There can be vast differences within the realm of cheap humor. The later films of Steve Martin feel rather empty and formulaic for me. But I recall that in his early years he was much more original. I’ve also read a book of his and seen a play where he proved how clever he can be. The cheap shots he is shooting nowadays, in movies written by others, are so hollow and shallow compared to his original works.
“Dead men don’t wear plaid” reminded me why I liked him at the first place. On one hand he performs plenty of simple physical jokes. On the other hand the whole story and its execution is such a great parody of old school film noir detective dramas. It could be one of those films, but we kept being reminded of the scaffolding of their formulas. The script was written with attention to detail and a flood of deadpan humor. Here are some quotes to prove it.
Rigby Reardon: Juliet! Those dirty bastards! Beating up a woman. They even knocked your breasts out of whack.
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Rigby Reardon: What’s he paying you boys? I’ll double it and we’ll beat the shit out of HIM.
Jimmie Sue’s Father: Don’t go near my daughter again. Don’t try to see her. Don’t write her and don’t phone her.
Rigby Reardon: Can I use her underwear to make soup?
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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.
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Rigby Reardon: I guess to be a good exterminator, you have to enjoy killing things.
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Rigby Reardon: All of a sudden I had to remember some words that Marlowe had told me over fifteen years ago: Dead men don’t wear plaid. Hm. Dead men don’t wear plaid. I still don’t know what it means.
—
Cary Grant: You don’t smoke, do you?
Rigby Reardon: No, I have tuberculosis.
Cary Grant: Oh, thank heaven for that.
My plan was to collect what classic movies Martin used footage from, but fortunately at the end credits they are listed. This important tip of the hat shows what an homage it was to the genre, besides parodying it. I also saw in the credits that the music was written by Miklós Rózsa. I couldn’t believe that, because I knew that he started to write movie scores in the 1930′s and this film was made in 182. But I checked and it’s true this was the penultimate film he wrote music for.
At the same source I also read that this was the last film Edith Head designed costumes for. I never heard of her, but I rarely check the credits for the name of the costume designers. Apparently she was also an important figure in the 1940′s and 1950′s movies this film reworked. IMDB lists 422 movies she worked on, during her 52 year career. I don’t know whether that’s a record or not, but certainly impressive.
So was the movie.
IMDB‘s summary: 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.