How to Murder a Movie V
For most readers, the name “Inspector Garrett” and his department “Movie Murder” will probably be a new concept. Others, however, will think to themselves, hang on a minute… that sounds familiar somehow. In fact, the story is based on the real TV series “Garrett,” which aired in the United States from 1972 to 1975. “Inspector Garrett” really existed, but in the series he was less of a “Columbo” character and more of a cool, well-dressed inspector with impeccable manners who could solve any case with his team.
What was special about “Garrett” was that almost all of his cases took place in Hollywood and his perpetrators were always the rich and famous. This was a concept that was also used in “Columbo.”
“Garrett” also thrived on the look of the series, with elegant villas, high-quality costumes, and a collection of stars from the 1970s. While other crime series often relied purely on dialogue, “Garrett” was also a cinematic series that utilized all the capabilities of Hollywood cinema. That’s what makes the series so special to this day.
To my knowledge, the series was never sold outside of America.
The film “Movie Murder”
At the end of the 1970s, there was an attempt to revive the concept of “Garrett.” The film “Movie Murder” was produced in collaboration with European funding. The two main actors were Rex Starling and Carole Bellwether. The film was broadcast as a Friday night movie and was intended to be the starting point for the new series. Preparations for the series began, but the studio did not give its approval.
As they say in James Bond: Never Say Never Again. The concept of an inspector solving murder cases in glitzy Hollywood could still be successful today.
I would be delighted if we could soon hear again: “I am Inspector Garrett, Hollywood Police.”
The Paperback Series
Screenplay for season three of “GARRETT”
Movie Murder Inspector
Due to legal reasons related to the studio’s bankruptcy in the 1980s and its subsequent takeover by the Hughes Group, we are unable to include the complete script here. We have therefore only included the first few scenes.
Individual episodes were also published as a paperback series in the late 1970s. These old editions can be easily purchased online.
For legal reasons, it is still not possible to release the TV episodes on DVD or Blu-ray.
We can only hope that the individual rights holders will reach an agreement in the future so that this crime series from the 1970s is not lost forever.
The Paperback Series
