Mastermind (film)

Mastermind
Directed by	Alex March
Produced by	Malcolm Stuart
Written by	William Peter Blatty and Ian McLellan Hunter
Starring	Zero Mostel
Music by	Fred Karlin
Cinematography	Gerald Hirschfeld
Edited by	John C. Howard
Release date	1976
Running time	86 minutes
Language	English
Budget	$2.5 million

Mastermind is a Charlie Chan spoof filmed in 1969 that sat on the shelf for seven years before receiving a limited theatrical release in 1976. It has developed a cult following in recent years since making its home video debut. The second of producer Malcolm Stuart's two-picture deal with screenwriter, William Peter Blatty, the project was inspired by the success of the 1964 Peter Sellers comedy, A Shot in the Dark which Blatty had co-written with producer/director Blake Edwards. Blatty's script was drastically revised by Ian McLellan Hunter prior to production and the disgruntled screenwriter chose the pseudonym of Terence Clyne for his screen credit. By 1973 it had recorded a loss of $2.9 million. Blatty's original screenplay was published as part of a limited edition collection by Lonely Road Books in 2013 under the title, Five Lost Screenplays by William Peter Blatty.