Art Carney is wonderful as an ageing private eye named Ira Wells. He's visited one night by his old ex-partner, Harry Regan (Howard Duff, in a regrettably brief cameo), who has already received a fatal gunshot wound. It turns out that Harry had recently taken the case of a stolen cat (really) owned by flaky hippie-type Margo Sterling (Lily Tomlin). Ira inherits the case, but finds out (naturally) that there's much more going on than just a purloined feline. Margo is no innocent and HAD gotten mixed up with some shady types."The Late Show" is writer / director Robert Bentons' ("Kramer vs. Kramer", "Places in the Heart") witty, appealing modern-noir ode to vintage crime fiction, in the tradition of Hammett and Chandler. His tale is definitely a twisty, complex one, but this can only be a good thing. It keeps viewers on their toes and eager to see how things will develop. Key to its success is its hero character. Ira may be over the hill, but he still has his wits about him. He does take some physical punishment at one point, but is able to give it right back when he gets an opportunity.The main hook in this case is the odd couple pairing of Carney and Tomlin. Her character & performance may affect how some people feel about the film, but there is no denying that she and Carney have some interesting chemistry. Margo is something of a chatterbox, and some people could find her annoying, but Tomlin remains fairly charming in the role. Carney and Tomlin receive excellent support from an entertainingly sleazy Bill Macy, the amusingly intimidating Eugene Roche and John Considine, and a strikingly sexy Joanna Cassidy whose character is nothing but trouble.Very nice L.A. location shooting, and pleasant music by Kenneth Wannberg also help to make this agreeable entertainment that is still somewhat overlooked 41 years later.Eight out of 10.

Art Carney as a gumshoe in this 1977 film caught up with a free-spirit, a part made for and played so well by Lily Tomlin.After his ex-partner is killed, the retired gumshoe goes after his killer and meets up with Tomlin whose cat has been stolen. The story gets obviously more involved with the guy who stole the cat.It comes down to infidelity, greed and guns blazing with the bodies piling on.Bill Macy plays a lowdown hustler whose greed is eventually his undoing.Tomlin, with a variety of careers in this film, comes up with a solution that is proved right by the Carney character.

I've never thought that many of Robert Benton's movies were great, they are more low-key dramas. So, with "The Late Show," this follows suit.Art Carney is great, but he is a naturally skilled actor. Lily Tomlin is pretty routine. The cinematography, such as it is, is fairly dull and poorly lit. The music is good, and is composed by the one person who seems to be in on the neo-noir concept in a genuine way.The story is supposed to be a comedy-drama, but there is really no comedy. So, it's just drama, which here is neo-noir, with lots of "doll" this or "doll" that in the screenplay. The goings on are just too morose, and the script too closely follows the convoluted film noir plot formula for its own good.Missed opportunities all around.***** (5 Out of 10 Stars)

I love this bittersweet story. I agree with other commentators that plot is not what drives this tale forward: it reaches a point where it's not longer important who did what to whom and why. What is important are the character portrayals, which are handled deftly by Art Carney, as aging private eye Ira Wells, and by a ditsy but lovable flower-child leftover played by Lily Tomlin. The supporting cast members are excellent.The other thing this little film has is atmosphere, in spades. It's 1970s L.A., with echoes of 1940s Raymond Chandler L.A. And director Benton makes good use of certain small iconic bits like the vast mountain of burial vaults, in the cemetery where we first meet the three principal characters, and the static last shot of an L.A. bus stop bench with Boris Karlof's Frankenstein face advertising the Hollywood wax museum.And finally: the title theme is a hauntingly moody torch song ("What Was is Just What Was"), which ought to be a jazz standard--right up there with "Laura." I love this movie and watch it once every few years, ideally late at night with a drink in hand.