Rigby Reardon, private eye, runs the gauntlet of hoods, femmes fatales and crazed Nazis as he investigates the death of beautiful Juliet Forrest's father. Who are the mysterious "Friends of Carlotta"? And why does Rigby keep dressing in women's clothes? And where did Juliet learn to do that trick with her lips? This celebration of the black and white movies of the 1940's and 50's is a very clever and very amusing film. Extracts from celluloid classics are skilfully spliced into the action (check out the architectural detail on the doorframe in the Alan Ladd sequence). The film is a vehicle for Martin's comic talent and he carries it off beautifully. Rachel Ward as Juliet is terrific: she can hold her own with the screen goddesses who so liberally populate the film (Bergman, Davis, Turner and Crawford all make inserted appearances). A project like this could easily have come a cropper, but thanks to the brisk direction of Carl Reiner (who has a great cameo) and Steve Martin's ability to dominate the screen, the movie is a resounding success. It's also very funny.
131 Reviews
As strong as a cup of my famous java...
davidals16 September 2003
I first saw this in the theater with my dad, at the age of 13, when it was first released - he was a huge fan of classic movies and usually suffered through the stuff he took me to. Not this one - we were both in hysterics, and I'd have to say I owe my huge love of classic Hollywood (and global) cinema to this film. CITIZEN KANE it may not be but no matter - I dug the humor and the atmosphere at the time, and even then was aware of how much work this must have been.
I still watch this one on occasion, and it is the rare comedy that has held up very well with the passage of time - critics at the time seemed to write it off as a stunt, but I've noted that at least a little reevaluation of DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID has occurred over the years. The performances - as both a spoof and a love-letter to film noir - are top notch, with Steve Martin at his best here. The dialog gets deep into Raymond Chandler/Dashiell Hammett hard-boiled private-eye stylishness, serving up gumshoe-with-dame clichés just juiced up enough to give Steve something to run with, while still offering an a solid story. The finale is magnificent, Martin and Carl Reiner jousting their way through an avalanche of every two-bit dime-store whodunnit game-over cliché to ever grace the big screen, cheap alibis falling like drunken angels across the naked city as the big heat descends... Or - ahem -something like that...
I still watch this one on occasion, and it is the rare comedy that has held up very well with the passage of time - critics at the time seemed to write it off as a stunt, but I've noted that at least a little reevaluation of DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID has occurred over the years. The performances - as both a spoof and a love-letter to film noir - are top notch, with Steve Martin at his best here. The dialog gets deep into Raymond Chandler/Dashiell Hammett hard-boiled private-eye stylishness, serving up gumshoe-with-dame clichés just juiced up enough to give Steve something to run with, while still offering an a solid story. The finale is magnificent, Martin and Carl Reiner jousting their way through an avalanche of every two-bit dime-store whodunnit game-over cliché to ever grace the big screen, cheap alibis falling like drunken angels across the naked city as the big heat descends... Or - ahem -something like that...
Film noir was never this funny!
jotix10022 October 2005
Carl Reiner, the multi-talented director of this film, is the only one that could have pulled it off. Working with George Gipe, and Steve Martin in the screen play that serves as the basis of the movie, Mr. Reiner has done the impossible with "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid".
Of course, this film is blessed with the magnificent editing by Bud Malin, who meshed the present images against those film noir masterpieces we see, blending the characters of this movie with the stars of the past, in what seems to be a seamless product. It also helps that Miklos Rozsa was the man composing the music, as everything shows a cohesiveness that is hard to distinguished in what was shot in 1982 and the old movies.
This spoof to the film noir genre is a pure delight. The main character, Rigby Reardon is the P.I. from hell, but thanks to the creators of this movie, he is perfect as the man at the center of the action.
Not being a Steve Martin fan, one has to recognize that when this actor is inspired, he can do excellent work. It would appear that with a director like Carl Reiner, he would have gone off the top, but instead, Mr. Martin gives a good reading of Rigby. Rachel Ward, as the typical woman of those films, is charming. Reni Santoni, Georege Gaynes and the rest of the supporting cast do wonders under Carl Reiner's orders.
The film brought back memories of those timeless masterpieces of the past and the stars that shone in them. We get to see Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, Ingrid Bergman, Vincent Price, Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Barbara Stanwyck, Fred McMurray, Edward G. Robinson, and the others at the height of their fame playing against the present cast and making the viewer happy watching all the antics which Mr. Reiner and his team have created for our amusement.
This is a funny look at the old movies!
Of course, this film is blessed with the magnificent editing by Bud Malin, who meshed the present images against those film noir masterpieces we see, blending the characters of this movie with the stars of the past, in what seems to be a seamless product. It also helps that Miklos Rozsa was the man composing the music, as everything shows a cohesiveness that is hard to distinguished in what was shot in 1982 and the old movies.
This spoof to the film noir genre is a pure delight. The main character, Rigby Reardon is the P.I. from hell, but thanks to the creators of this movie, he is perfect as the man at the center of the action.
Not being a Steve Martin fan, one has to recognize that when this actor is inspired, he can do excellent work. It would appear that with a director like Carl Reiner, he would have gone off the top, but instead, Mr. Martin gives a good reading of Rigby. Rachel Ward, as the typical woman of those films, is charming. Reni Santoni, Georege Gaynes and the rest of the supporting cast do wonders under Carl Reiner's orders.
The film brought back memories of those timeless masterpieces of the past and the stars that shone in them. We get to see Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, Ingrid Bergman, Vincent Price, Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Barbara Stanwyck, Fred McMurray, Edward G. Robinson, and the others at the height of their fame playing against the present cast and making the viewer happy watching all the antics which Mr. Reiner and his team have created for our amusement.
This is a funny look at the old movies!
Mostly fun, but loses its way a bit
CuriosityKilledShawn13 April 2005
DMDWP is a black and white film noir comedy that uses footage from real film noirs from the 40s and 50s and inter cuts them with the plot to make it appears that Steve Martin is really talking to/acting with the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, James Cagney etc. The effect is almost seamless but for a movie made in 1982 it's quite impressive.
Martin plays the wonderfully named Rigby Reardon, a typical, gritty private eye who narrates the story with sarcastic observation and gets involved in the usual femme fatal plot and a conspiracy surround the death of a cheese maker. Yes, it's nonsense, and towards the end it becomes a bit hard to follow and the silliness gets out of control. But it's all played straight and for most of the film you could believe you were actually watching a classic film noir.
Steve Martin should have done more of these movies. Rigby Reardon was a great character and could have lasted for a few more movies. The humor is frequently hilarious and he certainly retains a lot of the integrity he has lost in recent years since he went the way of Eddie Murphy and sold himself out to family audiences. Either way, I say you should give this movie a go if you're a fan of his older work.
The DVD is sadly in non-anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen with Dolby 2.0 surround. It still looks quite good for a black and white film and the sound has that limited sound space effect to it to make it fit in with the older footage. A Dolby 5.1 remix would have been totally unnecessary. Some boring extras (trailer, cast bios) are included.
Martin plays the wonderfully named Rigby Reardon, a typical, gritty private eye who narrates the story with sarcastic observation and gets involved in the usual femme fatal plot and a conspiracy surround the death of a cheese maker. Yes, it's nonsense, and towards the end it becomes a bit hard to follow and the silliness gets out of control. But it's all played straight and for most of the film you could believe you were actually watching a classic film noir.
Steve Martin should have done more of these movies. Rigby Reardon was a great character and could have lasted for a few more movies. The humor is frequently hilarious and he certainly retains a lot of the integrity he has lost in recent years since he went the way of Eddie Murphy and sold himself out to family audiences. Either way, I say you should give this movie a go if you're a fan of his older work.
The DVD is sadly in non-anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen with Dolby 2.0 surround. It still looks quite good for a black and white film and the sound has that limited sound space effect to it to make it fit in with the older footage. A Dolby 5.1 remix would have been totally unnecessary. Some boring extras (trailer, cast bios) are included.
A serious laugh at the moody films of the 40's.
michaelRokeefe29 May 2000
I had to watch this a second time to appreciate it. The story is not the most impressive; but the concept is. Steve Martin plays a detective in a parody of classic film noir. The movie features actual scenes cut from several films and blended with precision. These skillful splices feature some of the great names from old time Hollywood. Names like Cagney, Douglas, Davis, Crawford and Bergman.
Martin really shows his talent and ability to make a scene imitate reality. His comedic wit is sharp as a switchblade. His co-star is Rachel Ward, who can vamp or play coy with the best of them. Along with directing, Carl Reiner has a cameo part.
Swift directing, with superb lighting and shading made this black and white crime comedy shine.
Martin really shows his talent and ability to make a scene imitate reality. His comedic wit is sharp as a switchblade. His co-star is Rachel Ward, who can vamp or play coy with the best of them. Along with directing, Carl Reiner has a cameo part.
Swift directing, with superb lighting and shading made this black and white crime comedy shine.
So they don't
andy stew20 July 2001
An incredible achievement. My mind boggles at the amount of thought, time and effort that must have gone into this superb film. The plot is brilliantly and hilariously convoluted, with screen legends from the 1940s making appearances in amazingly edited scenes, and Steve Martin's trademark absurd humour is present almost all the way. Steve and Rachel Ward have remarkable chemistry, and each of their performances are highly impressive. If it weren't for the bundles of humour employed, one would almost think at times that this actually is a film noir from the 1940s, so legitimate and believable is the 'feel' or the atmosphere of the film.
I cannot believe that some people who commented on this film have said that the plot is merely an excuse to hang old movie clips onto, and not much use at all; and the person who claims that Steve Martin overacts in this movie mustn't realise that this is regarded as one of Steve's more restrained, deadpan comedic performances (the 'cleaning woman!' device turns out to be an important part of the plot and also seems to be a way of using the strangling scene that is taken from the Bette Davis movie - it is also a chance for Steve to get in a very tiny element of his 'wild and crazy guy' persona, which he substituted with a more suitable [for parody] 'straight' performance).
A rousing and side-splittingly funny success - they don't make 'em like this anymore!
I cannot believe that some people who commented on this film have said that the plot is merely an excuse to hang old movie clips onto, and not much use at all; and the person who claims that Steve Martin overacts in this movie mustn't realise that this is regarded as one of Steve's more restrained, deadpan comedic performances (the 'cleaning woman!' device turns out to be an important part of the plot and also seems to be a way of using the strangling scene that is taken from the Bette Davis movie - it is also a chance for Steve to get in a very tiny element of his 'wild and crazy guy' persona, which he substituted with a more suitable [for parody] 'straight' performance).
A rousing and side-splittingly funny success - they don't make 'em like this anymore!
Great Work From Martin and Reiner
gavin694227 June 2013
Film noir parody with a detective (Steve Martin) uncovering a sinister plot. Characters from real noirs appear as scenes from various films are intercut.
This film seems to be best enjoyed by those who love film noir. I do not necessarily think that is a prerequisite, but if you are familiar with the older actors and the films that are mixed in here, you will probably get a little more out of it. (And, heck, if you have not seen these, I strongly recommend you rectify that.)
I have a love-hate relationship with Steve Martin. Some of his stuff I think is genius and others I am left unfulfilled. Many people think "The Jerk" is among the greatest comedies of all time. I liked it, but have no desire to push it on others. This one I liked much more.
This film seems to be best enjoyed by those who love film noir. I do not necessarily think that is a prerequisite, but if you are familiar with the older actors and the films that are mixed in here, you will probably get a little more out of it. (And, heck, if you have not seen these, I strongly recommend you rectify that.)
I have a love-hate relationship with Steve Martin. Some of his stuff I think is genius and others I am left unfulfilled. Many people think "The Jerk" is among the greatest comedies of all time. I liked it, but have no desire to push it on others. This one I liked much more.
Along with "The Jerk," one of Steve Martin's top two finest films
garytheroux19 July 2005
I remember reading reviews in The New York Times and elsewhere in 1983 fawning over Woody Allen's brilliant and wholly original idea of inserting himself into old film footage in "Zelig." They'd not noted, of course, that everyone from Ernie Kovacs to John Zacherle had already done that "brilliant and wholly original idea" on television -- and, most notably, Steve Martin did it in a feature film, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid," one year prior to "Zelig." While "Zelig" has its moments, it is ultimately tedious, running about twice as long as it's one-note gag treatment can sustain. In sharp contrast is the far more clever, inspired, fully developed, insightful and witty DMDWP, which, as noted. came out one year earlier. As often happens with groundbreakers set somewhere outside the norm, DMDWP was not exactly a box office hit -- a key reason why no sequels were ever made. That's unfortunate, as Martin's character was one of his finest creations and could have sustained more installments in the series. (Steve was never better on film than he is here.) It's good that the people behind "Police Squad" did not give up on it after it failed to fit within the confines of standard TV concepts around the same time. Reborn as "The Naked Gun" series of feature films, the "Police Squad" concept turned into three of the greatest comedy motion pictures of all time. DMDWP deserved a lot better than it got in 1982 as well, and I'm glad to see that it has finally found respect and its audience through television exposure (much like a previous box office bomb, "It's A Wonderful Life"). The kind of creativity Martin, Carl Reiner and the rest of the DMDWP crew put into their project needs to be strongly encouraged -- as it represents excellent comic film-making, as opposed to the witless parade of routine crudities that Hollywood ordinarily churns out.
You probably need to appreciate early Steve Martin AND old Hollywood to get this
AlsExGal2 March 2019
Starring Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, and Carl Reiner. My first time watching this comedy/mystery; I liked it enough. I appreciate the decision to film it entirely in black and white; the reasoning for this primarily being because of the several "cameos" by such stars as Ava Gardner and Burt Lancaster. The writers really did their research. Bits of movies with some of Hollywood's most illustrious stars like Stanwyck, Cagney, Crawford, Lake, Lana Turner, Bette Davis, Bogart, Laughton, Price, Ladd, Bergman, Cary, Kirk Douglas, Gardner, and Lancaster were incorporated into the movie's plot.
It was interesting to see classic Hollywood actors "co-starring" with Steve Martin. I thought that was an original and ingenious idea. I thought it was funny how Veronica Lake's character was named "Monica Stillpond." I quickly figured out who they were talking about once they said her name.
Actually, most of the vintage-clip characters are more or less playing themselves-- When Martin calls up hysterical Barbara Stanwyck from Sorry, Wrong Number, he explodes "Listen, you phony fruitcake!", Ingrid Bergman from Notorious is "F. X. Huberman" and James Cagney in prison from White Heat is Cody Jarrett who won't talk to anyone but his mother (or Martin in disguise). And of course, the line where Charles Laughton from The Bribe asks "And do you know who I might be?", Martin replies, "...The Hunchback of Notre Dame?"
I remember when this movie came out in 1982, when B/W movies were still "the Late Show" trivialized on television before the VCR and Cable movie-rennaissance came along, and nobody got the jokes. That is why it flopped. Most knew that old movies in general were being featured, but only about 10% actually knew which movies, and--as it was Martin's first movie after "The Jerk"--most just focused on the comedy scenes where Steve pours coffee or shaves his tongue.
It was interesting to see classic Hollywood actors "co-starring" with Steve Martin. I thought that was an original and ingenious idea. I thought it was funny how Veronica Lake's character was named "Monica Stillpond." I quickly figured out who they were talking about once they said her name.
Actually, most of the vintage-clip characters are more or less playing themselves-- When Martin calls up hysterical Barbara Stanwyck from Sorry, Wrong Number, he explodes "Listen, you phony fruitcake!", Ingrid Bergman from Notorious is "F. X. Huberman" and James Cagney in prison from White Heat is Cody Jarrett who won't talk to anyone but his mother (or Martin in disguise). And of course, the line where Charles Laughton from The Bribe asks "And do you know who I might be?", Martin replies, "...The Hunchback of Notre Dame?"
I remember when this movie came out in 1982, when B/W movies were still "the Late Show" trivialized on television before the VCR and Cable movie-rennaissance came along, and nobody got the jokes. That is why it flopped. Most knew that old movies in general were being featured, but only about 10% actually knew which movies, and--as it was Martin's first movie after "The Jerk"--most just focused on the comedy scenes where Steve pours coffee or shaves his tongue.
Neo-classicism at its best
PeterKurten91117 June 2004
Dead Men.. maintains a delicate equilibrum between a re-enactment and an original script. On one hand, Carl Reiner offers a comedy which compilates several film noir classics (the strongest influence seems to come from the Maltese Falcon)and makes fun of their profound grim atmosphere, but without ever loosing its self-esteem. On the other hand, it combines at least a dozen scenes from those movies with stand-ins in order to establish a believable (physical) interaction between actors who differ 40 years in age.
Steve Martin would play the same kind of unwilling comedian in Plains, Trains & Automoblies. His voice-over definitely was an inspiration to Leslie Nielsen in the Naked Gun series. Along with Dragnet (1987), both owe, of course, a lot to the police serials from the 50's.
This movie is mostly suited for classic film buffs such as me
Steve Martin would play the same kind of unwilling comedian in Plains, Trains & Automoblies. His voice-over definitely was an inspiration to Leslie Nielsen in the Naked Gun series. Along with Dragnet (1987), both owe, of course, a lot to the police serials from the 50's.
This movie is mostly suited for classic film buffs such as me
Experiment that didn't work
aberlour3627 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
You have to give Carl Reiner and Steve Martin some credit: They tried to make a "film noir" that would be funny and incorporate film clips from famous movies as though they were part of the story. Despite their best effort, this doesn't come off. The film quality is never duplicated, the doubles in the Martin scenes are unconvincing, and the hopelessly complex story is obviously designed to include names used in the old movies. Worst of all, the movie just isn't funny. Oh, there are a few good lines, but most of the humor is junior high sexual banter about "feeling up" and grabbing breasts and the like. The Nazi villains are so tediously predictable and trite that the film's conclusion just comes apart of itself. Rachel Ward is gorgeous. Martin does a competent job. But this is not a good film, in large part because it is not amusing.
A quirky but funny movie
Crimpo216 December 2005
Its the sort of idea that inevitably gets tried out as soon as it becomes technically possible. Inter-cutting classic film noir with contemporary work to produce a comedy film. Usually such ideas come a serious cropper - as was proved (as others have stated) by Zelig. However, this film hits it right on the mark. The design and editing allow for seamless cutting between the old and the new footage. The script is good and has the right level of absurd humour to make the film work. I'm not a fan of Steve Martin but its impossible to imagine anyone else matching this performance. Rachel Ward is beautiful and sassy. Its a film of its time - just made in time to catch the costume and musical talent of the past before they departed from the scene but made before the sort of hi-tech morphing and cgi which would have ruined its feel.
If you haven't seen it then watch it - if you have seen it then watch it again. This definitely rewards repeated viewings. Its no Citizen Kane but it is darned good entertainment if you share my sense of humour...
If you haven't seen it then watch it - if you have seen it then watch it again. This definitely rewards repeated viewings. Its no Citizen Kane but it is darned good entertainment if you share my sense of humour...
It shifted all outta whack
Karl Self9 December 2008
Likable detective comedy with Steve Martin that is built around film noir clips. Steve Martin is great once again, Rachel Ward is a real dame and director Carl Reiner gives a memorable performance as evil Nazi mastermind von Kluck. The film starts off slow and gets better, but it's not as hilarious as I had hoped. While it's commendable how the authors managed to construct a plot around a fairly erratic selection of old movie clips, it also makes the story about as complex and confusing as "The Big Sleep". I also have to admit that I am simply not knowledgeable enough about film noir to appreciate most of the clips; although I consider myself a movie buff and regularly watch classic movies, out of the movies used by DMDWP I had only seen, well, "The Big Sleep".
So: still a good Steve Martin comedy.
So: still a good Steve Martin comedy.
Good Idea, Flawed Execution
utgard1410 March 2014
The premise to this is pretty simple: parody film noir movies by inserting old movie clips and have Steve Martin say things that turn serious lines from those movies into jokes. While we're at it, throw in sexy Rachel Ward. It sounds like it could have been a really great comedy. For a fan of film noir and older movies in general like myself, it has an added bonus of getting to revisit all of these great old films through clips. It's fun to see this clip or that and see if you can remember where it comes from. Unfortunately, however, the movie ultimately doesn't work. The reasons for this are twofold. First, the gimmick tires quickly. I think I was over it after about a half hour or so. Second, it's just not that funny. There are a few funny bits, like the cup of java gag that goes on forever. But mostly it's kind of juvenile. Often the movie seems to lose itself in its clips and forgets to turn those clips into something humorous. Martin and Ward are fine in their roles. Maybe Carl Reiner would have been better off trying to do a straight parody film with these two instead of using the clips, which ultimately proved to be a distraction.
Still Uproarious Film Noir Pastiche Thanks to Clever Editing
EUyeshima24 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Carl Reiner's 1982 pastiche on 1940's film noir has never received its due as a genuinely clever, often hilarious salute to a genre that is ripe for satirical treatment. Filmed in a rich black-and-white by Michael Chapman, the film unique intercuts footage from actual films of the period to make it seem like the then-current actors are interacting with the stars of those movies. Consequently, Steve Martin looks convincingly like he's talking to the likes of Humphrey Bogart in "The Big Sleep", James Cagney in "White Heat", Ingrid Bergman in "Notorious", Alan Ladd in "This Gun for Hire", Burt Lancaster in "The Killers", Kirk Douglas in "I Walk Alone", Fred MacMurray in "Double Indemnity", and several others. The result means there are some contrived plot turns and certainly variations in the graininess of the film stock (since 1982 was still well before the enhanced computer graphics we see today), but the film is still quite a kick after a quarter-century.
The basic plot is straightforward. Rigby Reardon is a classic, world-weary gumshoe in the Philip Marlowe mold, who is hired by the beautiful and mysterious Juliet Forrest to find out who killed her father, a renowned cheese scientist. The story gets complicated because a number of random characters are introduced through the creative editing of the classic film clips. Reardon meets up with some familiar faces, and just to watch their non-reaction to Reardon's antics is worthwhile in itself. Credit needs to go to the smart screenplay co-written by Reiner, Martin and George Gipe. Most of the scenes, originally intended as straight melodrama in their original context, have been turned into uproarious slapstick comedy routines (including Martin in drag as Barbara Stanwyck's blonde femme fatale from "Double Indemnity"), wicked double-entendres and shrewdly off-kilter dialogue scenes.
The film's climax lifts a long dramatic sequence from 1949's "The Bribe" in which Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton and Vincent Price actually appear to be playing more substantial roles in this movie. In what is probably my favorite of his early screen performances, Martin has a good time as Bogie wannabe Reardon, gratefully harnessing the manic energy he displayed in his previous collaboration with Reiner, "The Jerk". Just before she broke out big in "The Thorn Birds", the stunning Rachel Ward lends a hint of welcome sarcasm to the sexy, Bacall-like languor she provides as Juliet, tapping into a genuine comedy talent rarely used since. Reni Santoni has the only other role of significance as the grinning Captain Rodriguez, who gets entirely too preoccupied with Reardon's pajamas. Legendary costume designer Edith Head did her final work on this film, which is fitting since she did many of the costumes on the earlier films. The 1999 DVD unfortunately has no extras.
The basic plot is straightforward. Rigby Reardon is a classic, world-weary gumshoe in the Philip Marlowe mold, who is hired by the beautiful and mysterious Juliet Forrest to find out who killed her father, a renowned cheese scientist. The story gets complicated because a number of random characters are introduced through the creative editing of the classic film clips. Reardon meets up with some familiar faces, and just to watch their non-reaction to Reardon's antics is worthwhile in itself. Credit needs to go to the smart screenplay co-written by Reiner, Martin and George Gipe. Most of the scenes, originally intended as straight melodrama in their original context, have been turned into uproarious slapstick comedy routines (including Martin in drag as Barbara Stanwyck's blonde femme fatale from "Double Indemnity"), wicked double-entendres and shrewdly off-kilter dialogue scenes.
The film's climax lifts a long dramatic sequence from 1949's "The Bribe" in which Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton and Vincent Price actually appear to be playing more substantial roles in this movie. In what is probably my favorite of his early screen performances, Martin has a good time as Bogie wannabe Reardon, gratefully harnessing the manic energy he displayed in his previous collaboration with Reiner, "The Jerk". Just before she broke out big in "The Thorn Birds", the stunning Rachel Ward lends a hint of welcome sarcasm to the sexy, Bacall-like languor she provides as Juliet, tapping into a genuine comedy talent rarely used since. Reni Santoni has the only other role of significance as the grinning Captain Rodriguez, who gets entirely too preoccupied with Reardon's pajamas. Legendary costume designer Edith Head did her final work on this film, which is fitting since she did many of the costumes on the earlier films. The 1999 DVD unfortunately has no extras.
Steve Martin keeps one-joke movie fresh
SnoopyStyle12 July 2015
Business is slow at Rigby Reardon (Steve Martin)'s private eye agency. Juliet Forrest (Rachel Ward) wants him to investigate the accidental death of her cheese scientist father. She suspects a giant conspiracy. He gets shot and his clue is stolen. Juliet sucks out the bullet. Rigby goes berserk at the mention of cleaning woman.
The addition of old film strips is lots of fun. The conflicting sense from the old clips and Steve Martin is a goldmine. It's mostly an one joke movie but Steve Martin keeps it fresh. It also helps to have a love for these old movies. The story does a feeling of randomness. The disconnected old clips serve mostly to have some fun with. In between, Martin deadpans some great gags.
The addition of old film strips is lots of fun. The conflicting sense from the old clips and Steve Martin is a goldmine. It's mostly an one joke movie but Steve Martin keeps it fresh. It also helps to have a love for these old movies. The story does a feeling of randomness. The disconnected old clips serve mostly to have some fun with. In between, Martin deadpans some great gags.
Clever and affectionate homage to film noir
TheLittleSongbird24 January 2010
I was really interested in seeing this movie, because I like film noir and I like Steve Martin. And you know what, this is a very clever and affectionate homage. My complaints are that the story is disappointingly convoluted so it is sometimes very hard to keep up with what is going on and one or two of the jokes don't quite work. But overall it is very funny, and seems to have held up well over the years. The script is clever and sophisticated enough, and Carl Reiner directs with precision and acts his part of Field Marshall VonKluck very well. The cinematography is smooth and crisp, and I thought the performances were excellent. Steve Martin is great here, not only do I think Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is underrated but this is one of his roles where Martin deserves a lot more credit. Rachel Ward looks lovely as Juliet Forrest and is terrific acting wise. The real joy is watching the archive footage of all those wonderful actors and actresses in those timeless masterpieces. Spotting stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Bette Davis, Ray Milland, Vincent Price and Ingrid Bergman all but to name a few was a delight in itself. Also the finale while silly is great fun. All in all, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is well worth the look. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
jboothmillard10 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I had heard quite a bit about this comedy film noir, I wasn't expecting it to be the funniest film ever, I was just looking to seeing how many classic stars would be sliced into the film. Basically private eye detective Rigby Reardon (Steve Martin), who has a dangerous phobia of cleaning women, is hired by Juliet Forrest (Rachel Ward) who believes the death of her cheese scientist father, with a secret recipe, was no accident. So begins his investigation, finding a list of "The Friends and Enemies of Carlotta", and he is now trying to find this Carlotta. In his search he encounters assorted low-lifes, and a few people on the good side, all of which are famous actors in some of their most famous roles of 30's and 40's films. Of course during his investigation he is slowly falling for Juliet, and in the end he finds out the villain is Field Marshall VonKluck (Carl Reiner), who wanted the cheese recipe for himself. To be honest, the story isn't the most important thing about this film, it is all the classic film clips placed in with the great array of classic stars. Stars placed in the film include Ingrid Bergman (Notorious), Humphrey Bogart (The Big Sleep, In a Lonely Place and Dark Passage), James Cagney (White Heat), Joan Crawford (Humoresque), Bette Davis (Deception), Kirk Douglas (I Walk Alone), Ava Gardner (The Killers and The Bribe), Cary Grant (Suspicion), Veronica Lake (The Glass Key), Fred MacMurray (Double Indemnity), Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend), Burt Lancaster (The Killers), Charles Laughton (The Bribe), Vincent Price (The Bribe), Barbara Stanwyck (Sorry, Wrong Number) and Lana Turner (Johnny Eager and The Postman Always Rings Twice). There is some funny dialogue and tiny moments of slapstick, even if you haven't seen the films placed in, this spoof is still one for the film buffs. Very good!
Carl Reiner's Masterpiece
Sparquelito11 February 2006
Simply brilliant. This gem of a movie slipped under the radar screen of the movie goer's consciousness when it was first released, but it will live on forever in the DVD collections of those who truly cherish good film-making. (And good parody. And good detective films. Film tributes, comedy, well, you get the picture I think.) As much an homage to the classic suspense/detective films as was Blade Runner, Chinatown, and Mullholland Falls. I have found myself, over the years, stealing lines from this movie at cocktail parties, and generally all I get is blank stares. But every now and then I will meet a kindred spirit, and their eyes will light up, and they'll join right it!
"You don't smoke, do you?" "No, I have tuberculosis." "Oh, thank heaven for that." Ha ha ha ha ha HAA!!
Two thumbs way up!!
"You don't smoke, do you?" "No, I have tuberculosis." "Oh, thank heaven for that." Ha ha ha ha ha HAA!!
Two thumbs way up!!
Movie Biggies Don't Really Die
dougdoepke21 June 2020
The b&w flick's a "can't miss" for fans of 40's noir and crime. It's like a big re-union for the gritty stars of that memorable time, from Bogart to Stanwyck to Ladd, the list goes on. (Be sure to check either the epilogue or IMDB for a full list, as they make their appearances in unpredictable fashion). Martin's quite humorous as the story-connecting detective trying to solve the narrative's bloated mystery, along with the delectable Ward as his suspicious foil. But who really cares about the main story since it's just a long thread to let the classic celebrities tie into. Inserting those many old film excerpts into the new scenes with Martin must have been an editor's and set designers' field day or nightmare. Still and all, they do blend well. Anyhow, it's a heckuva chance to see those greats of old together in one flick, even if only briefly. So here's my big salute to the great, underrated Fred MacMurray. Now if his Walter Neff can just resist Stanwyck's rolling up her hosiery, he might re-earn bossman Keyes' respect. Good luck, Mr. Double Indemnity.
A Word Of Advice - Never Fall In Love With Your Client
strong-122-47888524 September 2011
Favorite Movie Quote - "I'm re-adjusting your breasts. When you fainted they shifted out of whack. And, so, I was just re-aligning them for you."
I'd easily say that this picture has got to be one of the best and most entertaining parodies of the 1940s Film Noir/Detective genre that I've ever seen.
This film really delivers some great laughs.
Filmed in glossy black and white, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid ingeniously weaves its plot and production design around numerous movies clips from such golden-oldie classics as This Gun For Hire, Double Indemnity, Notorious, The Big Sleep - To name but a few.
Steve Martin plays Rigby Reardon, a $10-a-day gumshoe (working in Los Angeles) who is hired to solve a truly incomprehensible mystery that involves the apparent death of brilliant scientist, Dr. Forest.
Reardon immediately smells a rat as he sets out to follow a complex maze of clues that eventually lead him to the "Carlotta Lists" of friends and enemies.
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid was directed by Carl Reiner and stars the gorgeous screen-siren, Rachel Ward. (Whatever became of the husky-voiced beauty, anyways?)
I'd easily say that this picture has got to be one of the best and most entertaining parodies of the 1940s Film Noir/Detective genre that I've ever seen.
This film really delivers some great laughs.
Filmed in glossy black and white, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid ingeniously weaves its plot and production design around numerous movies clips from such golden-oldie classics as This Gun For Hire, Double Indemnity, Notorious, The Big Sleep - To name but a few.
Steve Martin plays Rigby Reardon, a $10-a-day gumshoe (working in Los Angeles) who is hired to solve a truly incomprehensible mystery that involves the apparent death of brilliant scientist, Dr. Forest.
Reardon immediately smells a rat as he sets out to follow a complex maze of clues that eventually lead him to the "Carlotta Lists" of friends and enemies.
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid was directed by Carl Reiner and stars the gorgeous screen-siren, Rachel Ward. (Whatever became of the husky-voiced beauty, anyways?)
Gimmicky homage to film noir
Turfseer11 September 2008
I'm wondering what was the point in actually making this movie. I'm sure it was a lot of fun for the filmmakers to blend Steve Martin into classic film noirs especially in terms of matching the sets, the stand-ins and the musical score. But such cleverness doesn't extend to the actual script which didn't have much of a story. Many of the scenes seemed completely extraneous to the plot, designed merely to show off the great actors of yesteryear. At best, Steve Martin's goofy humor is only mildly amusing at times. The best jokes are trotted out more than once (e.g. Rigby's 'cleaning woman' tantrum and Rachel Ward sucking out the bullet from Rigby's arm). But for the most part DMWNP is not funny at all. The main problem is that no real dramatic interplay develops in this story. Because the story is basically a gimmick, Steve Martin merely interacts with a bunch of film clips and is not pitted against any significantly developed antagonists. The "B" Story, the love story between Steven Martin and Rachel Ward is simply a collection of juvenile sexual innuendos (for example, when Martin grabs Ward's breasts in the opening scene). If you take away all of Steve Martin's silly asides, you're pretty much left with a standard by-the-numbers film noir, thoroughly mediocre and uninspired.
Smart, in more ways than several
neil-4764 May 2011
Warning: Spoilers
To explain, should it be necessary, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is a black and white crime thriller set in the 40s, starring Steve Martin and a host of the top noir actors and actresses of the 40s, created by taking assorted scenes from those classic movies of the past and hanging them on a framework of a newly written story centred on Martin's character.
The idea is smart. The screenplay is smart in the way that it cleverly integrates the old and the new. The film is technically smart in the way it seamlessly joins footage shot in the 1980s with footage from various films shot 40 years earlier. And the performances are particularly smart in the way that they play to the knowing humour underlying the whole project which remaining true to the spirit of the originals.
Oh, did I mention that it's very funny?
The idea is smart. The screenplay is smart in the way that it cleverly integrates the old and the new. The film is technically smart in the way it seamlessly joins footage shot in the 1980s with footage from various films shot 40 years earlier. And the performances are particularly smart in the way that they play to the knowing humour underlying the whole project which remaining true to the spirit of the originals.
Oh, did I mention that it's very funny?
I never really cared for the film noir type movie, but when you mix them all together it works rather well.
Aaron137522 December 2009
This movie while not perfect is just another one of Steve Martin's good comedies of the 1980's where he was on fire in my opinion. He had so many comedies that I enjoyed that it is rather surprising. This is mainly considering the fact that the comedy movie is something now I virtually never go to the movies to see unless it is like a comedy/something other than comedy movie like Zombieland. This film also is one of the reasons I had issues with the movie "Forrest Gump" winning an Oscar for special effects. Look at this film and a later comedy "Kung Pow" and the things they made such a big deal of the fact they placed Tom Hanks with dead people is just not that big a deal. They did it here quite well, granted a lot of the time the person had their back to Steve, I still rather thought it was well done. The comedy is good, mainly consisting of Steve Martin's various looks and responses to the sometimes long dead actor's scenes from previous movies. Though the funniest part was the scene involving the dog poop which I will admit was rather childish compared to the rest of the comedy in this film, but it still got me laughing the hardest.
Steve Martin as Robert Taylor
judithh-115 March 2014
No one has noted that Steve Martin is parodying the character of Rigby in "The Bribe." A number of scenes are taken directly from the earlier film such as Reardon being slipped a mickey. The final scenes are actual footage from the bribe with Martin instead of Robert Taylor. Martin, however, is a poor substitute for Taylor.
Some of the old film footage is also from "The Bribe," scenes including Ava Gardner and Charles Laughton. Martin is also standing in for Taylor in the scenes from "Johnny Eager." Rachel Ward's hair also seems to me to be an eighties take on Ava Gardner in "The Bribe." The strangling scene derives from another Taylor movie, "High Wall."
The film isn't to my taste but it is well done. The editing in of stars of the past is seamless. Just give Robert Taylor a thought when you're watching it.
Some of the old film footage is also from "The Bribe," scenes including Ava Gardner and Charles Laughton. Martin is also standing in for Taylor in the scenes from "Johnny Eager." Rachel Ward's hair also seems to me to be an eighties take on Ava Gardner in "The Bribe." The strangling scene derives from another Taylor movie, "High Wall."
The film isn't to my taste but it is well done. The editing in of stars of the past is seamless. Just give Robert Taylor a thought when you're watching it.
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