Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency

Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency (also known as Jr. Detective Agency) is a 2009 American mystery comedy film directed and written by Tom Whitus and starring Jacob Hays, Darren Kennedy, Katherine McNamara, Jilanne Klaus, M. Emmet Walsh and Luke Perry. The film follows 13-year-old Sam Steele Jr. (Hays), who creates a detective agency and attempts to track down a burglar known as "The Cat" (Perry).

Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency
DVD release poster
Directed by	Tom Whitus
Written by	Tom Whitus
Produced by	William F. Connelly Judee Sauget Tom Whitus
Starring	Jacob Hays Darren Kennedy Katherine McNamara Jilanne Klaus M. Emmet Walsh Luke Perry
Cinematography	Jeffrey McLeid
Edited by	George Maranville
Music by	Nathan Lanier
Production companies	Silver Hills Pictures Three Blondes Film Company Zingraff Motion Pictures
Distributed by	Screen Media Films
Release dates	November 22, 2009 (2009-11-22) (SLIFF) January 4, 2011 (2011-01-04) (DVD release)
Running time	87 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency had its premiere at the St. Louis International Film Festival on November 22, 2009, and was released by Screen Media Films on January 4, 2011. A sequel, titled Sam Steele and the Crystal Chalice, was released on November 21, 2011.

Premise

Following in his father's footsteps, Sam Steele Jr. forms the Jr. Detective Agency. Meanwhile, a French thief known as "The Cat" is stealing jewelry and art from museums in Des Moines, and Sam's father is one of the detectives attempting to track him down. When Emma, a new girl in the neighborhood, teams up with Sam and comes across an important tip, they try and catch the thief before he steals an original Michelangelo painting.

Cast

• Luke Perry as "The Cat"
• M. Emmet Walsh as Chief Van Owen
• Jacob Hays as Sam Steele Jr.
• Darren Kennedy as Detective Sam Steele
• Katherine McNamara as Emma Marsh
• Jilanne Klaus as Kathy Steele
• Mik Scriba as Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Carr
• Tammy Brice as Ms. Carmichael
• Nick Gehlfuss as Martinson Radio (voice)

Production

In May 2009, Luke Perry and M. Emmet Walsh were cast in Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency.^[1] Filming began on June 1, 2009, in Des Moines, Iowa.^[2][3]

Release

Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency premiered at the St. Louis International Film Festival on November 22, 2009, and was released direct-to-video by Screen Media Films on January 4, 2011.

Reception

Brian Costello of Common Sense Media gave the film a positive review, praising Hays' lead performance and stating that the film was "most enjoyable when the 13-year-old aspiring detective has internal monologues attempting the hard-boiled noir-speak of Raymond Chandler novels."^[4]

Sequel

A sequel to the film, titled Sam Steele and the Crystal Chalice, was released direct-to-video on November 21, 2011.^[5]