Classic Film Friday: Fletch

Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase) is an LA journalist, and he really gets into his job. Basically he employs different personae in order to get a story that he wants. Whether it is a bum on skid row or a country club tennis player or a mechanic working on an airplane, Fletch tries it all. There is almost the air of a fast talking Groucho Marx, but a bit more bumbling. Anyway he is on a big story, deep under cover, he is writing about the drug trade on the beach.

But Fletch as a bum or drifter is met by Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) a rich man, to murder him for $50,000 as he has cancer and his life insurance won't pay if he commits suicide (yes it is a bit of a stretch, but anyway). So now Fletch starts working two stories, because he can't understand why this guy would offer him money like this.

Well it gets a bit fuzzy because the two stories are actually one. Fletch meets Gail Stanwyk (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), wife of the man that was willing to pay Fletch to murder him at a country club while Chief Jerry Karlin (Joe Don Baker) gives Fletch the shakedown, as he claims the writings of Fletch could jeopardize his undercover investigation. How are these two things related? Well they aren't, at least not yet.

But it all begins to come together, as Fletch investigates Alan a little deeper, and he gets to know Gail a little better. The rest you will have to watch for yourself, as I probably told too much already. Available on the Roku or Wii, or anything else that gives you access to Netflix instant viewing.