Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

1982
PG
1h 28m

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

24K

YOUR RATING

Steve Martin in Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

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Parody Whodunnit Comedy Crime Mystery Thriller

Film noir parody with a detective uncovering a sinister plot. Characters from classic noir films appear as scenes from various movies interjected into the story.Film noir parody with a detective uncovering a sinister plot. Characters from classic noir films appear as scenes from various movies interjected into the story.Film noir parody with a detective uncovering a sinister plot. Characters from classic noir films appear as scenes from various movies interjected into the story.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

24K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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

Johnnie Aysgarth
(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)

Kirk Douglas

Thug Boss
(archive footage)

Fred MacMurray

Walter Neff
(archive footage)

James Cagney

Captain Cody Jarrett
(archive footage)

Director
- Carl Reiner
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Final film of legendary costume designer Edith Head. There is a tribute to her and the personnel who worked on films from the Golden Age of Hollywood in the closing credits. Head died on 24 October 1981, a short time after production on the movie had wrapped. Fittingly, the film features many of her earlier designs in cleverly edited clips from old movies. According to Carl Reiner, Head had possession of a hat that Ava Gardner had worn and was protective of the prop. She designed a total of 20 suits to be worn by Steve Martin, in the style of those worn by Cary Grant and James Stewart during their classic-era Hollywood pictures.

Goofs
When Rigby is talking on Juliet's phone to her sister Leona, the handset and coiled cord to the phone are from the 1960's-80's, and not the straight cloth-covered phone cords in use in the 1940's when the story is taking place.

Quotes
[In Rigby's office]
Juliet Forrest: If you need me, just call. You know how to dial, don't you? You just put your finger in the hole and make tiny little circles.

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.

Connections
Edited from Suspicion (1941)

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

User reviews134

Review

Featured review

6/10

A serious laugh at the moody films of the 40's.

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.