Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

Lawrence and Freddie are con-men; big-time and small time respectively. They unsuccessfully attempt to work together only to find that this town (on the French Mediterranean coast) aint big... See full summary »

Director:

Frank Oz

Writers:

Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro,

Stars:

Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Martin	...	Freddy Benson
Michael Caine	...	Lawrence Jamieson
Glenne Headly	...	Janet Colgate
Anton Rodgers	...	Inspector Andre
Barbara Harris	...	Fanny Eubanks
Ian McDiarmid	...	Arthur
Dana Ivey	...	Mrs. Reed
Meagen Fay	...	Lady from Oklahoma
Frances Conroy	...	Lady from Palm Beach
Nicole Calfan	...	Lady in Dining Car
Aïna Walle	...	Miss Krista Knudsen
Cheryl Pay	...	Lady with Pearls
Nathalie Auffret	...	Marion
Lolly Susi	...	Lady in Rolls Royce
Rupert Holliday-Evans	...	English Sailor #1 (as Rupert Holliday Evans)

Storyline

Lawrence and Freddie are con-men; big-time and small time respectively. They unsuccessfully attempt to work together only to find that this town (on the French Mediterranean coast) aint big enough for the two of them. They agree to a "loser leaves" bet. The bet brings out the best/worse in the two. Interesting twist at the end.

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Plot Keywords:

bet | 1980s | remake | big con | paralysis | 

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Taglines:

Nice guys finish last. Meet the winners.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 December 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dos pícaros sinvergüenzas

Filming Locations:

Alpes-Maritimes, France

Box Office

Gross:

$42,039,085 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 104 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Frank Oz and cast member Ian McDiarmid had previously both been in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, though their characters had no scenes together. They subsequently worked together in all three Star Wars prequels, during which McDiarmid was digitally inserted into Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, in which Oz already appeared.

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Goofs

When Freddy and Janet are on the beach about to kiss after Freddy "falls" down the steps, there is no blue blanket. When they are interrupted by Mr. Jamison, they are lying on a blanket.

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Quotes

Lawrence Jamieson: You've been banging on your pots again, haven't you? I've told you... if you keep on doing it, you won't have any pots left

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Crazy Credits

While the names of Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning appear in the credits as two of this film's three writers, they are actually there just to credit their script for Bedtime Story, of which this is a remake.

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Connections

Referenced in Hewy's Animated Movie Reviews: Cars 2 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Pick Yourself Up"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields

User Reviews

Hilarious!

Everything clicks in this laugh-out-loud gem. Steve Martin and Michael Caine are in top form as Freddy Benson and Lawrence Jamieson, two con men who agree that this town (on the French Mediterranean coast) ain't big enough for the both of them. To solve the problem, they agree upon a solution - the first man to swindle $50,000 from a naive young woman gets to stay. The competition brings out the very best of their very worst, with Martin posing as a paraplegic and Caine as a psychiatrist eager to help convince him it's all in his head. Glenne Headly, as the target of the cons, deserves special mention for her brilliant performance.

One of the strongest assets of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is that the story is interesting enough, with its various twists and turns, that it would work great even without being funny. The laughs - and there are many of them - are a sort of gut-hurting bonus. The scene in which Caine tests the nerves in Martin's legs must rank as one of the most uproarious in film history. This one from director Frank Oz (certainly no slouch in the comedy department) is not to be missed.