Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Carl Reiner

Writers:

Carl Reiner (written by) &
George Gipe (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 May 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Parody | Murder | Stock Footage | Henchman | Voice Over

Cast

Steve Martin	...	Rigby Reardon
Rachel Ward	...	Juliet Forrest
Alan Ladd	...	(in "This Gun For Hire") (archive footage)
Carl Reiner	...	Field Marshall VonKluck
Barbara Stanwyck	...	(in "Sorry - Wrong Number") (archive footage)
Ray Milland	...	(in "The Lost Weekend") (archive footage)
Ava Gardner	...	(in "The Killers" / "The Bribe") (archive footage)
Burt Lancaster	...	(in "The Killers") (archive footage)
Humphrey Bogart	...	(in "The Big Sleep" / "In a Lonely Place" / "Dark Passage") (archive footage)
Cary Grant	...	(in "Suspicion") (archive footage)
Ingrid Bergman	...	(in "Notorious") (archive footage)
Veronica Lake	...	(in "The Glass Key") (archive footage)
Bette Davis	...	(in "Deception") (archive footage)
Lana Turner	...	(in "Johnny Eager" / "The Postman Always Rings Twice") (archive footage)
Edward Arnold	...	(in "Johnny Eager") (archive footage)
Kirk Douglas	...	(in "I Walk Alone") (archive footage)
Fred MacMurray	...	(in "Double Indemnity") (archive footage)
James Cagney	...	(in "White Heat") (archive footage)
Joan Crawford	...	(in "Humoresque") (archive footage)
Reni Santoni	...	Carlos Rodriguez
Charles Laughton	...	(in "The Bribe") (archive footage)
Vincent Price	...	(in "The Bribe") (archive footage)
George Gaynes	...	Dr. Forrest
Francis X. McCarthy	...	Waiter (as Frank McCarthy)
Adrian Ricard	...	Mildred
Charlie Picerni	...	Hood (as Charles Picerni)
Gene LeBell	...	Hood (as Gene Labell)
George Sawaya	...	Hood
Britt Nilsson	...	Puppy Secretary
Jean Beaudine	...	Duty Secretary
John Easton Stuart	...	German Henchman (as John 'Easton' Stuart)
Ronald Spivey	...	German Henchman
Bob Hevelone	...	German Henchman
Dieter Curt	...	German Henchman
Phillip Kearns	...	German Henchman (as Phil Kearns)
Kent Deigaard	...	German Henchman
Eugene Brezany	...	German Henchman
Brad Baird	...	German Henchman
William Conrad	...	(in "The Killers") (archive footage)
Charles McGraw	...	in The Killers (archive footage)
Jeff Corey	...	(in "The Killers") (archive footage)
John Miljan	...	(in "The Killers") (archive footage)
Brian Donlevy	...	(in "The Glass Key") (archive footage)
Norma Varden	...	(in "The Glass Key") (archive footage)
Edmond O'Brien	...	(in "White Heat") (archive footage)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wally Brown	...	(archive footage) (uncredited)
Cheryl Smith	...	Veronica Lake (uncredited)

Directed by
Carl Reiner

Writing credits
Carl Reiner		(written by) &
George Gipe		(written by) &
Steve Martin		(written by)

Produced by
William E. McEuen	....	producer
Richard McWhorter	....	associate producer (as Richard F. McWhorter)
David V. Picker	....	producer

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa		(music by) (as Miklos Rozsa)

Cinematography by
Michael Chapman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bud Molin

Casting by
Penny Perry

Production Design by
John DeCuir

Set Decoration by
Richard C. Goddard		(as Richard Goddard)

Makeup Department
Kathryn Blondell	....	hair stylist (as Kathy Blondell)
E. Thomas Case	....	makeup artist (as Tom Case)
Ric Sagliani	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Richard McWhorter	....	unit production manager (as Richard F. McWhorter)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Newt Arnold	....	first assistant director (as Newton Arnold)
Mitchell Bock	....	second assistant director

Art Department
William Belt	....	assistant property master (as Bill Belt)
Christopher Gilman	....	props
Sam Moore	....	property master
Donald L. Nobles	....	construction coordinator (as Don Nobles)
Paul Small	....	assistant property master
Sig Tingloff	....	set designer
Jack Torpin	....	construction foreman
Robert Wittenberg	....	paint foreman (as Bob Wittenberg)

Sound Department
Bud Alper	....	sound mixer
Gene Ashbrook	....	boom operator
Brydon Baker III	....	cable person (as Beau Baker)
James J. Klinger	....	supervising sound editor
Jas. Klinger	....	assistant sound editor
Skip MacDonald	....	assistant sound editor (as Skip Macdonald)
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Glen Robinson	....	special effects
Wayne Beauchamp	....	special effects (uncredited)
Bruno Van Zeebroeck	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bill Hansard	....	process coordinator
James F. Liles	....	plates (as Jim Liles)
Thomas Baker	....	main title graphics (uncredited)

Stunts
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator (as Ernie Orsatti)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric D. Andersen	....	camera operator (as Eric Anderson)
George Dunagan	....	best boy
Michael Genne	....	first assistant camera
Dan Greer	....	second assistant camera
Cary Griffith	....	key grip (as Carey Griffith)
John McCoy	....	vtr operator
Don Stott	....	gaffer
Stephen Vaughan	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ron Archer	....	costumer: men
Michele Dittrick	....	costumer: women
Edith Head	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter (as Donah J. Bassett)
John Haggar	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Else Blangsted	....	music editor
Lee Holdridge	....	conductor: orchestra

Transportation Department
Craig Pinkard	....	transportation coordinator
'Bud' Williams	....	driver captain (as Bud Williams)

Other crew
Amy Alexander	....	researcher
Jo Compton	....	production coordinator
Dan Curry	....	titles
Betty Glickman	....	assistant: Mr. Picker (as Betty Glickman Serafin)
Cathy Jung	....	assistant: Mr. Martin
Timothy McWhorter	....	production assistant
Judy Nagi	....	assistant: Mr. Reiner (as Judi Nagy)
Ramon Pahoyo	....	craft service
Lucas Reiner	....	film trainee
Mark Steen	....	production assistant
Bernice Sutton	....	first aid
Bridget Terry	....	publicist
Marvin Weldon	....	script supervisor
Bernard A. Widin	....	production accountant (as Bernie Widin)
Devron Conrad	....	stand-in: Steve Martin (uncredited)
Michael Neale	....	location manager (uncredited)

Thanks
Edith Head	....	this motion picture is affectionately dedicated to
Jim Henry	....	the producers wish to thank
Jill Jaress	....	the producers wish to thank
Matthew Laurance	....	the producers wish to thank

Production Companies

• Aspen Film Society
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Coline (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• LMD (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• Océanic Films (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1985) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (2002) (Spain) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1982) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Universal Home Video (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)

Other Companies

• B.D. Fox & Friends  titles
• Laird International Studios  filmed at (as Kings Point Corporation Laird International Studios)
• Modern Film Effects  titles
• Pfizer  Barbasol commercial used with permission of the owner
• Technicolor  prints by (as Technicolor®)

Also Known As:

Dead Men Wear No Plaid

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Brazil:Livre | USA:PG (#26624) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:12 | Spain:7 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Aspen Film Society

Trivia:

Also the last film of legendary composer Miklós Rózsa. This was ironic since he was also asked to rescore music for original images that he had worked on in the 1940s and '50s.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: 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:

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!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Watching the Detectives (2007)

Soundtrack:

Dead Men's Bolero

Steve Martin's Affectionate Parody of 1940's Thrillers

Rigby Reardon, private eye, runs the gauntlet of hoods, femmes fatales and crazed Nazis as he investigates the death of beautiful Juliet Forrest's father. Who are the mysterious "Friends of Carlotta"? And why does Rigby keep dressing in women's clothes? And where did Juliet learn to do that trick with her lips? This celebration of the black and white movies of the 1940's and 50's is a very clever and very amusing film. Extracts from celluloid classics are skilfully spliced into the action (check out the architectural detail on the doorframe in the Alan Ladd sequence). The film is a vehicle for Martin's comic talent and he carries it off beautifully. Rachel Ward as Juliet is terrific: she can hold her own with the screen goddesses who so liberally populate the film (Bergman, Davis, Turner and Crawford all make inserted appearances). A project like this could easily have come a cropper, but thanks to the brisk direction of Carl Reiner (who has a great cameo) and Steve Martin's ability to dominate the screen, the movie is a resounding success. It's also very funny.