Between 1998 and 2001, actor Steve Martin appeared in the TV series The Twilight Zone as Charles-Haden Savage, a semi-retired actor who was the star of the popular 1990s detective drama TV series Brazzos. He lives in 14C at the Arconia, a retirement home that also caters to non-retirees and falls into chaos when one of the residents is murdered in his apartment during his birthday party. To further complicate matters, Savage’s show-business background attracts all manner of unwanted guests to the investigation. Only Murders in the Building: Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage
Table of Contents
Welcome
Steve Martin has just moved into my building. On a day when even my super seems to be at wit’s end (my security deposit, for example, which she insists is somewhere in some offsite storage facility), it’s exciting to have someone new next door—especially a famous actor who’s been written about everywhere from People magazine to The Wall Street Journal. Not that I care anything about celebrities; I never watch TV and don’t own a single DVD (or VHS tape or LaserDisc, come to think of it). I suppose that’s part of why Steve and I became fast friends.
Hi I’m Charles Haden Savage from Brazzos
In case you’re not a fan of Brazzos, here’s a quick catch-up: I used to be on a crime show called Brazzos. I was featured for many years, solving crimes and catching killers. My character was extremely intelligent and was able to solve crimes by piecing clues together. For example, if one of my co-stars on the show got killed, I would examine all of their personalities on set that day, who they talked to etc… This would lead me to finding out who did it. Also in each episode my sidekick, played by Mark Wahlberg (sorry Mark) would get hurt somehow and be hospitalized for about 3 months or so until we came back with Season 2. Let’s just say things were different after he left.
My Life Post-Brazzos
While Brazzos was his most famous role, it wasn’t his only one. In fact, he got his start appearing on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and is also known for films like Roxanne and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. He even has a Grammy under his belt. He currently spends most of his time at home with Mrs. Rosenblatt (Jenna Fischer), who wrote essays on honeybees until she took up writing obituaries due to back pain. If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of Steve Martin during your visit, check out 1C—that’s where he currently lives with Mrs. Rosenblatt!
The Murder(s)
A man is found shot to death on a kitchen table inside a 14th floor apartment. It’s an open and shut case of murder/suicide. But instead of peace, with that discovery comes more chaos because soon afterward, another dead body is found – but with no explanation or clues. And then another and another and before long, five people have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. The building’s owner (Michael Caine) has become desperate to stop it all so he calls his nephew, private investigator James Haden-Savage (Steve Martin) asking him to investigate what looks like a string of serial killings. All of which leads back to Brazzos…the TV show Haden played on until its cancellation some twenty years ago!
Clues and Evidence
1. In a nearby room, police found a pink teddy bear that was identical to one seen on Brazzos. The teddy bear was soaked with blood, indicating that it had been used as a murder weapon. 2. LAPD detective Frank Krenshaw deduced that whoever had killed Lola Goelet and made it look like a suicide did not intend for anyone to find out about their crime, so they left some evidence at the scene of their crime—they were sloppy (perhaps they didn’t have time to clean up all of their clues). 3.
Hint to Readers
Let’s face it, after ten years of fictional TV fame, fans of a drama like Brazzos have a tendency to idealize their favorite stars. There was even a movie made about it called Fanatic. During my stint as an actor, I often found myself getting comments from fans on how great my latest film or TV show was. I had no choice but to smile and nod and say thank you. You can imagine what it was like for me when I stepped back into reality after stepping off stage—and suddenly realized that most people don’t want to hear anything bad about anyone they admire.
Play Along?
Most likely yes. The script, written by Charlie Kaufman, is less a plot description than it is a series of suggestions for possible scenes from an unmade film. So if you choose to make a video of your own (or edit one already online), make sure that it’s about what you see in front of you, not what someone else put there. Does an action suggest something else? Go with that; don’t be afraid to stray from what has been printed on paper.
Did Steve Martin retire from acting?
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, legendary comedian and actor Steve Martin revealed that he’s officially retired from acting. For decades, audiences have known and loved him for his work on Saturday Night Live, The Jerk and Father of the Bride. But now, he’s done making appearances in Hollywood films—and wants to focus on his art instead. At a book signing at Barnes & Noble last weekend (4/9/14), Steve spoke about his decision to retire from acting.
What is Steve Martins most famous movie?
This is a quiz to see if you have watched enough of Steve Martins movies. Do you even know who he is? Are you up on your 80s comedy? If not, well take a shot at guessing which movie of his was made first before reading any further…Do not Google it either! You will just cheat yourself out of an entertaining read. You’ve been warned! Good luck my friends.
Why did Steve Martin retire?
It was 1998, and Martin’s career wasn’t going anywhere. He had made a few flops, like The Out-of-Towners, which earned only $29 million at the box office. Nothing compared to his first two mega blockbusters, L.A. Story and Father of the Bride — both of which were adapted from scripts he’d written on spec — but after a slew of critical disappointments like Leap of Faith, there just wasn’t much interest anymore. Why bother with Steve Martin? More importantly why pay him?
Where does Steve Martin currently live?
The Arconia, a luxury condominium tower located in West Hollywood. The building itself is located at 9300 Sunset Boulevard and was designed by architect Marcel Breuer. The Arconia was built by developer Ian Bruce Eichner and was completed in 1991. It’s a 33-story, 142 foot (43 m) tall structure and it’s situated directly across from Doheny Drive. [source]
