Sleuth (play) and Patrick Macnee. Baxter was succeeded by Brian Murray, Donal Donnelly, Jordan Christopher and Curt Dawson. "Sleuth" received the 1971 Tony Award for Best Play, and received nominations for Best Direction of a Play (Clifford Williams) and Best Lighting Design (William Ritman). Anthony Quayle and Keith Baxter received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance. "Sleuth" also received the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best Play. In 1972, Shaffer adapted his play for film, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. Another film adaptation was released in 2007 with a screenplay by Harold Pinter.
Sleuth (2007 film) play is not just an adept transformation of theatre to film ... but also casts a revealing light on social history, reflecting the enormous changes in English society, language and morals in the nearly 40 years since the play first appeared on the London stage." The screenwriter, actors and director insisted that this "Sleuth" was not a "remake." Law called it "a completely reinvented "Sleuth"... It didn't feel like a remake. I always loved the idea at its heart of two men battling it out for a woman you never meet." Law further felt that he "was creating a character