Lionel Twain — Murder by Death Character Profile

About Lionel Twain

Mysterious host who invites the guests, challenges them to solve a midnight murder for a million-dollar reward, and claims to be the greatest criminologist. He disappears, reappears stabbed, and ultimately reveals himself as the butler to metafictionally critique the detectives and their authors.

Lionel Twain — Character Profile

Character Facts

Played by

Truman Capote

Appears in

Murder by Death (1976)

Role

Protagonist

Relationships (11)

• Lionel Twain — Professional Mastermind — Lionel Twain (Truman Capote)

  Twain positions himself as the supreme expert orchestrating the entire event.

• Lionel Twain — Professional Employee — Butler Jamesir Bensonmum (Alec Guinness)

  Butler serves as Lionel Twain's personal servant

• Lionel Twain — Professional Employer — Nurse Withers (Estelle Winwood)

  Lionel Twain hires Nurse Withers as part of his murder game

• Lionel Twain — Professional Employer — Jessica Marbles (Elsa Lanchester)

  Lionel Twain hires Jessica Marbles as part of his murder game

• Lionel Twain — Professional Employer — Tess Skeffington (Eileen Brennan)

  Lionel Twain hires Tess Skeffington as part of his murder game

• Lionel Twain — Professional Employer — Sam Diamond (Peter Falk)

  Lionel Twain hires Sam Diamond as part of his murder game

• Lionel Twain — Professional Employer — Milo Perrier (James Coco)

  Lionel Twain hires Milo Perrier as part of his murder game

• Lionel Twain — Professional Employer — Dora Charleston (Maggie Smith)

  Lionel Twain hires Dora Charleston as part of his murder game

• Lionel Twain — Professional Employer — Dick Charleston (David Niven)

  Lionel Twain hires Dick Charleston as part of his murder game

• Lionel Twain — Professional Employer — Sidney Wang (Peter Sellers)

  Lionel Twain hires Sidney Wang as part of his murder game

• Lionel Twain — Professional Employer — Butler Jamesir Bensonmum (Alec Guinness)

  Twain employs Bensonmum as his butler

Explore the full interactive character relationship map of Murder by Death

More characters from Murder by Death

• Butler Jamesir Bensonmum (Alec Guinness)
• Sidney Wang (Peter Sellers)
• Dick Charleston (David Niven)
• Kitchen Maid Yetta (Nancy Walker)
• Dora Charleston (Maggie Smith)
• Marcel Cassette (James Cromwell)
• Door Bell (archive sound) (uncredited) (Fay Wray)
• Milo Perrier (James Coco)
• Willie Wang (Richard Narita)
• Sam Diamond (Peter Falk)
• Tess Skeffington (Eileen Brennan)
• Jessica Marbles (Elsa Lanchester)