Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

Film noir parody with a detective uncovering a sinister plot. Characters from real noirs appear as scenes from various films are intercut.

Director:

Carl Reiner

Writers:

Carl Reiner, George Gipe

Stars:

Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Alan Ladd

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)

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.

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Plot Keywords:

film noir spoof | revolver | prison | jail | conspiracy | 

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Taglines:

Laugh... or I'll blow your lips off!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Steve Martin didn't watch any old movies nor the types of classic film noir and detective films that this picture featured or referenced because Martin, according to the picture's production notes, "didn't want to act like Humphrey Bogart ... [he] didn't want to be influenced".

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Goofs

At one point Reardon references the Kinsey Report; the first volume was published in 1948, but the movie is set in 1946.

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Quotes

Captain Carlos Rodriguez: Are you wearing pajamas? Senor, I'll help you take them off.
Rigby Reardon: I don't need help with my pajamas!
Captain Carlos Rodriguez: Stop! Now.
Rigby Reardon: See? Carlos!
Captain Carlos Rodriguez: Don't worry about your pajamas, senor. I'll take care of them.
Captain Carlos Rodriguez: Out of the way! We're chasing a killer! Everybody, stand back! He's with me. Coming through!
Captain Carlos Rodriguez: [mumbling with pajamas in his mouth] Coming through. Coming through.
Captain Carlos Rodriguez: Senor. Cuidado, senor. Cuidado.
Rigby Reardon: Stand back! Cuidado.
Captain Carlos Rodriguez: Senor, your pajamas!
[...]

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Crazy Credits

There is a spelling mistake with the Composer. In the credits at the beginning he is spelled: Miklos Rosza. In the credits after the end he is spelled correct: Miklos Rozsa.

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Connections

Edited from Dark Passage (1947)

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Soundtracks

Dead Men's Bolero
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Lyrics by Steve Goodman

User Reviews

Film noir was never this funny!

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!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Filming Locations:

Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,289,601, 23 May 1982

Gross USA:

$18,196,170

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$18,196,170

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aspen Film Society, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1