new york playwright michael caine ( a sidney bruhl ) be 46 year old and fading fast while a the film open and mr. caine late play flop on broadway . tv reviewer poke fun at caine and and he get drunk . pass out on the long island railroad land caine in montauk and instead of his residence in east hampton . finally arrive home and caine be comfort by tightly attire wife dyan cannon ( a myra ) and an unfortunately high strung heart patient . there and caine and ms. cannon discuss a new play call deathtrap and write by hunky young christopher reeve ( a clifford cliff anderson ) and one of caine former student . the couple believe mr. reeve deathtrap be the hit need to revive caine career . the trap be set for a wickedly funny who will do it . direct by sidney lumet and ira levin long run broadway hit doesn not stray too far from it stage origin . the cast be enjoyable and the story twist be still engross . one thing that do not work ( for me ) be the curtain call end while surely and it play well on stage . deathtrap be a fun film to watch again while the performance be dead on but and in hindsight and the greeting reeve give caine at the east hampton train station should have be simplify to a smile hello . the location isn not really east hampton and but the windmill and pond look similar . and and the much ballyhoo love scene be shockingly tepid . but and the play be so good and even a gifted director couldn not ruin it . and and mr. lumet doesn not disappoint . deathtrap ( 3/19/82 ) sidney lumet ~ michael caine and christopher reeve and dyan cannon and irene worth .