Film noir parody with a detective uncovering a sinister plot. Characters from real noirs appear as scenes from various films are intercut.
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Title: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Steve Martin | ... | Rigby Reardon | |
| Rachel Ward | ... | Juliet Forrest | |
| Alan Ladd | ... | The Exterminator (archive footage) | |
| Carl Reiner | ... | Field Marshall VonKluck | |
| Barbara Stanwyck | ... | Leona Hastings-Forrest (archive footage) | |
| Ray Milland | ... | Sam Hastings (in 'Lost Weekend') (archive footage) | |
| Ava Gardner | ... | Kitty Collins (archive footage) | |
| Burt Lancaster | ... | Swede Anderson (archive footage) | |
| Humphrey Bogart | ... | Phillip Marlowe (archive footage) | |
| Cary Grant | ... | 'Handsome' (in 'Suspicion') (archive footage) | |
| Ingrid Bergman | ... | F.X. Huberman (archive footage) | |
| Veronica Lake | ... | Monica Stillpond (archive footage) | |
| Bette Davis | ... | Doris Davermont (archive footage) | |
| Lana Turner | ... | Jimmi-Sue Altfeld (archive footage) | |
| Edward Arnold | ... | Altfeld (archive footage) | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Juliet Forrest is convinced that the reported death of her father in a mountain car crash was no accident. Her father was a prominent cheese scientist working on a secret recipe. To prove it was murder, she enlists the services of private eye Rigby Reardon. He finds a slip of paper containing a list of people who are "The Friends and Enemies of Carlotta." Searching for answers, Rigby encounters assorted low-lifes: dangerous men and women who were the hallmarks of the classic detective movies of the 40's and 50's. Filming in black and white allows scenes from old movies to be cut into this film. It is through this process that Rigby's assistant is none other than Philip Marlowe himself. Written by Tony Fontana <tony.fontana@spacebbs.com>, Ed. by Peter Victor <thevictor99@yahoo.com>
Taglines:
Laugh... or I'll blow your lips off!Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
21 May 1982 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Dead Men Wear No Plaid See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$9,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$4,289,601, 23 May 1982, Wide ReleaseGross USA:
$18,197,170Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Rigby Reardon: Can I use her underwear to make soup?
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The movie marked the return to comedy for actor Steve Martin who had just appeared in his first ever straight dramatic non-comedy role in his previous picture Pennies from Heaven (1981). See more »Goofs
Field Marshal Von Kluck's (Carl Reiner) collar insignia are on the the wrong way. The right tab should should be on the left side and the left on the right. See more »Quotes
Jimmie Sue's Father: Don't go near my daughter again. Don't try to see her. Don't write her and don't phone her.Rigby Reardon: Can I use her underwear to make soup?
See more »
Crazy Credits
After the Cast there comes the dedication: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid was Edith Head's final film. To her, and to all the brilliant technical and creative people who worked on the films of the 1940's and 1950's, this motion picture is affectionately dedicated. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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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.