and knocking him to the floor. Distraught, she calls him “my Holmes.” The two head to the midnight rendezvous with Moriarty. Wilbur and the other fascinating people they met earlier join in a brisk parade past New York City landmarks. They stop by a kiosk covering a manhole. He tells his friends that Earth is shining under the soot. He takes Watson's hand and they descend into a tunnel. The others do not follow. A giant supermarket is a dead end. Then Watson comes up with their next stop, the Riding School just off Central Park. She means to walk with him. She is not afraid. They express their love for each other, and Holmes hears Moriarty coming, on horseback. Watson hears nothing—and then she does, and we do, the sound of hoofbeats approaching from the darkness beneath a bridge. They hold hands. The camera zooms in and a bright light shines on and around them, growing brighter until it almost fills the screen.

Cast

as Justin *

as Watson * Jack Gilford as Peabody * Lester Rawlins as Blevins * Al Lewis as Messenger *

Rue McClanahan Eddi-Rue McClanahan (February 21, 1934 – June 3, 2010) was an American actress. She was best known for her roles on television sitcoms, including Maude (TV series)#Characters, Vivian Cavender Harmon on ''Maude (TV series), Maude'' (1972–78), ...

as Daisy * Ron Weyand as Dr. Strauss * Oliver Clark as Mr. Small *

Theresa Merritt Theresa Merritt Hines (September 24, 1922 June 12, 1998), known professionally as Theresa Merritt, was an American actress. She is known for her role in ''That's My Mama'' (1974–1975) and for her film roles in ''The Wiz'' (1978) and '' Billy Ma ...

as Peggy * Michael McGuire as Telephone Guard * Eugene Roche as Policeman * James Tolkan as Mr. Brown * Kitty Winn as Grace *

Sudie Bond Sudie Bond (July 13, 1923 – November 10, 1984) was an American actress on film, stage, and television. Early years Bond was one of four children of J. Roy Bond, an industrialist, and Carrie Bond. She grew up in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and was a ...

as Maud *

Staats Cotsworth Staats Cotsworth (February 17, 1908 – April 9, 1979) was an American actor in old-time radio.DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. ...

as Winthrop * F. Murray Abraham as Clyde * Paul Benedict as Chestnut Man * M. Emmet Walsh as 1st Sanitation Man * Louis Zorich as 2nd Sanitation Man

Title explanation

The title is an indirect reference to

Don Quixote , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...

's famous exploit of

tilting at windmills , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...

, believing them to be "monstrous

giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...

". In reference to this, the character Playfair argues:

Critical views

The film opened to mixed reviews.

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called it "a mushy movie with occasional, isolated moments of legitimate comedy." On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

it has an approval rating 61% based on reviews from 18 critics.

Releases

There have been various running times of the film over the years with the Kino Blu-ray at 91 minutes. The largest missing material is a long sequence near the end that takes place in a grocery store.

Movie Tie-In Paperback

Several months before the opening of the film,

Lancer Books Lancer Books was a publisher of paperback books founded by Irwin Stein and Walter Zacharius that operated from 1961 through 1973. While it published stories of a number of genres, it was noted most for its science fiction and fantasy, particula ...

published James Goldman's screenplay as a tie-in mass market paperback, profusely illustrated with black and white movie stills. Surviving copies have become extremely rare.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:They Might Be Giants 1971 films 1971 comedy films 1970s American films 1970s comedy mystery films 1970s English-language films American comedy mystery films American films based on plays Films directed by Anthony Harvey Films produced by John Foreman (producer) Films scored by John Barry (composer) Films set in New York City Films shot in New York City Films with screenplays by James Goldman Sherlock Holmes films Universal Pictures films English-language comedy mystery films