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In one of his most unique films, Steve Martin gets to act alongside some of cinema’s biggest legends thanks to the use of archival footage. Part thriller, part crime noir spoof, part loving homage, and all comedy, “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” was helmed by Carl Reiner off the back of their work together on Martin’s first big hit, “The Jerk.” Released in 1982, its strange title comes from a line spoken by Martin in a scene that was eventually left out of the movie.
Filmed entirely in black and white, the story is a classic noir mystery, with Martin in the role of private eye Rigby Reardon as he investigates the questionable death of a prominent cheesemaker. Convinced that it was no accident, Reardon begins interviewing suspects, which finds the actor inserted into shots taken from a dozen or more classic crime films starring the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Ingmar Bergman, Ava Gardner, Kirk Douglas, Joan Crawford, and many more.
As a gimmick, the use of classic film clips works, but it’s hard to tell just how good or bad the movie is on its own merits because as a viewer you’re stunned from one scene to the next, never knowing what Hollywood icon will turn up. It got good reviews and earned a place in the pantheon of lesser-known Steve Martin movies, but it definitely deserves better that its box office reception.
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