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Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Steve Martin (Actor, Writer), Rachel Ward (Actor) Rated:

Format: DVD

1,797

IMDb6.8/10.0

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Genre	Comedy, Suspense
Format	Multiple Formats, Black & White, Color, Dolby, Letterboxed, NTSC
Contributor	Carl Reiner, George Gipe, Rachel Ward, Reni Santoni, Steve Martin, David V. Picker, William E. McEuen See more
Initial release date	1999-03-16
Language	English

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Product Description

As the private eyes of private eyes, Steve Martin is Rigby Reardon. He's tough, rough and ready to take on anything when Juliet Forrest (Rachel Ward) appears on the scene with a case: her father, a noted scientist, philanthropist and cheesemaker, had died mysteriously. Reardon immediately smells a rat and follows a complex maze of clues that lead him to the "Carlotta Lists." With a little help from his "friends", Alan Ladd, Barbara Stanwyck, Ray Milland, Burt Lancaster, Humphrey Bogart, Charles Laughton, etc., Reardon gets his man. An exciting, action-fun packed film the way '40s films used to be!

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This is one of the best parodies of the '40s hardboiled detective genre, with a very clever conceit: weaving the plot and production design around memorable movie clips (The Killers, The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, White Heat, This Gun for Hire, Sorry, Wrong Number, Notorious). Steve Martin plays the cool Rigby Reardon, who tries solving an incomprehensible mystery with the assistance of Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Burt Lancaster, Fred MacMurray, Ingrid Bergman, and Ray Milland, among others. It's all silly hokum with Rachel Ward as the pretty moll and director-cowriter Carl Reiner as the nefarious villain. Miklos Rozsa takes us back to yesteryear with his lush score, and, fittingly, Edith Head handles the period costumes in her final production. --Bill Desowitz

Product details

Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.38 x 0.6 inches; 2.68 ounces
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 025192052323
Director ‏ : ‎ Carl Reiner
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Black & White, Color, Dolby, Letterboxed, NTSC
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 29 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ March 16, 1999
Actors ‏ : ‎ Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Carl Reiner, Reni Santoni
Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish, French
Producers ‏ : ‎ William E. McEuen, David V. Picker
Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Unqualified (DTS ES 6.1)
Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0783232063
Writers ‏ : ‎ Carl Reiner, George Gipe, Steve Martin
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Best Sellers Rank: #23,994 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #2,757 in Comedy (Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews:
1,797

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4.6 out of 5

1,797 global ratings

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Bronto154

This is why I do wear plaid

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2024

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OK, I am running out of clever headings. I do not do film reviews, I just review the product. The movie arrived intact and undamaged. The is was secure in the standard disc case. Set-up was relatively easy but I had to do a little searching for the closed captioning. I found it. The visual was clear and there was no stuttering or freezing. The sound was clear and easy to understands even though I like to have on the CC. Overall this was a good buy and paying extra for blu-ray is unnecessary.

Helpful

E. A. Solinas

"CLEANING WOMAN!"

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2011

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Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Ingrid Bergman, Vincent Price, Barbara Stanwyck, Kirk Douglas, Ava Gardner, James Cagney, Lana Turner, Burt Lancaster and countless other classic stars.

Oh yeah, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" has the most impressive all-star cast of all time... and it almost doesn't matter that most of them were dead by the time it was made. They still steal the show in this hilariously twisty noir parody, which cleverly pastes in footage from classic movies to enhance the wacky detection of Steve Martin.

Private eye Rigby Reardon (Steve Martin) is approached by Juliet Forrest (Rachel Ward), the sexy daughter of a brilliant scientist/cheesemaker. She believes her father's recent death was not an accident, and she wants him to investigate -- and soon he discovers two lists that Forrest left behind, naming the friends and enemies of the mysterious "Carlotta."

So Rigby bumbles through a bizarre tangle of odd clues (jewelry soup, a dollar bill, a key, a cruise ship), sinister characters, and bizarre situations (he impersonates a woman TWICE) in his search for the truth. Can he uncover the truth about the "Friends of Carlotta" and find true love for Juliet, or will this be Rigby's final case?

"Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" is an amazing movie. The main story itself is pretty funny but not exceptional, but they somehow managed to cobble together all these classic movie clips into that story. Oh, there are a few clips that don't really work -- Joan Crawford's appearance -- but most of them are perfectly woven seamlessly into Martin's story.

Example: when Rigby finds himself on a train with Cary Grant, he decides to knock out Grant with a harmonica... and the look of disbelieving annoyance on Grant's face is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.

I don't usually enjoy Martin's movies, but this movie has the right balance of sly spoof and strait-faced comedy. There are some fun running gags ("CLEANING WOMAN!") and some fun lowbrow comedy (the puppy scene), but the most entertaining part of this is seeing Martin "interacting" with stars of yesteryear. It's just so funny when he does stuff like throttle Bette Davis or woofs at Ingrid Bergman.

"Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" isn't quite Mel Brooks material, but it takes its one overriding joke and milks it for all it's worth. Sly, smooth and very funny.

5 people found this helpful

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Chrysanthemum Hyphus

A Clever and Silly Movie

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2014

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I'm not much of a Steve Martin fan, but he pretty much nails it in this. The interaction with the great stars is cleverly done, and is as good as one can get in the pre-digital era. Great choices were made from the classic segments, phrases vague enough that they can be made to mean something completely different in a different context, but with enough substance that it doesn't seem forced. The ending is so absurd it's hilarious. It's kind of a one-joke movie, but the joke was good enough to keep me amused. Rachel Ward was a good choice--hot but with gravitas, which is a great contrast with Steve Martin's buffoonish but actually likable character. Occasionally the connecting scenes to the classic scenes were a little forced, but those moments passed quickly enough that I didn't remain irritated long enough to get annoyed. As someone who finds Steve Martin to be so over the top with the absurdity all the time that it's irritating, I was pleasantly surprised he was able to rein himself in enough to not consume every last bit of the air in the various scenes, which allowed for a more engaging, higher level of absurdity.

One person found this helpful

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Francis Booth Lynch

Creativity within limitations at its best!

Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2020

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1982 bonus movie 1 in my journey through films of my lifetime.

It's really hard to express just how impressed I am with "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid." In some ways it's a shining example of limitations fostering creativity. In other ways it uses the predetermined problem of forcing a shoehorned narrative to create comedy. What do I mean? In case you are not in the know Carl Reiner masterfully weaves footage from older films into his story. I only even knew one or two of the movies used and it was still a pleasure to watch.

I am really mixed on Steve Martin. It's nothing personal I just don't care for him. I don't find him all that funny, yet, I have to admit: he made me laugh, a lot. I wasn't in a laughing mood either. I also must confess that I find quite a few of his movies, if not funny, then at least good.

I wish Carl Reiner had done more cameos because his comedic timing was always on. He's very funny in this and that's his typical flair.

"Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" is always winking at the audience. It's very self aware and I'm not sure it could have been done another way. The narrator (Martin) is there to supply the hard boiled detective feel but it also supports the necessary exposition that is demanded by the novel use of footage from other films. The black and white is the top at least offer some consistency but it's deliberately paper thin and gives the feel of a comedy. What I mean is that you always know when you are seeing older clips and it never gets old. Originality pours out of every frame and every conceivable type of joke one could think of is used from slap stick to non sequiturs and everything in between. This is a must see!

6 people found this helpful

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As expected

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2023

As expected

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2023

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This movie is a must see. Terrific acting by Steve Martin and Rachel Ward. Many laughs and with wonderful edits to include classic actors and scenes. I saw it years ago, and I am glad I saw it again. Well worth the time. Negative review just don't get it!

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Tone Lokesta

Steve Martins best work

Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2023

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This movie blew me away, absolutely hilarious! I went into it blind and brother, now i can see!

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don north

Hilarious

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2023

Verified Purchase

But it does help I think if you are a fan of old B/W crime movie film noirs - since what Carl Reiner did was take cuts of old movies and made a comedy out of it. Lots of it in the stupid category but it works because of the star.

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D J Jackson: Passionate about Film.

STEVE MARTIN’S INGENIOUS & JOYOUS HOMAGE TO THE CLASSIC AGE OF NOIR.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2024

Verified Purchase

This is a review of the 1982 neo-noir mystery comedy, ‘Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid’. We watched it on the 2017 Region B2 Blu-ray from Fabulous Films Ltd, a part of Fremantle Media International. The film plays in 1.78:1, and 1080p HD, with DTS HD Master Audio 2.0. It looks and sounds very good. There are minimal extras.

My husband and I are massive fans of Noir and Neo-Noir, American and foreign language, and have an extensive collection. But for some reason, we’d never got around to watching this film, despite also being big Steve Martin aficionados. His films, including ‘The Jerk’(1979); ‘Trains, Planes and Automobiles’(1987); ‘Parenthood’(1989), are all gems that stand the test of time. His take on the French romantic classic ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’, ‘Roxanne’(1987), which he also wrote, is majestic, and sure proof that Martin can write and act as well as he can amuse. So this film combo, of Martin and a favourite genre, seemed ideal.

And it was, mostly. Martin again wrote the screenplay, along with George Gipe ~ who also worked with him on ‘The Man With Two Brains’(1983) ~ and Carl Reiner. Reiner also directed and acted in this film, co-wrote and directed ‘Brains’, and had worked with Martin, as director and actor, on ‘The Jerk’. Reiner had a background in stand-up and TV comedy, and over the years, won a huge number of awards, including 11 Emmys. In particular, he had written many episodes of the celebrated ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’, in the early 1960s.

In this 88 minute film, the trio create a classic 1940s-set Noir story, shot entirely in deliciously richly-contrasting B&W. This then allows them to slot in scenes from over a dozen genuine classic Noirs and 1940s crime films, as out-takes, using them as part of the plot of ‘Plaid’. They use the characters as though they were characters in their film ~ so for example, Humphrey Bogart turns up as Martin’s mentor, Philip Marlowe, using out-takes of him genuinely playing Marlowe in ‘The Big Sleep’(1946), but also acting in two other Noirs, ‘In a Lonely Place’(1950), and ‘Dark Passage’(1947). The result is a glorious mixture of cracking jokes, spoofs and plot advances, based on the words of these famous Noir actors, and the fun of trying to ‘spot the film’. We recognised a fair few! The script development and editing are absolute triumphs, as these inserts work so very well.

The film also looks really good, with beautifully authentic lighting, sets and direction. The effect is enhanced by the involvement of two great contributors to Noir in its heyday: composer Miklós Rózsa created the atmospheric score; Edith Head, the doyen of delicious 1940s and 1950s Hollywood costumes, came out of retirement to work on the film’s wardrobe.

Steve Martin plays a classic Noir gumshoe, playing it straight but with a script chock-a-block with jokes, innuendo and wicked humour. Rachel Ward plays his client and love interest, with a cut-glass English accent, and is a robust match for Martin’s fun. Carl Reiner adds a slightly over-the-top cameo late on. Overall, the performances are great, the screenplay very funny, and the plot rather exciting and good.

So why do I say ‘mostly’, above? If I have one very slight criticism (am I being uncharitable?), it is that the screenwriters couldn’t resist the inclusion of some slightly school-boy humour, alongside the excellent Noir parody and clever, witty, dialogue. It’s not prudery, it’s that it simply isn’t needed, the film is funny enough ~ just my view. Overall however, this is a wonderful homage to the great days of Noir: funny, entertaining and joyous. 5 ingenious Stars.

Carmen Abel

Zum Schreien!

Reviewed in Germany on February 10, 2023

Verified Purchase

Die USA, in den (fiktiven) Fünfzigern: Privatdetektiv Rigby Reardon wird von Juliet Forrest angeheuert, um den bislang als Unfall deklarierten, vermeintlichen Mord an ihrem Vater aufzuklären. Professor Forrest hatte mit mysteriösen Käsesorten herumexperimentiert, und so richtig kann sich niemand vorstellen, aus welchem Grund der Professor ermordet worden sein sollte. Einziger Hinweis zu Beginn: ein Schnipsel einer Dollarnote, auf dem sich zwei Namen befinden. Reardon folgt dem ersten Hinweis, findet weitere und befindet sich plötzlich mitten zwischen den Fronten der „Freunde Carlottas“ und der „Feinde Carlottas“, muss sich von Juliet immer wieder Pistolenkugeln aus der gleichen Wunde saugen lassen und kommt dem Geheimnis um Carlotta und dem Kreuzfahrtschiff „Immer essen“ immer näher..

„Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid“ ist mit „Der Mann mit den zwei Gehirnen“ und „Solo für 2“ eine von drei gemeinsamen Produktionen des Komikers Steve Martin mit Multitalent Carl Reiner. Carl Reiner war in seiner Karriere nicht nur als Regisseur tätig, sondern auch als Drehbuchautor und als Schauspieler (Reiner spielte den „Saul“ in den „Oceans“ und hier in „Tote tragen keine Karos“ Juliets „Butler“ mit deutschem Akzent).
Für mich persönlich bilden die genannten drei Filme Comedy-Highlights der Achtziger; vorausgesetzt natürlich man mag diese Art von Humor. Wo in „Solo für 2“ und „The Man with two Brains“ geradezu hemmungslos geblödelt wurde und das ganze in gewisser Hinsicht in Slapstick abdriftete (immer noch saukomisch, aber eben anders) gingen Martin und Reiner in „Tote tragen keine Karos“ andere Wege: der Film ist einerseits eine liebevolle Hommage und Verbeugung vor Hollywoods Noir-Phase und andererseits eine schreiend komische Komödie, in der die Filmemacher viele Weltstars dieser Epoche wieder auferstehen ließen. Hierfür schnitten sie alte Filmschnipsel mit diesen Stars in den Film hinein und durch diese geschickten Schnitte und denkwürdige Dialoge mit Steve Martin wurde quasi eine Interaktion erzeugt. Und so versuchen Alan Ladd und James Cagney, Rigby zu erschießen, Cary Grant wird mit der Mundharmonika betäubt, Kirk Douglas lässt Rigby verprügeln, Burt Lancaster wird in Rigbys Beisein erschossen und er legt Lana Turner flach.

Das Bild kann gar nicht Referenz sein. Sämtliche Filmschnipsel, mit denen die Schauspiellegenden von einst zum Leben erweckt wurden strotzen nur so vor Verunreinigungen, Korn, Materialdefekten und ähnlichem. Macht aber nix, trübt das Vergnügen kein bisschen. Die später entstandenen Szenen können weitestgehend durch Schärfe, Kontrast und Detailreichtum überzeugen. Alle Szene wurden wurden in schwarzweiß gedreht, und so ergibt sich trotz der unterschiedlichen Bildgüte ein irgendwie stimmiger Mix. Wer mit High Def-Erwartung an diese Scheibe herangeht, wird unweigerlich enttäuscht. Wegen des Bildes und des Tons lohnt sich ein Umstieg definitiv nicht.

Der deutsche und der englische Track liegen nur in Stereo vor. Da kann man Soundpolierer vorschalten wie man will: der Sound bleibt mehr oder minder an den Frontlautsprechern kleben. Aber auch das macht bei diesem Film wenig: wer die Blu-ray kauft, macht das aus Liebhaberei.

Extras habe ich nicht angesehen, werde ich aber noch; deshalb erst mal drei Balken. Die Scheibe hat ein Wendecover.

Mein persönliches Fazit: „What are you doing?“ „Adjusting your breasts. You fainted and they shifted out of whack.“ „Thank you.“ („Was tun Sie“ „Ihre Brüste ordnen. Sie wurden ohnmächtig, und sie sind verrutscht.“ „Danke!“). Was hab' ich wieder gelacht. Den Film habe ich bestimmt 20 x gesehen und kann mich immer noch dabei kringeln. Wer kann: unbedingt im Original ansehen. Ein Evergreen, der die Zeit überstanden hat und weiter überstehen wird. Wer ihn kennt, kann bei dem Preis bedenkenlos zugreifen. Wer ihn nicht kennt: erst mal leihen. Der Humor ist wohl nicht jedermanns Sache.

One person found this helpful

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Nick Chaggares

Sophisticated, Silly, Serious Detective Movie

Reviewed in Canada on January 5, 2021

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Great movie based on a great idea - love of film noire. Well done. One of Steve Martin's best.

One person found this helpful

Donna MAY

Great Movie

Reviewed in Australia on December 21, 2023

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Loved the movie. It was delivered when scheduled to be. It was in excellent condition as stated. The overall experience was good.

Kevin Johnson

Great homage to B&W movies of the 40’s - 60’s

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2024

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One of Steve Martins classics, wonderful fusion of old film clips with new storylines

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