"Tekkonkinkreet", literally translated as reinforced concrete, is an hypnotic experience set upon the kaleidoscopic drop of some truly gorgeous drawings which tells the tale of two street urchins as they do battle with an array of colourful characters in order to defend their city from being taken over. Adapted from the three volume manga series by Taiyo Matsumoto, the film doesn't usually carry the infuriating hallmarks of a manga-to-anime switch over, which can often make the film an unenjoyable experience as the viewer struggles to come to terms with the story and characters and in the process miss the film. In this instance, any preconceptions are staved as "Tekkonkinkreet" absorbs the viewer all but instantly in a cacophony of animation, sound and, perhaps surprisingly, emotion.

Tekkonkinkreets original manga form is what is known as a "seinen" manga, which is a subset of the animated genre which targets males, usually, from between the ages of eighteen and thirty, and as a twenty-four year old male myself, I perhaps enjoyed it more than others outside my demographic bracket. Ostensibly, it is a boys film as the premise bases itself on gangster films as our two street urchin protagonists, the aptly named "Black" and "White" find themselves coming into contact with an ever escalating array of Yakuza as they try to take over the ridiculously sublime "Treasure Town". There is a great deal of violence within the film (which while in my eyes completely justifies the progression of the film is incredibly misleading when you look at the UK Film Certificate Branding of a mere 12) as the battles waged become more intense, more bloody and more important to the survival of our two heroes. Tekkonkinkreet also utilises a much more avant-garde style of animation which we are currently beginning to see more of in the western world as an increasing acceptance of things which are outside of the "norm" are filtering through, and it is certainly befitting of the style. Tekkonkinkreet successfully delivers on appeasing any and all who are looking for high quality hand drawn animation which surpasses the eternally vapid conveyor belt of repetitiveness that is Pixar, but it also delivers on being more than just a "fighting" film.

The intrinsic parts of Tekkonkinkreet prove in being the messages the director and original creator are wishing to convey to their audiences, of which there are two major points. Firstly, we have the ying and yang nature of Black and White, how their coexistence is precisely that, how they are mirror images of each other, how in essence they are two parts of the same hole and that you could be forgiven for thinking someone spliced a singular entity at birth to form two. "Black" is the streetwise member of the "Cats", as they are known within the city, as he has a savvy and cunning which has enabled he and white to be high on the Treasure Town food chain. As expected for being orphaned children, each have their issues, and with Black it is the impression that he is only one bad day away from total insanity and mental breakdown, while with "White" the issue is if he were to have a mental breakdown it wouldn't have much to break. White is stated as being eleven within the film yet quite clearly finds it difficult keeping a grasp on reality and his surroundings as his mental age is quite obviously, less than that. However, it is not merely how much White relies on Black for survival with the treacherous confines, but it is also how much Black relies on White, as the director twists the uses of Black and White and indeed Good and Evil as roles interchange in all quarters. Secondly, we have yet again another confrontation, another coming together of two forces yet this time it is more theory based. Treasure Town is a gloriously colourful island sitting sedately in the centre of a river yet its buildings and inhabitants for all their grandeur seem incredibly outdated. Treasure Town isn't exactly a time warp but you could be forgiven for thinking so, it is a place contented in its own time, but for the Yakuza this is not acceptable as they wish to bring Treasure Town forward into the 21st Century, to update the scenery, to turn it into a money making venture of epic proportions . This second theme resonates with a fear of old replacing new, yet the new not being perhaps as grand as everyone believes it to be, it is a fear of traditions being eradicated by a machine which has no need for sentiment, and this feeling, from both points of view, is embedded within characters on all sides of the battle.

Tekkonkinkreet is a highly charged emotional film, which looks at characters interactions and dependence on each other the yings and yangs within the city itself, the coming together of old and new and more evidently, people's desire for power. The phrase "my city" is uttered on numerous occasions as individuals all attempt to lay claim to the treasured turf, yet none truly understanding what the phrase means or why they are saying it. Tekkonkinkreet is a highly successful anime, which blends together elements of crime, violence, humour and fantasy creating a cerebral journey for the senses as director Michael Arias superbly transcribes this moralistic tale with an energetic style of directing which perhaps possesses some of the best and "coolest" "reveal" shots in recent times. Tekkkonkinkreet is an absorbing adventure which transcends genres and blurs styles in a hot pot of beautiful angst and proves itself to be worth a watch for any who allows themselves to be enveloped by a world which is never told in black and white.


This will be brief because I'm not sure what to say. I don't mean that in a bad way, its just that trying to describe this film is not at all easy.

Tekkonkinkreet is the story of two kids named Black and White. They are known as the Cats and are considered by some to be the protectors of a part of the city known as Treasure Town. As a year goes by a yakuza captain returns to the city and a man named Snake appears with his eye on turning that part of the city into an amusement park.

I'm explaining it badly, forgive me, since this is a film thats better to experience than to hear about. Using a mix of 2D and 3D cgi this is a film that is vibrantly alive. There is a real sense of place that is missing from many animated films. The world bleeds off the screen. The film rarely sits still its constantly in motion as characters go from place to place or engage in battles for life and death. Its an amazing thing to watch.

The characters are very real. I watched the film with the English dub (I know boo hiss) and the choices of actors was wonderful. The voices of the kids were kids and seemed to perfectly match their personalities. The same goes for the other characters as well. What I liked was that the kids were kids. They seemed to be real kids behaving in the situations presented. Granted the film is wildly fantastical but the personalities and behaviors outside of the running and jumping and beating people up was real.

A word of warning, this is a dark film at times. There is a great deal of violence, which despite being animated is very nasty and bloody. The film also has some dark undertones as some of the characters slip into the darkness of their souls. Its disturbing enough to get an R rating.

On the down side the film takes a while to get going. I was about a third of the way in before it started to click with me. No doubt it was due in part to the very large cast of characters. (I'm certain this is going to play better on a second viewing). My other problem with the film was a shift towards the end which makes me think I may have missed something along the way. I feel as though I missed the climax of somethings. (Again this will probably be better on the next viewing) Over all worth a shot. definitely see this in widescreen since the compositions are geared to that.


This film is amazing. I can't put it in any words better than that. If you're an anime fan that enjoys a lot of variety you need to see this film, no questions asked. The animation to this movie is bizarre but yet very vivid at the same time to the point of where you're saying exactly what I said in my summary: "Wow!" The storyline is where it continues to get better. It seems like it's an average tale of two brothers who are heroes to a town and do great things but it turns out that there's so much more. The heroes are both good and bad (just as their names describe: Black and White) and the villains are as bad as they come. The only issue is that some of the storyline leaves a couple holes at the end, making you wonder what happened but yet giving you an idea in your head of what you think might've happened. Nevertheless, although Tekkonkinkreet is rated R and very violent, it's still a great movie that I truly believe any anime fan will come to love.


this is the best animation i've ever seen. i found it through digital TV and it really appealed to me. but what i felt and found the most beautiful thing about this movie is its deeper meanings of the relation between black and white.i knew the names would have a meaning and to the end of the film it comes together. Black and white are two kids who grew up together, helping each other protecting "there" city. but more in the end when black lets white been taken by the cops its really starts showing the symbolic meaning of them representing yin and yang, the first example i can give is white talking about that both lost most of there screws but he keeping them all. its like meaning that the one needs the other. my second example is near the end when black meets the minotaur and learning that it is the darkness in himself, with a inner journey he learns that the minotaur wants to let black use all his "dark" powers in the meantime white is freaking out because slowly the darkness (yang) is winning. this symbolism of yin and yang is again shown with the crows and the white dove's. but in the struggle white is showing up in blacks mind and starts bringing black back to his senses thus restoring the balance. even without that symbolism this movie is a must see, but not for young kids


Well, well, a a refreshing piece of animation. Up until now I've enjoyed everything coming out of Studio 4C I've seen, and thats a lot. Starting with the well aged Memories, over Arete up to Mind Game (Now that was a genius movie.) Also of course their shorter works (Genius Party and Matrix' Beyond).

They always deliver Stories (granted, not necessarily written by them) that are simply original, animations that are top-notch and an overall styling of their movies that blows my mind every single time. (Do watch the Genius party episode called Dimension Bomb and you will know exactly what I mean.)

To not turn this into a glorification of a studio, let me say, that Tekkonkinkreet has all the above.

The animation and setting are simply gorgeous. Treasure city is so full of details in every single shot, over the top, over stylized, but still believable. See to believe. best example for me would be the home of Black and White. The sun setting on the car just at noon, the props strewn all around just speaking: "I'm a messed up boys tree-house, but a car, under a bridge and also beautiful."

3D elements are also nice to behold. I think GitS: Innocence did it this way first. This way meaning actually painting the texture on the models (and I mean painting). This just integrates everything so much better into the rest of the picture, that you stop to notice it. This works especially well in the action pieces. Under bridges, over rooftops, on the train.

The only smudge on this glorious movie is the overall story. While original, entertaining and interesting throughout, there are some parts in which its lacking. The minotaur, while always hinted at, DID sort of come out of nowhere at the end. You do see it coming somehow, but I didn't expect the movie to turn that metaphysical all of a sudden. Another hole is the character Snake. His motivation or the origins of his organization never become very clear. The whole Yakuza plot, linking all of the fragments also doesn't lead anywhere really. Well it does, but I expected a little more then a headshot. Its like the whole point of the movie is just to give a cross section of the town and its inhabitants. While this is nice to watch, the movie itself seemed to build up to a grand finale, which didn't really happen. More like two and a half separate main story lines (there are also a lot of sub-plots) that just happen to overlap a few times and end on their own. I can't quite put my finger on it why this rubs me the wrong way but it does. On the other hand, maybe thats just me.

Still, to finally come to an end, I can only recommend this movie to anyone interested in something you don't see every day. Be it animation, story or movie-watching in general. Well worth your time.


This is one of the high-quality finished film in animation. The quality of Japanese animations have an enormous reputation all over the countries and are appealing in terms of content for adults. This film is also turned out to be ones including philosophy and psychological world which adults can enjoy. "Tekkon Kinkurito" was originally serialized by Taiyo Otomo between 1993 and 1994 in Sho gakukan's Big Comic Spirits, and was made into a film by Michael Arias who is a producer of "Animatrix". The title "Tekkon Kinkurito" is derived from Otomo's experience as his childhood that he couldn't pronounce Tekkin Konkurito(reinforced concrete) and said "Tekkon Kinkurito". Orphan Kuro(Black) lives like a homeless and use his violence as one of his life style as a street kid. He lives his life with Shiro(White) who is also orphan and they live in a broken car. Shiro wear interesting strange fashion and innocent and helps with Kuro for fights. By calling Neko, they can fly on and off rooftops like cats. Kuro is smart, physically strength, good in fight, showing sometime mentally weakness and can only have a hope to live his life to protect Shiro. On the other hand, Shiro is innocent, mentally strength and weakness and showing a side of grown-up sometime. To connect with their Black and White, they are able to fill in each lack of their mind.

Treasure Island is an imaginary old town which takes place in Osaka, where is portrayed as a nostalgic old town with loving people. Yakuza and a new company which related with Yakuza and their impassible killers show up in the town and was enveloped in an uneasy atmosphere. Each calls "My town" for Treasure Town, Kuro left Shiro for protecting him and struggles with helping the town through his unique view of point.

Shiro and Kuro, people who love old and good era and new era, darkness and brightness, and response and motion. To reflect various of duality we can see each character's view of point. Another guy called Itachi(Mink), who wear a cow's mask on, he may be another person who Kuro created inside his mind. The scene drawing with sense of psychic about conflict among Itachi, Kuro and Shiro are imaginable and stuck out in my mind.


Black and White live in a clapped out Fiat 500. They are orphans, and White is retarded. Black looks after White in the dangerous Treasure Town, stealing to keep them both alive and eventually escape. When the Yakuza plan to take over the city and rid it of the verminous street-kids, Black must fight to protect White and claim the city as his own.

Imagine my delight at learning of the existence of this film. I read Black and White in the much-missed 'adult manga' magazine Pulp in the late 90s. A touching, stylish and original manga, it sat well in Pulp, and well on my bookshelf.

This adaptation has a lot to offer as well. Overall I don't think it was quite as powerful as the manga, but it certainly has visual flair in surplus. Michael Arias' use of computer graphics is second to none. The beautiful, even romantic cityscapes revolve in glorious vibrancy. Like Katsuhiro Ōtomo's, Taiyo Matsumoto's designs turn mundane concrete and metalwork into true spectacles; bathed in colour, intricacy and poetry. For me, that is surely the essence of anime; one which is often spoiled by splicing-in out of place CGI (Ghost in the Shell: SAC take note) or relying solely on it (Final Fantasy, Appleseed etc). Arias succeeds with his own programming, created specifically for such a task. The result is not a video game, nor a collage of unrelated media: it is simply a 3D anime.

The story is Matsumoto's, and is interesting and charming though perhaps not fantastically original. The conveyance of emotion is strong; Black's emotional breakdown is touching.

Character designs are fabulous and original, though their animated versions remind me Belleville Rendez-Vous (The Triplets of Belleville in the US), released three years previously. In itself that would be a bad thing, in my view, but in reality the quirky designs contribute towards the charm of the film; and the costume design builds upon that very well.

It gets a bit odd towards the end, and the ability for the children to perform fantastic acrobatics throughout is a little strange. But anime can take such liberties. However, what's the deal with the line "I gotta say I never met a tall guy worth a shít"?


"Tekkon Kinkreet" is a sporadically engaging, though frequently confusing, anime gangster film from director Michael Arias. The story, based on the comic book by Taiyo Matsumoto, focuses on two homeless orphans, one named Black and the other White, who live on the streets of Treasure Town, a seething cauldron of criminality, vice and corruption. Black fancies himself a superhero crime-fighter, while White, who is given to extrasensory knowledge and visions, dreams of one day moving away from the city and getting a home of their own on the beach. Thanks to Black's insistence on taking on the bad guys, both youngsters get caught up in a turf war between the Yakuza and some robot-like killers who are duking it out for ownership of the city.

Fans of anime will find much to enjoy in this film, which is marked by beautifully detailed urban landscapes, exciting action and chase sequences, occasional lyrical flights into fantasy, and a sometimes touching tale about commitment and friendship centered on the two young boys. On the other hand, the plethora of characters and occasional narrative incoherence can make it difficult at times to understand what exactly is going on, particularly when the story takes a decidedly metaphysical turn (with imagery taken straight out of "Contact") in the final half hour. Still, the visuals alone make it worth a gander.


I wasn't very captured by the movie. The story sounded so promising. I even watched it despite the fact that I hated the art. I am a huge anime fan, and it just didn't do it for me. The relationship between Black and White was awesome, but I fell asleep because I found it so boring. I even watched the rest of it despite already not liking it. Even the art style has it's ups and downs... for something that I hated the art style for, it was animated very well. I did enjoy the colouring, and I loved the backgrounds. I suppose if you were to watch an anime for the colors and backgrounds, this would be a good one to pick.

Oh well. It's not for everybody, or maybe even just me because my friend loved this movie to no end. (It's gonna be his birthday present.. :P )


After spending a long time searching for this movie, I finally found a store that had it on VHS for less than $1, and I immediately popped it in my VCR when I got home.

After reading about the plot I was hooked right away: In the future, kick-boxing has been overtaken by cryogenically enhanced fighters, only one man is still 100% human, but when he refuses to fight in the ultimate lethal tournament, the arrangers kidnap his girlfriend/manager and force him to compete!

The movie did not disappoint me at all, but that might be because I saw so many familiar faces in it, being an avid Albert Pyun-fan, he used the same set of actors he always does: Jahi J. J. Zuri is making his film-debut as one of the fighters, and Thom Mathews is also playing a sympathetic fighter in the tournament, being forced to fight in the competition by the evil mastermind Tung. Tung is played by Pyun's most frequent collaborator, the flamboyant Norbert Weisser, who is aided by always entertaining Tim Thomerson, who here plays the synthetic red-headed leader of corporate scumbags. Earl White and Chad Stahelski are also two guys Pyun uses often, and they're in the movie as Budokam fighters, of which there are plenty.

Although the star of the movie is not one of his regulars, Keith H. Cooke, known from "China O'Brien", here plays the last 100% human kick boxer in the world, Chance O'Brien (co-incidence? I think not), and he actually does quite a good job. The martial arts-superstar Gary Daniels (from "Fist of the North Star") is a great bad guy, with his icy-blue eyes and nonchalant attitude, and the woman both men love is also a Pyun-regular, Tina Coté, who hasn't done many movies yet, but always gives her best performances in Pyun's movies (like "Nemesis 2", "Mean Guns", and "Omega Doom"). This was actually the first movie I've seen where she did not play an obnoxious b*tch, so that was a new experience.

The fight-sequences in the movie are interesting, but after a while it does tend to be a bit tedious to watch, and at times fast-forwarding is probably a good idea to keep interest. If you like both cyborgs and kick-boxing this is definitely a movie you should watch, but if either turns you off, you should probably stay away, as that is pretty much all there is going on in this movie.

Highlight: Keith Cooke running around naked in the Phillipines. The abundance of man-ass is hilarious, but if you're homophobic, this might at first turn you off, but later we get to see Tina Coté's nipples, so there's something for both men and women in this movie, cyborgs or not.


I have often found myself defending Albert Pyun for some of his films that few other people like (like "Nemesis"), but "Heatseeker", a pretentious mix of pseudo-sci-fi and martial arts action, really is one of his worst films. Keith Cooke (whom I first spotted in "China O'Brien 2", where he stole the show from Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton), is an impressive kicker; Gary Daniels is an excellent opponent; and the cast is obviously full of real fighters. If Pyun had cut out all the crap about cyber enhancement and rival bio-engineering companies, we would probably have about 30 minutes of straight fighting. In other words, the movie is watchable, but only if you know how to use your fast-forward button. (*)


Keith Cooke plays the last human kickboxer who competes in a tournament where men with cybernetic replacements, (Or are they cyborgs, whatever the case my braincells were lost during the transition) of course he is forced to fight because his girlfriend (Tina Cote) has been abducted and is being forced to train Xao (Gary Daniels) who is a cyborg. Also aboard is Thom Mathews who looks to redeem himself and his father. The only good thing I can say about Heatseeker is that I didn't have to pay to see it, since I caught it on the Sci-Fi channel. Unfortunately that is all it has going for it. Heatseeker also ranks as one of the dullest features from Albert Pyun. His best efforts being the Kickboxer series (So far what I have seen) have been works of mediocrity but Heatseeker comes from a curse that no good movie has ever been made by Pyun, that involves cyborgs, robots or machines.) His best to date was the confusing and sub par Nemesis. However with Heatseeker, Pyun is desperately out of ideas and imagination, so he simply turns this into a robot jox of the fighting circuit. Also of note is that none of the fight sequences evoke excitement and overall we are left to watch a movie that is hideously dull in it's uninspired tone.

* out of 4-(Bad)


No budget, no actors, and a plot that has been used so many times that it is threadbare. Red-and-blue oozing neons tries to hide the fact that this is all done in cheap sets, as most video fodders. Avoir this.


This is John Wayne's first color film and my only complaint is that the cinematographer failed to pick up the unique almost purple color of his eyes!

Taken from a much-loved novel of the time, The Shepard of the Hills tells a simple story exceptionally well.

An older man appears at a cabin door and gives aid without a question as to how the accident happened. He saves a child. He wants to purchase a piece of property and settle down.

The mountain people of the Ozark region do not welcome strangers, yet this man seems to fit in with his quiet ways and his vast knowledge of the outside world most of the mountain people have never seen.

Harry Carey is this quiet man. He is splendid in every scene. John Wayne plays 'Young Matt Matthews'a young man still mourning his mother and who has sworn a blood oath to kill the man responsible, his father.

Betty Field is marvelous as 'Young Matt's' girlfriend. Harry Carey thoughtful and quietly charming at 'Mr. Howard', the Shepard of the Hills, as his new neighbors call him. Beula Bondi is fascinating as 'Aunt Molly' and Margery Main shines as the blind woman that 'Mr. Howard' sends to the city to have her sight restored.

Many of the scenes are extraordinary for their detail and sense of authenticity.

Some are incredibly beautiful. For example, when 'Mr. Howard' meets the young man who was struck by lightning and can no longer speak.

A thoroughly absorbing and skillfully made film well worth watching again and again.


A marvelous, if little known, early John Wayne film. There are so many wonderful moments in this film that I can only list a few: Harry Carey splendid as the mysterious man who comes to the Ozarks to purchase a piece of dirt land and settle down, and ends up purchasing Moanin' Meadow. A gorgeous, seamless, seemingly effortless piece of acting.

Betty Field, always in bare feet saying that she nearly stepped in a cloud and reveling in the mud between her bare toes.

Marc Lawrence trying to catch dust motes in a sunbeam coming through a dirty windowpane.

Beulah Bondi making a circle of candles and lamp oil!!

Marjorie Main seeing for the first time in her life.

And John Wayne moving from bewildered and embittered young man with a curse on him, to a man in love who can't express his feeling because of the curse, and finally coming to terms with his real, inner self for the first time in his life.

Anyone who thinks John Wayne could not act, should see The Shepherd of the Hills. He is not only beautiful to look at, but he brings charm, power and sympathy to a very difficult role.


The Henry Hathaway-directed 1941 Shepherd Of the Hills is worth seeing if for nothing else its color, which is as glorious and gorgeous as one will find in a film. Each outdoor shot is like a landscape painting. Along with Gone With the Wind and The Four Feathers, this is the finest use of color I have seen in a movie, and it should be used as a textbook on how to shoot a film in color. Otherwise, the picture is just a pleasing and old-fashioned revenge tale, adapted from a now forgotten novel, and set in the Ozark Mountains at about the turn of the twentieth century. It is nicely written in the idiom of the mountain folk, and features John Wayne in an early, rare non-western role, which he handles proficiently. Betty Field is his spunky love interest in what would now be an Amy Madigan part. Miss Field is lovely in a non-conventional way; she shines as never before or since. The combination of her quiet, almost mousy beauty in an otherwise talky, assertive role is fascinating to watch. Also on hand are Beulah Bondi, Ward Bond, Marc Lawrence, who gives an amazing performance, and Harry Carey, whose pleasantness and plainness I find tiring, though I suppose he's well-cast. There's a ritualistic feeling to the film, with its clearly defined notions of good and evil, the almost formally informal dialect the characters use, the leisurely, strolling pace by which the story unfolds, all contribute to its pastoral quality. The chief problem is that there's no suspense. One senses early on how the thing is going to end, and the characters behave as one would expect.


Rural drama quite mellow, but well done, helped by a good casting. Betty Field at maybe her best performance at movies pictures; John Wayne at his first film in color after the grandiose The Stagecoach; Harry Carey in the Priest; Beulah Bondi at one of her characteristic works playing an embittered woman; the very used by master John Ford, War Bond. And, last but not least, an splendid photography in wonderful Technicolor. I though it was a western and I find instead a strange community making whisky clandestinely at Ozark Mountains Region, Arkansas,who remind me some people I meet in a trip to North of England, near Kyle of Lochals, very reluctant to contact with foreigns. I like the 80% of the film, that was made with conviction, professionalism and care by excellent craftsman Henry Hathaway. It is is a bite too much melodramatic and out of date, but interesting. I give it an seven.


**possible spoilers**

Although it has John Wayne in the cast it is not really a western. It is more a study of the Ozarks and the people who live there. Although some scenes are filmed in the studio you do get a feeling of the landscape of the area and the kind of people it produces; sturdy, suspicious, superstitious, kindly, ignorant and wise. Much like any isolated community around the world.

The film is surprisingly good. The acting is solid all round. John Wayne makes a good attempt at the Young Matt role, bringing out well the confusion and conflicts in his mind. Beulah Bondi is riveting as the bitter Aunt Mollie. Harry Carey is good as ever. Betty Field as Sammy Lane is excellent and it is her who holds the film together. It is through her eyes we mainly see things. She is also quite sexy in her tight jeans and short tops.

Some of the scenes are exceptional; when Daniel Howitt is cashing a never seen before cheque, when Granny Becky has her eyes uncovered after an operation, when Young Matt talks about how love is so complicated, when Daniel Howitt takes possession of the old house in Moaning Meadow, when Aunt Mollie cremates her dead son and herself, when Pete the mute brother is discovered in a stream of light pouring through a window trying to catch dust motes. All directed without sentimentality but with real feeling.

It is one of those films which did not promise much from the TV listings but actually delivers much more than one expects.


THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS was made into a silent film in 1919. Harold Bell Wright, the author of the story, was a popular novelist of the day, and a number of his stories were turned into films. He usually concentrated on stories regarding people who lived in mountainous regions (one hesitates to call them hillbillies as they are usually shown to be non-stereotypes). As was mentioned in another of the comments here, Wright also wrote the story that was the basis for the Henry Fonda / Fred MacMurray film THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE.

John Wayne is not the central figure of this film, although considered the star nowadays. In reality this film should be considered one of the best in the career of Harry Carey Sr. A leading movie cowboy actor in the silent period and early sound years, Carey had slowly moved into character parts after 1933. Possibly his best recalled non-western role is the Vice President of the United States in MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. As a Western star, he proved to be Wayne's own model of the perfect western film actor. In fact, in the shooting of John Ford's THE SEARCHERS, Wayne purposely honored Carey by copying a mannerism he had (holding his arm with his hand in a particular position) in Wayne's last visible moment in that film.

In the movie Wayne is a member of a family centered around James Barton and Beulah Bondi (Wayne's blood aunt), and his cousin Marc Lawrence. Bondi has never forgiven Wayne's father for abandoning the family, and indirectly causing the death of her sister. She has instilled in Wayne a hatred of the father. At the same time, the death of the sister is tied to the other tragedy of the family - that Lawrence is a mute. He has been unable to speak since he survived the fire that killed his aunt (Wayne' mother). The only one who occasionally stands up against Bondi's vicious hatred is Barton, but he admits in his best scene in the film that he really lacks the nerve to openly condemn her behavior.

This is a great film for character actors. Besides Barton, Bondi, and Lawrence, please take note of Marjorie Main in one of her most prescient performances. She is blind, and she requires expensive surgery to have a chance for the restoration of her sight. At a critical moment Carey will lend her the money for that surgery. When her eyesight is restored everyone in the community rejoices, until Main recognizes somebody in the crowd she did not expect to ever see again. Her comment when she reveals this person's identity, and realizes the tragedy she may have unwittingly caused, is devastating in it's simplicity and ironic truth.

Carey is a newly arrived rancher in the area, who (as witness his assistance to Main) gets involved trying to do good for his neighbors. And all usually benefit. Yet he too has his secrets, and they nearly rip him and several others apart.

THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS is a movie about redemption and forgiveness, and it's cast shows the difficulties faced by common people when presented with these seemingly simple acts of behavior. All of the stars of the movie gave first rate performances in it, and for Wayne it was the first big follow-up to his overnight success in STAGECOACH. But the best performance remains Carey's, who in the end has to commit an act of violence in order to try to save his last chance for acceptance from those who count the most.


Herbert J. Yates of Republic Pictures must have gotten a tidy sum from Paramount for the use of his number one star for his first technicolor feature film.

Shepherd of the Hills was the first film in which John Wayne worked with director Henry Hathaway. They didn't work together again for another 19 years and then in the Sixties did four films culminating with Wayne's Oscar winning performance in True Grit.

In fact Hathaway had directed the first outdoor technicolor film in the same Ozark area for Paramount five years earlier in The Trail of the Lonesome Pine.

You think of this area of the country and you either think of the comic characters of The Beverly Hillbillies or the inbred freaks of Deliverance. In both films Hathaway avoids those stereotypes and he creates characters of dignity and strength.

John Wayne is Matt Matthews whose father left his mother before she was born and she died leaving him to be raised by his aunt Beulah Bondi. Bondi's a bitter old woman who fills the Duke's head with evil thoughts about his father.

A stranger comes to their valley and has a lot of money, buys a piece of property from the Matthews clan and settles there. Harry Carey wins over most of the people there with several acts of kindness and charity. He especially makes a big fan of Betty Field who's a hankerin' after the Duke.

Carey's got a past secret and I think if you read the review you can figure out what it is without me being explicit. But all is revealed in the end and it's worth the wait.

Wayne and Carey have a great chemistry between them because next to John Ford, Harry Carey was probably the single biggest influence in creating a star named John Wayne from a USC football player named Marion Michael Morrison who earned some extra money working as a prop man on silent movie sets. The same rapport between them is also carried over to The Angel and the Badman which Wayne produced himself.

Shepherd of the Hills is a good film about some simple people with some great performances by the entire cast.


I first saw "The Shepherd of the Hills" outdoor drama when we visited Branson for the first time, in the late 1970's. My family and I were totally unfamiliar with this southwest Missouri area, and this was only a few years prior to the Branson area's "explosion" onto the entertainment scene. It expanded from 6 or 8 theaters, then, with perhaps 5,000 seats, to several times this number today, with more seats than all of Broadway. It's possible there now for someone to attend something like 50 or 60 shows for a month - one every evening and a number of breakfast or matinée performances - and never see the same one twice, with additional ones available if one wishes to begin a second month.

From earlier days, and continuing today, two of the cornerstone attractions in the Branson area are Silver Dollar City theme park (modeled after an 1880's silver mining complex, but with 21st-century New York City or Hollywood pricing) and The Shepherd of the Hills farm, the original cabin, the large outdoor amphitheater which presents a lavish production of the story, a restaurant, gift shop, etc. They also have all the information about characters upon whom the book is based, and Harold Bell Wright, that one could possibly want to know (and then some!).

This film's "version" of the book and story is well-played, the scenery well-photographed (especially since footage was done 65 years ago), and the characters interesting. However, the story here represents the book about as well as if John Wayne's film, "Red River," had been presented with this title and its characters renamed to coincide with this story.

First, the elder Mathews were not a female moonshiner and her wimpy husband. They were leading citizens, operated the mill, and were an asset to their rural community and their fellow residents.

Young Matt and Sammy, as a "couple", were more like characters from "The Waltons" than those portrayed. The "Shepherd" was also a model citizen-type, no gunfighter or ex-con, and was no relation to Young Matt whatever.

Actually, the Shepherd was the father of the young man who had fathered the mentally-challenged young Pete, the son of the Mathews' late daughter. His son had loved her, had returned East not realizing he had left her pregnant, and was prevented by his father (the Shepherd) from returning, and subsequently disappeared.

The Shepherd had come to the area to view the situation and attempt amends. During the actual book (and the drama as still presented in Branson today) the unknown "specter" character appears throughout, is shot, and dies, but before passing, is discovered to be the Shepherd's lost son, and there is a heartfelt resolution of matters towards the end.

The Shepherd also achieves rapprochement with Old Matt, who had threatened mayhem should he ever encounter the man he blamed for his daughter's broken heart and death.

Wash Gibbs is a nefarious character, with designs upon Sammy, and a rival of Matt - in both versions - but in the book he is still a "Baldnobber" and gangster. The "Baldknobbers" were vigilantes who had done worthy things for the citizenry in the post-Civil War period, with carpetbaggers and others attempting to plunder the areas - but like a lot of such groups, when there was no further need for their good works, they turned their prodigious physical strengths to illegal, self-serving ends.

Several interesting, key characters from the novel are missing from this film; e.g., Jim Lane (Sammy's father) is more of a key element than shown here. And the Marjorie Main character, with the over-the-top scene where she regains her sight, represents no key element of Wright's story. The name "Moanin' Meadow," and its representation in the movie have no part in Wright's book. While in both presentations, the characters were simple "hill folk," neither sophisticated nor educated - the film provides many with a far greater "bumpkin" image.

Again, this is an excellent film, but I would have enjoyed even more seeing the same characters presented as actually portrayed by Wright.


I just caught this little gem on AMC. I missed the opening credits so I had no idea who directed it. As the film progressed, I was like "This has GOT to be a John Ford film." After all, it features John Wayne, Harry Carey, Ward Bond and lots of wonderful Ford like shots. A wonderfully photographed and directed film. It even has Marjorie Main in a character role that's a total departure from her normal, boisterous parts we all know and expect from this great actress. Then I looked it up here at the IMDb and saw that it was Henry Hathaway's film. I never thought of Hathaway as a bad director by any means, but wow! This simply has the look of a well crafted classic beginning to end. Highly recommended.


This is a great movie that was filmed during the summer of 1941 while my family was camping in Big Bear, California. I was only 3 years old and have been told about the visit to the sets that my older sisters were able to make. They don't recall seeing any stars and think that they visited after the days shooting was completed. They were camped in a public campground just down the hill from the houses that were built for the movie. I have been told that I sang the Frank Sinatra hit "I'll Never Smile Again" at the age of 3 for all of the campers at the nightly campfire gathering. I memorized songs, I've been told, from the radio that my sisters always were playing. This was the last camping done until after WW 2 since Pearl Harbor was attacked in Decemeber of that year. The opening scene of the movie is of Big Bear Lake and the later scenes around the small lake where they fished is at a small man-made lake that was formed for the movie. I assume that the inside scenes were filmed in Hollywood but all of the outdoor scenes were filmed on the crest of the mountains to the south of Big Bear Lake. The San Bernardino valley is beyond some of the distant mountains as they filmed on the top of the crest. The rocks are prominent in the San Bernardino mountains and used throughout the film. The south shore of Big Bear Lake has large boulders at the water's edge but this area is not use in the movie. Anyway, it is great because of the newness of John Wayne and his now famous facial antics, which we love, and Harry Carey who was John Wayne's idol in real life. Betty Fields, always great, shines in the part of Sammy. This movie is now available as an econimical set of John Wayne DVD's that just became available. It is the best of the movies in the set but all of the others are wonderful just because they feature John Wayne. My wife and I enjoyed "Seven Sinners" which we had never seen.


Good story about a backwoods community in the Ozarks around the turn of the century. Moonshine is the leading industry, fighting and funning the major form of entertainment. One day a stranger enters the community and causes a shake-up among the locals. Beautiful scenery adds much to the story.


I bought this film on DVD from the pound shop for, yes, one WHOLE English pound. I was drawn into making the purchase due to the pictures of naked women on the back and thought the film would be good for a laugh with my mates. I was right. "Sexual Roulette" makes the film sounds rather intriguing, but the version I bought was under the alternate title "weekend in Vegas" which is I feel rather dull in comparison, but for a pound I wasn't going to complain. The film itself contains some awful performances from the actors and actresses involved, the best among them is probably the Michael Douglas-esqe (well he looks a bit like him here) lead character of Jed played by Tim Abell, who goes from angry, to horny, to angry/horny all within a few moments. The plot is a bit "indecent proposal" type and has plenty of poorly filmed sex scenes, but the most annoying thing is that the whole film is just clogged up with pointless shots of Las Vegas, the same ones repeated over and over again!! it seems to me like they finished the film and it only ended up at around 40 minutes long so they just got some aerial shots of the strip to fill the gaps. There is some far fetched storyline about debt and some people get killed but this is just a low budget film which is good for a laugh at its expense. I recommend this film be watched whilst drunk. I think there a load of copies left at the pound shop....


As standard direct-to-video erotica goes, this film isn't bad, but remember, these films aren't about the plot or the acting, but about the flesh. Let's face it, if you're truly looking for a good movie, then you KNOW from the title that this isn't likely to be the answer. So a movie like this comes down to what you think of the appearance of the female leads (sexist, but true). For me, Tane McClure looked old and tired and plastic, just like she always does. But Gabriella Hall made the movie bearable, for she is simply drop-dead gorgeous, with a stunning body and a face to match. I'd apologize for the superficial review, but that's what these movies are all about. They're all about liking what you see, since the writing is rarely good enough for you to like what you hear.


One of the best soft core sex movies of the 90's in my opinion. Tane McClure and Gabriela Hall shine on their roles mainly because they display decent acting skills. While Mrs. McClure delivers a very sexy performance with kinky and sexy sex scenes. Mrs. Hall is also very adequate and sexy in her role.

Think about "Fatal Attraction" with plenty of sex and steamy situations. There's sex all the way.

Highlights: the sex scene in the bathtub courtesy of Mrs. Hall, and the last hot sex scene with Mrs. McClure. Special mention for Mrs. McClure sex scene where she is wearing a sexy black dress.

The movie is pretty entertaining but absurd at some points but you can't expect much from soft core sex. This one is one of the best of it's kind.


Unbelievably silly, cheap, boring softerotic variation of the old INDECENT PROPOSAL-plot with the Robert Redford-character, played by quite attractive, but not really stimulating Tane McClure, offering the Demi-Moore-character, here played by untalented, but happy-to-be-here bloke Tim Abell, money, if she, er, he helps her out in her bed, while his wife Gabriella Hall wanders around in the casino. Hall is stunningly sexy as usual, but her scenes with Abell really belong to her best yet. Still, the rest is pure B-Movie Nonsense. Two points only for Hall.


I liked the movie very much. Wonderful girls. Beautiful view of Las Vegas, a very interesting plot and the extraordinary presence of Gabriella Hall which is the perfect woman for me(beautiful, expressive,sexy,young and very good actress).

I recommend this movie for a lot of fun !!!!


This cable adaptation is a huge improvement over Neil Simon's original play for two reasons. The original was one of Simon's laugh a minute (and you can set your watch by it) plays with a big problem: it was written as an ensemble piece but one character-television comic Max Prince, who's based on stories about Sid Caesar-was so overpowering it threw the ensemble off. For this version, Simon, who got his start writing for Caesar's "Your Show of Shows" and "The Caesar Show," wisely puts more focus on Prince, adding scenes to flesh out the character and incorporate even more of the legends. With Nathan Lane in the role, he can't miss.

This is a very different performance for Lane, one of the industry's most capable farceurs. His Max Prince is as over-the-top as Lane often is, but he also invests the character with a strong serious side (like most great comics, Prince takes himself with an almost desperate seriousness) that gives the role heart. In between temper tantrums and one-liners belted out for all the world to hear, Simon and Lane have crafted some wonderfully subtle moments. He's strongly supported by the actors playing his writing staff-particularly Dan Castellenata and Saul Rubinek. And Richard Benjamin, who directed another Sid Caesar pastiche in "My Favorite Year," keeps the whole thing moving efficiently. I'm going to look for a rerun on Showtime so I can catch this again and can't wait for it to come out on video.


If you aren't old enough to cherish the memory of Sid's Caesar's Show of Shows in its heyday, if you don't think Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart and the rest of his writers' room was the greatest collection of comic talent ever, and if you didn't watch most of the Army-McCarthy hearings, well, maybe this movie isn't for you. But you're just the one who should see if for its educational value. It tells us a whole lot about the golden age of television, of the country's torpor in the 50's, of the days when people who cared more for those dependent upon them than they did for themselves got run over by the corporate machine, and of the contrived and deliberate dumbing down of our national intellect. See this movie, and then rent some of the classic skits by Caesar, Reiner, Coca, Morris and company on DVD. You'll know why those of us who were there still die laughing the hundredth time we hear, "You have gespritzen on un general."


I found the cast to be very good. Mr Lane was exceptional as were other members of the cast. I must say that it was in my opinion as his best movie he has done. I have seen this movie many times, from this my interest in him has grown. His character Max Prince reminded me of his true character. Serious yet entertaining. I personally would like to see the play for this movie as I have heard that the cast were different to the ones in the movie, this would probably allow me to judge which was more superior. I must agree with the fact that the music could have been chosen better, as to could be said of the location, my recommendation would be Chicago or new york.


Nathan Lane all but steals the show, but this movie is also powered by the likes of Victor Garber and Saul Rubinek, among others, a rich and varied ensemble that aid the cause enormously. Neil Simon has given them a script chock full o laughs, with the occasional sappy moment. I found the direction lacking and average, and the music poor, and the location was obviously NOT New York. I'm beginning to recognize Canadian cities! But overall a very nice effort that hold up with the best of the cable movie genre.


This was the first of the series that I have seen, having nothing else to do this afternoon and having seen most everything else in theatres that I wanted to see. SPOILERS HEREIN

The first segment, entitled "L.T.R," chronicles the relationship of two young twenty something boys (emphatically "boys") who meet and "fall in love." They invite a videographer to tape a documentary about the weeks that follow until the relationship is shown to take a turn that neither boy expects. Hopefully, what transpires in the weeks that pass teaches the boys that there is a marked difference between love and lust. This one is by far and away the funniest segment.

"O Beautiful," the second segment, was by far and away the most touching. It begins with a boy having just been sexually violated and beaten up by other boys in a dark cornfield. We're spared seeing the attack as the scene begins immediately thereafter. The victim is approached by a young man who arrives on the scene and does what he can to comfort the victim first by wiping the blood from the boy's face, giving him his jeans, and later his letterman's jacket. The "rescuer" at one point starts to sing "America the Beautiful" at one point while they are engaged in debate over the victim's homosexuality and the brutality of the attack. The rescuer advises the victim in a none too tactful way that he was essentially a victim because his actions displeased God. Although the boy who rescues the victim at first tells him that he left the scene before the attack began, he later admits that he stood and watched while the attackers stripped the boy naked from the waist down and allegedly violates him with a stick. Obviously, it's a stretch of suspended belief that the guy is not bleeding to death from the damage that such an act would cause his internal organs. The segment ends with the rescuer, who basically admits that he was wrong not to protect the victim from the onset and gives him his pick-up truck which the injured boy then drives away in leaving his "rescuer" in the middle of the cornfield at night. An understandable, but unsatisfying ending. The acting could have been much better, I would have liked to have seen tears instead of attempts to generate them, but still the most moving of all four segments.

"Bumping Heads" tells the story of a 35 year old man, Craig, and his twenty something companion, Gary, who are in the emergency room of a hospital as a result of a fight Craig was involved in in a local gay bar. Craig made the unfortunate mistake of trying to save Gary from an lecherous stranger in the back room of the bar, and gets his noggin cracked for his efforts. The physician treating Craig assumes that the two men are lovers because of the way they treat one another, i.e., fawning, finishing one another's sentences, etc. Turns out, Gary has a long term lover who lives on the west coast (the story taking place on the east) and had never mentioned it to Craig. Craig makes one last effort out of many to entice Gary into a romantic relationship that fails miserably because he thinks he has convinced both himself and Gary that the two of them would be great together. This segment, to me at least, was the least interesting and almost pointless.

Finally, "This Car Up," which is told quite imaginably (you have to see it for yourself), about two men who seem diametrically opposed to one another in every possible way. Pete is a suit in a downtown office building, Adrian is a multiply-pierced bicycle messenger who have a chance encounter when Pete takes a smoke break outside his office building. They're each smitten by the other and, in the end, find romance in form of a lingering kiss in the building's elevator. The kind of kiss that only two straight actors (I'm willing to bet) can share; no tongues. This is the only story that ends with the proverbial "happy" attached.


Of the four short films featured here, the best acting was in the second film entitled "O Beautiful" by Alan Brown, with David Clayton Rogers and Jay Gillespie actors. This film deals with gay bashing and gay teens. A contemporary issue like gay bashing is a subject matter that some would rather not face and will undoubtedly have a bias against this film prior to viewing it, due to the subject matter. "O Beautiful" a complicated high drama poignantly and accurately portrays gay male teenage angst, which is very traumatic and difficult to deal with especially when occurring right after the barbarous heinous act of a gay bashing.

Bravo Alan, David, and Jay! This short should be extended into a full-length film and shown in high schools around the country.


I first saw this in the theater with my dad, at the age of 13, when it was first released - he was a huge fan of classic movies and usually suffered through the stuff he took me to. Not this one - we were both in hysterics, and I'd have to say I owe my huge love of classic Hollywood (and global) cinema to this film. CITIZEN KANE it may not be but no matter - I dug the humor and the atmosphere at the time, and even then was aware of how much work this must have been.

I still watch this one on occasion, and it is the rare comedy that has held up very well with the passage of time - critics at the time seemed to write it off as a stunt, but I've noted that at least a little reevaluation of DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID has occurred over the years. The performances - as both a spoof and a love-letter to film noir - are top notch, with Steve Martin at his best here. The dialog gets deep into Raymond Chandler/Dashiell Hammett hard-boiled private-eye stylishness, serving up gumshoe-with-dame clichés just juiced up enough to give Steve something to run with, while still offering an a solid story. The finale is magnificent, Martin and Carl Reiner jousting their way through an avalanche of every two-bit dime-store whodunnit game-over cliché to ever grace the big screen, cheap alibis falling like drunken angels across the naked city as the big heat descends... Or - ahem -something like that...


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.


I remember reading reviews in The New York Times and elsewhere in 1983 fawning over Woody Allen's brilliant and wholly original idea of inserting himself into old film footage in "Zelig." They'd not noted, of course, that everyone from Ernie Kovacs to John Zacherle had already done that "brilliant and wholly original idea" on television -- and, most notably, Steve Martin did it in a feature film, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid," one year prior to "Zelig." While "Zelig" has its moments, it is ultimately tedious, running about twice as long as it's one-note gag treatment can sustain. In sharp contrast is the far more clever, inspired, fully developed, insightful and witty DMDWP, which, as noted. came out one year earlier. As often happens with groundbreakers set somewhere outside the norm, DMDWP was not exactly a box office hit -- a key reason why no sequels were ever made. That's unfortunate, as Martin's character was one of his finest creations and could have sustained more installments in the series. (Steve was never better on film than he is here.) It's good that the people behind "Police Squad" did not give up on it after it failed to fit within the confines of standard TV concepts around the same time. Reborn as "The Naked Gun" series of feature films, the "Police Squad" concept turned into three of the greatest comedy motion pictures of all time. DMDWP deserved a lot better than it got in 1982 as well, and I'm glad to see that it has finally found respect and its audience through television exposure (much like a previous box office bomb, "It's A Wonderful Life"). The kind of creativity Martin, Carl Reiner and the rest of the DMDWP crew put into their project needs to be strongly encouraged -- as it represents excellent comic film-making, as opposed to the witless parade of routine crudities that Hollywood ordinarily churns out.


An incredible achievement. My mind boggles at the amount of thought, time and effort that must have gone into this superb film. The plot is brilliantly and hilariously convoluted, with screen legends from the 1940s making appearances in amazingly edited scenes, and Steve Martin's trademark absurd humour is present almost all the way. Steve and Rachel Ward have remarkable chemistry, and each of their performances are highly impressive. If it weren't for the bundles of humour employed, one would almost think at times that this actually is a film noir from the 1940s, so legitimate and believable is the 'feel' or the atmosphere of the film.

I cannot believe that some people who commented on this film have said that the plot is merely an excuse to hang old movie clips onto, and not much use at all; and the person who claims that Steve Martin overacts in this movie mustn't realise that this is regarded as one of Steve's more restrained, deadpan comedic performances (the 'cleaning woman!' device turns out to be an important part of the plot and also seems to be a way of using the strangling scene that is taken from the Bette Davis movie - it is also a chance for Steve to get in a very tiny element of his 'wild and crazy guy' persona, which he substituted with a more suitable [for parody] 'straight' performance).

A rousing and side-splittingly funny success - they don't make 'em like this anymore!


Its the sort of idea that inevitably gets tried out as soon as it becomes technically possible. Inter-cutting classic film noir with contemporary work to produce a comedy film. Usually such ideas come a serious cropper - as was proved (as others have stated) by Zelig. However, this film hits it right on the mark. The design and editing allow for seamless cutting between the old and the new footage. The script is good and has the right level of absurd humour to make the film work. I'm not a fan of Steve Martin but its impossible to imagine anyone else matching this performance. Rachel Ward is beautiful and sassy. Its a film of its time - just made in time to catch the costume and musical talent of the past before they departed from the scene but made before the sort of hi-tech morphing and cgi which would have ruined its feel.

If you haven't seen it then watch it - if you have seen it then watch it again. This definitely rewards repeated viewings. Its no Citizen Kane but it is darned good entertainment if you share my sense of humour...


Carl Reiner, the multi-talented director of this film, is the only one that could have pulled it off. Working with George Gipe, and Steve Martin in the screen play that serves as the basis of the movie, Mr. Reiner has done the impossible with "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid".

Of course, this film is blessed with the magnificent editing by Bud Malin, who meshed the present images against those film noir masterpieces we see, blending the characters of this movie with the stars of the past, in what seems to be a seamless product. It also helps that Miklos Rozsa was the man composing the music, as everything shows a cohesiveness that is hard to distinguished in what was shot in 1982 and the old movies.

This spoof to the film noir genre is a pure delight. The main character, Rigby Reardon is the P.I. from hell, but thanks to the creators of this movie, he is perfect as the man at the center of the action.

Not being a Steve Martin fan, one has to recognize that when this actor is inspired, he can do excellent work. It would appear that with a director like Carl Reiner, he would have gone off the top, but instead, Mr. Martin gives a good reading of Rigby. Rachel Ward, as the typical woman of those films, is charming. Reni Santoni, Georege Gaynes and the rest of the supporting cast do wonders under Carl Reiner's orders.

The film brought back memories of those timeless masterpieces of the past and the stars that shone in them. We get to see Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, Ingrid Bergman, Vincent Price, Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Barbara Stanwyck, Fred McMurray, Edward G. Robinson, and the others at the height of their fame playing against the present cast and making the viewer happy watching all the antics which Mr. Reiner and his team have created for our amusement.

This is a funny look at the old movies!


This was a modern-day version of a 1940s narrative gangster film, also known as film noir, but with a different twist. Steve Martin, Rachel Ward and a few others actors are seen talking to many classic stars of the past as director Carl Reiner used clips of those films to fake conversations with the up-to-date real actors of this film . They made it appear that Alan Ladd, Barbara Stanwyck, Humphrey Bogart et al were actually talking to Martin.

Obviously, the more acquainted you are with those film noirs, the more fun this movie will be as you try to recognize what movie those clips came from. (The answers are shown in the ending credits.) That's the fun part of this movie.

The not-so-fun part is simply trying to figure how what is happening in the first place. The plot is not always easy to discern, and it's doubly difficult because of the constant "interruptions" with the classic film scene inserted in the story. You get so captivated watching those old stars that you lose track of the storyline.

That's a big reason I don't think this film ever caught on that much - the story is too convoluted, just too hard to follow.

Ward was great to watch and Martin was annoying after awhile. If Ward doesn't look like the embodiment of a 1940s film goddess, I don't know who does. That, and the razor sharp black-and-white picture with the real actors, is nice to see. But, Martin, who dominates the film, overdoes the stupid comments. I would like to have seen this film played a little straighter, like a real noir. It's a clever film but sometimes too clever for its own good.


DMDWP is a black and white film noir comedy that uses footage from real film noirs from the 40s and 50s and inter cuts them with the plot to make it appears that Steve Martin is really talking to/acting with the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, James Cagney etc. The effect is almost seamless but for a movie made in 1982 it's quite impressive.

Martin plays the wonderfully named Rigby Reardon, a typical, gritty private eye who narrates the story with sarcastic observation and gets involved in the usual femme fatal plot and a conspiracy surround the death of a cheese maker. Yes, it's nonsense, and towards the end it becomes a bit hard to follow and the silliness gets out of control. But it's all played straight and for most of the film you could believe you were actually watching a classic film noir.

Steve Martin should have done more of these movies. Rigby Reardon was a great character and could have lasted for a few more movies. The humor is frequently hilarious and he certainly retains a lot of the integrity he has lost in recent years since he went the way of Eddie Murphy and sold himself out to family audiences. Either way, I say you should give this movie a go if you're a fan of his older work.

The DVD is sadly in non-anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen with Dolby 2.0 surround. It still looks quite good for a black and white film and the sound has that limited sound space effect to it to make it fit in with the older footage. A Dolby 5.1 remix would have been totally unnecessary. Some boring extras (trailer, cast bios) are included.


I feel like I'm committing sacrilege to admit I enjoy this film especially since I'm a huge Film Noir aficionado. Purists might be shocked to see classics cannibalized for a comedy of all things but I feel there is also a reverence angle that can be introduced to the argument. It also can intensify exposure to a larger mass audience and thus promoting growth. The issue for me however is that Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is one very funny film.

With the best faux authenticity (another sterling effort by Michael Chapman) blending of its day Steve Martin in on spot comic dead pan mixes with the greats of American cinema in a cleverly devised parody on film noir . As private eye Rigby Reardon he crosses paths with an hysterical Barbara Stanwyck and a homicidal Alan Ladd among a dozen other stars of bygone era. The plot has a Big Sleep similarity and is just as confusing which allows Martin and director Alan Reiner to create a steady jigsaw puzzle of laughs with a fresh original approach. It slows at times with the present day cast but when the stars are out the film becomes capable of inducing parody and awe at the same time.


Gumshoe dick Steve Martin is called on by lovely Rachel Ward to find her missing father, a cheese manufacturer. When he finds a list containing names, people put a licking on him to keep those names from turning up in the wrong hands.

An exhilarating, amazing, and rewarding film experience for Classic Movie fans, most of the key characters in this plot are played, through astonishing editing by Bud Molin, terrific cinematography by Michael Chapman, marvelous period costumes from Edith Head(her final film for which this is dedicated), by classic film stars such as Ava Gardner, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, Ray Milland, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, among others as they are confronted through meetings and conversations from detective Martin.

The flawless, seamless ability to place Martin in scenarios with so many stars of the great films from the 40's and 50's is such a pleasure to behold. Sure, many might feel some of the comedy falls flat, but I think Martin(..and Ward & Carl Reiner who also directed)is perfectly cast. His scenes dressed as a woman are hilarious especially when he kisses Ward and confronts James Cagney(..from his role in "White Heat" portraying his mother).


Simply brilliant. This gem of a movie slipped under the radar screen of the movie goer's consciousness when it was first released, but it will live on forever in the DVD collections of those who truly cherish good film-making. (And good parody. And good detective films. Film tributes, comedy, well, you get the picture I think.) As much an homage to the classic suspense/detective films as was Blade Runner, Chinatown, and Mullholland Falls. I have found myself, over the years, stealing lines from this movie at cocktail parties, and generally all I get is blank stares. But every now and then I will meet a kindred spirit, and their eyes will light up, and they'll join right it!

"You don't smoke, do you?" "No, I have tuberculosis." "Oh, thank heaven for that." Ha ha ha ha ha HAA!!

Two thumbs way up!!


I was really interested in seeing this movie, because I like film noir and I like Steve Martin. And you know what, this is a very clever and affectionate homage. My complaints are that the story is disappointingly convoluted so it is sometimes very hard to keep up with what is going on and one or two of the jokes don't quite work. But overall it is very funny, and seems to have held up well over the years. The script is clever and sophisticated enough, and Carl Reiner directs with precision and acts his part of Field Marshall VonKluck very well. The cinematography is smooth and crisp, and I thought the performances were excellent. Steve Martin is great here, not only do I think Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is underrated but this is one of his roles where Martin deserves a lot more credit. Rachel Ward looks lovely as Juliet Forrest and is terrific acting wise. The real joy is watching the archive footage of all those wonderful actors and actresses in those timeless masterpieces. Spotting stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Bette Davis, Ray Milland, Vincent Price and Ingrid Bergman all but to name a few was a delight in itself. Also the finale while silly is great fun. All in all, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is well worth the look. 8/10 Bethany Cox


This demented one-of-a-kind comedy works best if you've seen 4 or 5 noir/hard boiled detective movies. Because at that point you begin to notice the plots become conflated and entangled. The gag is that with a bit of thought you can splice 20 of them together and get something pretty similar. The resulting mystery and detection results in a story that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but then lots of noirs don't make much sense (The Big Sleep, Somewhere in the Night, Dark Passage). For noir, the tone, the striking compositions and the moral code are much more important.

Whoever pieced this together had a lot of fun with it. There's quite a range of different comedy to enjoy. Some of the funniest bits just involve the new footage (Martin's bleeding knees). Some of them are absurd/revisionist (Rachel Ward can hear Martin's voice-over narration) A whole lot of them involve the absurd plot lines introduced by the old footage, that then have to be integrated. Some running jokes are duds ("adjusting your breasts" Bogart and his ties). Others are awfully funny ("That's never gonna heal!") It also has some hysterical visuals (Martin's balletic dodge of Alan Ladd's bullet). Some of the patches are funny; Martin is constantly correcting people when they get his name wrong (because they're talking to other characters in other films) The two best comic moments involve a unique way to make coffee, and Martin's hopeless, post-rejection assessment of women. All of this is ten floors above the usual Adam Sandler dross.

If an academic ever gave this its due as the first instance of meta, or at least an example of intertextuality, it would have more respect. If you've seen it more than once, it's interesting to see why - not just plot points - but visuals have to be introduced, sometimes quite smoothly. i.e. Martin gets drugged and offers to put on his pajama top (over his suit) because it's needed to match the schmo he's doubling in the next vintage clip. Too funny. You don't need to think hard at all to enjoy this, but if you like thoughtful movies, this offers a bonus level to consider.

On the minus side, Reni Santoni is irritating and certifiably untalented. He doesn't deliver a single laugh.


This movie while not perfect is just another one of Steve Martin's good comedies of the 1980's where he was on fire in my opinion. He had so many comedies that I enjoyed that it is rather surprising. This is mainly considering the fact that the comedy movie is something now I virtually never go to the movies to see unless it is like a comedy/something other than comedy movie like Zombieland. This film also is one of the reasons I had issues with the movie "Forrest Gump" winning an Oscar for special effects. Look at this film and a later comedy "Kung Pow" and the things they made such a big deal of the fact they placed Tom Hanks with dead people is just not that big a deal. They did it here quite well, granted a lot of the time the person had their back to Steve, I still rather thought it was well done. The comedy is good, mainly consisting of Steve Martin's various looks and responses to the sometimes long dead actor's scenes from previous movies. Though the funniest part was the scene involving the dog poop which I will admit was rather childish compared to the rest of the comedy in this film, but it still got me laughing the hardest.


This film couldn't miss, for me as I love Steve Martin's irresistibly funny early films and rank film noir as probably my favourite movie genre.

Right from the start, we're comfortingly deposited back into the noir era, with the classic Universal revolving black and white logo presaging Miklos Rosza's sweeping score and the equally welcome news, in the title credits, that the great (sadly soon to be late) Edith Head is costume designer. From there, it's a short journey into beautifully shot monochromatic cinematography and Martin's deliberately clichéd voice-over, setting the scene for a roller-coaster plot, as deliberately convoluted, as anything this side of "The Maltese Falcon" or "The Big Sleep".

The humour is typical early-Martin which you either love or hate (I'm in the former camp) and as ever Steve's not above a little vulgarity to drive out the bigger laughs - for instance his hilarious re-organising of passed-out leading lady Rachel Ward's "out of whack" breasts or his answer to Lana Turner's "What are we going to do now" question as she enters his bedroom - "Kinsey, cover-to-cover".

The vintage film-clips are cleverly inserted into the plot, so that we get a dream cast, their lines and actions woven even if tenuously into the narrative, although ironically the poorer film-quality of some of their scenes work against the glossier quality of the modern camera-work.

Martin's by turns quirky and laconic delivery works well in context although Rachel Ward, pretty as she is, seems too lightweight in her part, although she does have some considerable footprints to step into (Bette or Lana she isn't). A Kathleen Turner (later brilliant in Martin's sci-fi spoof "The Man With Two Brains") or Jessica Lange (not long out of a noir remake "The Postman Always Rings Twice") would I think have worked better. Even director Reiner gets a "No show without Punch" role as the scheming "want the world" Nazi dictator behind the shenanigans.

The jokes come thick and fast and there are plenty of running gags to keep you entertained throughout. I myself will try to look up one or two of the vintage prototypes which I hadn't even heard of, never-mind seen, - "I Walked Alone" starring Kirk Douglas and especially "The Bribe" with a stellar cast of Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton and Vincent Price, with what looks like a literally crackerjack of a finale.

The combination of old film and new was later taken up by Woody Allen in "Zelig" and was further elaborated on in subsequent Hollywood films like "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and the overrated "Forrest Gump", but I'll take Messrs Martin & Reiner's stylish rib-tickling homage any day of the week. Just don't mention the cleaning lady!


I had heard quite a bit about this comedy film noir, I wasn't expecting it to be the funniest film ever, I was just looking to seeing how many classic stars would be sliced into the film. Basically private eye detective Rigby Reardon (Steve Martin), who has a dangerous phobia of cleaning women, is hired by Juliet Forrest (Rachel Ward) who believes the death of her cheese scientist father, with a secret recipe, was no accident. So begins his investigation, finding a list of "The Friends and Enemies of Carlotta", and he is now trying to find this Carlotta. In his search he encounters assorted low-lifes, and a few people on the good side, all of which are famous actors in some of their most famous roles of 30's and 40's films. Of course during his investigation he is slowly falling for Juliet, and in the end he finds out the villain is Field Marshall VonKluck (Carl Reiner), who wanted the cheese recipe for himself. To be honest, the story isn't the most important thing about this film, it is all the classic film clips placed in with the great array of classic stars. Stars placed in the film include Ingrid Bergman (Notorious), Humphrey Bogart (The Big Sleep, In a Lonely Place and Dark Passage), James Cagney (White Heat), Joan Crawford (Humoresque), Bette Davis (Deception), Kirk Douglas (I Walk Alone), Ava Gardner (The Killers and The Bribe), Cary Grant (Suspicion), Veronica Lake (The Glass Key), Fred MacMurray (Double Indemnity), Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend), Burt Lancaster (The Killers), Charles Laughton (The Bribe), Vincent Price (The Bribe), Barbara Stanwyck (Sorry, Wrong Number) and Lana Turner (Johnny Eager and The Postman Always Rings Twice). There is some funny dialogue and tiny moments of slapstick, even if you haven't seen the films placed in, this spoof is still one for the film buffs. Very good!


Rugged private detective Rigby Reardon (a splendidly deadpan performance by Steve Martin) is hired by the enticing Juliet Forrest (marvelously essayed to sultry perfection by Rachel Ward) to investigate the murder of her scientist father. Of course, Reardon soon finds himself neck deep in all kinds of trouble as he tries to find out what really happened to Julie's dad. Director Carl Reiner tells the delightfully off the wall story at a constant fast pace, delivers a meticulous recreation of the 40's era (special kudos are in order for the sets and costumes), and shows a genuine affection for vintage 40's noir. It's a real treat to watch Martin interact with such past stars as Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney (in an especially hilarious scene in which Martin dresses up in drag as Cagney's mother so he can talk to Cagney in jail!), Ingrid Bergman, Veronica Lake, Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton, Ray Milland, Alan Ladd, Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, and even Vincent Price; the editing is seamless and the jokes are bright and witty. Martin plays his role with great aplomb; he receives fine support from Ward, Reni Santoni as zealous police chief Carlos Rodriguez, and Reiner as nefarious Nazi villain Field Marshall Von Kluck. Martin's hard-boiled narration crackles with a lot of choice sharp one-liners and the movie boasts a nice sense of the ridiculous (I love the way Ward keeps removing bullets from Martin's hide with her teeth!). Michael Chapman's gorgeous, moody black and white cinematography perfectly captures that distinctive smoky film noir style. Miklos Rozsa's sweeping, melodramatic score likewise does the trick. A very funny and enjoyable one-of-a-kind comedy hoot.


The funny teaming of Carl Reiner and Steve Martin after The Jerk(1979), brought you a funny send up of private eye films of the 1940's, but instead of it being just a simple spoof, the filmmakers went further, on having old film footage of great actors like Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, Alan Ladd, and Humphrey Bogart for Steve Martin to play off of. The results is a funny mystery, I like the way it was in black and white, it blends in well with the old footage. It begins with detective Rigby Reardon(The always funny Steve Martin), is hired by Juliet Forrest(The gorgeous and talented Rachel Ward) to solve the mysterious death of her father, Reardon starts to investigate, but will he get into deep? A classic comedy for years to enjoy, Steve Martin and the old film footage blends in well together, it almost looks real. Steve Martin is funny, even when moments he's not trying to hard to be funny, he's even funnier. So is Rachel Ward, she's enjoyable to watch, even when she plays off Martin So We'll. If you are in the mood for a comedy classic with Steve Martin, then go out and rent Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid.


When you think of it, this is a very inexpensive way to produce a movie. Imagine what it would have cost to hire **real** actors for all those scenes lifted from the old detective pictures. This movie actually has a quite small cast, with one of the parts played by writer/director Carl Reiner--more money saved! The marvelously talented Reni Santoni, who portrays a South American policeman to hilarious effect, is a Reiner favorite. Santoni actually played a character based on the young Carl Reiner in the semi-autobiographical "Enter Laughing" fifteen years earlier.

There is much clever writing here and Steve Martin's deadpan style of comedy is right on the money. As this is satire, not drama, the virtual absence of plot isn't a major flaw. Likewise the limited acting skills of Rachel Ward who only has to do sexy.


There are two key ingredients to producing a good spoof. Not only should the film satirise a specific work or genre, but it must serve just as well as a homage. Were 'Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)' to have been made by filmmakers with no interest in film noir, it most certainly would not have been such an enjoyable comedy. Director Carl Reiner and lead actor Steve Martin instead actively embrace the clichés and conventions of the noir style, adding their own jokes, of course, but primarily drawing humour from the characters' deadpan reactions to ridiculous scenarios. Accusations that the film is a mere "gimmick comedy" are well-founded but misguided - Rigby Reardon's interactions with cinema's classic hard-boiled characters {including Humphrey Bogart, Ray Milland and James Cagney}, via archival footage, are an inspired opportunity for storytelling creativity, and the writers' ability to meld these disjointed episodes into a coherent and entertaining narrative deserves to be applauded. Why this hilarious film isn't ranked alongside classics like 'Young Frankenstein (1974)' is beyond me.

Private detective Reardon (Martin) opens the picture like most of his predecessors did. As he sits in his office, considering closing down for a few days, he is unexpectedly interrupted by a beautiful woman at the door. The intelligent and sophisticated Juliet Forrest (Rachel Ward) begins to speak, but, upon noticing the newspaper headline of her father's death, suddenly faints into Rigby's arms. So far, we've stayed pretty true to the source material. But then, noticing the breathtaking prettiness of his (unconscious) female visitor, Rigby "confirms her existence" by kissing her and fondling her breasts. When Juliet awakens and dazedly asks Rigby what he's doing, the detective offers the logical answer, with a straight face that only Steve Martin could have delivered. Rachel Ward has a bit of Lauren Bacall about her, quietly seductive without being openly so. In a nod to Bacall's famous "put your lips together and blow" line from 'To Have and Have Not (1944),' the film features Juliet's similar instructions on how to use a telephone. The remainder of the cast is derived almost exclusively from 1940s cinema.

What makes 'Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid' unique among spoof comedies is its use of archive footage from classic film noir thrillers. The film's most deserving geniuses are those who worked on the editing, costumes and set decoration. Notably, this was the last contribution of legendary costume designer Edith Head, who, ironically, was asked to precisely replicate some of her own previous work from the 1940s. Editor Bud Molin did absolute wonders with the footage he was given - not only are we duped into believing that Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray from 'Double Indemnity (1944)') might conceivably have fallen for Steve Martin in a blonde wig, but he even somehow manages to transform Ingrid Bergman (in'Notorious (1946)') into a sinister, scheming seductress. While the jokes very occasionally skirt the borders of credulity (the "bullet sucking" medical treatment) and good taste (the "adjustments"), Carl Reiner's comedy is largely a mature and affectionate love-letter to a style of film that they "just don't make like they used to."


I watched this twice this day and then hollered for my husband to see this. He actually laughed aloud during scenes where I rolled my eyes. HOWEVER, I must add that I too had a fun time. I DID enjoy the premise meaning the interaction/interjection of the '40's film noir characters slipped into this.

I also admit that going in I knew that the combo of Steve Martin with Carl Reiner's direction it was going to be somewhat silly but wow, it was done wonderfully..AND again I had a fun time. Being that gorgeous Rachel Ward agreed to costar in this was a plus...shows she had a tremendous sense of humor let alone shedding any ego.

Oh see it...it's in the caliber of something Mel Brooks would pull-off. I DVR'd it and I may watch it another 20 times!


Rigby Reardon is a private dick in every sense of the word. A black and white throwback to the 1940's and 50's who lives in a world of tough guys and femme fatales, where everyone and everything is covering up for something ...Or someone. That is till the beautiful Juliet Forrest shows up with a case that may just be worth dying for as she tries to find her missing father and discover just who or what are the friends of Carlotta and the enemies of Carlotta. In order to do that Rigby enlists the help from the greatest detective of all time, Philip Marlowe, and nods his hat to every great star of the era in this brilliant and largely forgotten Steve Martin film from a time when he was heading back to the top and working damn hard to do so.

This is the second great collaboration he did with the writer/director Carl Reiner, and while the man with two brains may be more laugh out loud funny, there have been few films more clever inventive and downright audacious in their attempt to recreate a bygone era by basically, well, stealing it! The script is extremely clever and the scene when he is being warned off using a former girlfriend for an assignment is hilarious with Kirk Douglas as a particular nasty henchman. The merging of past and present stars is very effective and like Roger Rabbit which came after it's a job in itself to spot whose in it and what film that were originally in.

Add to this a great score which perfectly encapsulate the feel of the era and you have a great fun film that's as timeless as the classics it rips off.

Good stuff!


Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is one of Steve Martin's lesser known films. It was the second of four Martin made with director Carl Reiner. But its never achieved the classic status of The Jerk or The Man With Two Brains. And that's a shame. Because its one of the most ambitious and conceptually audacious films Martin has ever starred in.

I get the impression not just any actor could have pulled this off, but Martin does. Very successfully too if I do say so. And I don't envy his task. He's starring in a film made up of many different clips from films of the 1940s and 50s. DMDWP is a film more smooth than it has a right to be. Thanks to Martin's perfect comic timing.

The film is designed as an affectionate spoof of hard-boiled detective stories. And Martin is right at the centre of it as gumshoe Rigby Reardon. I won't bother going into detail about the plot. Probably because its best not to think about it too much while watching DMDWP. The amusement comes from Martin's deadpan Rigby, and how he plugs into the vast assortment of clips Reiner has put together.

DMDWP is right out of a Raymond Chandler novel. Where detectives are hard-boiled burn outs and women are impeccably dressed and dripping with attitude. And makes it the springboard for one of the wackiest film-noirs you'll ever see.

Just about every actor from the Golden Age of Cinema appears in DMDWP. Although Lauren Bacall is a conspicuous absentee. But its the way the film incorporates footage from more films than I can count that makes what you're seeing so special. We're talking about different classics, all with vastly different plots. And Reiner combines them in a way that verges on the inspired.

Its all typical film-noir. Complete with dark alleys, femme fatales and exotic locales. Shot in beautifully crisp B&W. And right in the middle of it is a hair-dyed Steve Martin.

His latest case is the murder of cheese-maker(!) Dr John Forrest. His daughter Juliet Forrest (Rachel Ward) brings Rigby in to do some investigating. I can't really say anymore, because its such a wacky investigation. But it includes everything from sucking bullets out of chest wounds, Rigby's custom-made Java to wearing a blonde wig and a dress.

What a brilliant film this is! I have no idea when Reiner and Martin dreamt this up. And its a film that shouldn't even begin to work. But oddly enough it does. The filmmakers have set themselves a real arduous task. But somehow they take these wildly different plots from all over the place and turn it into an almost cohesive film. Remember, I said almost!

OK, I'll be honest with you. DMDWP doesn't always make a lot of sense. But then film-noir usually doesn't. Even Raymond Chandler had trouble keeping up with The Big Sleep while he was writing it! But the fact that the film makes any kind of coherent sense at all is down to Steve Martin.

He has seldom been better in anything else. Martin was still in his crazed, manic man phase, so the role of Rigby Reardon was something of a pleasant diversion. Martin was a real trooper. Going far above and beyond the call of duty. Most of the time he has to talk to thin air. While the footage is incorporated at a later date. I suppose you can tell where the reality ends and the footage begins. It is noticeably grainier, but Martin makes sure every scene hits it's mark.

There are so many great little gags. Particularly inspired is the way DMDWP takes scenes from these films that are meant to be deadly serious and reworks them through clever editing and Martin's reactions so they become comedic instead. I especially loved Rigby's conversations with Humphrey Bogart's Philip Marlowe. And the scene where he throttles Bette Davis is unnerving.

Martin gets a lot of droll dialogue that he delivers to perfection. I had no idea that he had such a talent for deadpan humour. And he gets to show off his talent for physical comedy too. The scene where he makes coffee has to be seen to be believed. I don't want to spoil it for you, but it provides one of the greatest sight gags you'll ever see.

Aside from Martin, the only other person who provides a human element is Rachel Ward. She certainly looks enticing, but she is occasionally a little bland. She never quite sizzles the way you expect her to.

But that doesn't matter. Because this is Martin's show. DMDWP was also one of the rare occasions where he had the opportunity to flex his considerable skills as a writer. I'm sure he's tailored a few situations to match his talents. But whether it calls for him to be deadpan or (occasionally) manic, Martin does brilliantly.

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid does admittedly run out of steam about 10 minutes before the end. As soon as it runs out of clips to use, the film loses some momentum. But even still, its a very, very good film indeed. One of Steve Martin's best. A tightly plotted, gag-packed laugh-a-thon that doesn't deserve obscurity. And getting to see Martin with dark hair is worth the price of admission alone!


From the first time I saw this in the first-run theaters, I thought this movie would garner at the very LEAST some editing awards.

But as we always see in these affairs, the really great contributions to cinema are woefully ignored, intentionally overlooked or baked over by the interests groups of the powers that be (payolas...).

This is a masterpiece of construction in visuals, script, set decoration and so many other technical awards. As with Zelig...it is only NOW that people are lauding its true worth.

I feel that something should be done to elevate this movie to its rightful place in the annals of creative wizardry.


Who cares about the plot in this wonderful comedy! It's about as important as the search for the greatest egg salad recipe in Woody Allen's "What's Up Tiger Lily." In fact, a sensible plot would have detracted from the comedy and wonderful editing of old film clips. I watched this twice recently on cable (it's one of those movies, like "Airplane," that once you start watching, you can't turn it off. This time around I found Reni Santoni's obsession with Rigby's pajamas hilarious. How did I miss it last time? I'm still laughing about it a few days later and am picking up a DVD tonight. Martin was great -- I love his sleight-of-hand tricks, the coffee, lighting both ends of the cigarette, tearing it in half and offering one half to Rachel Ward (spoof of Paul Henreid in "Now, Voyageur.") Sweinhundt! (sp) Jerk! and so many other great moments. As for Terre Haute -- why not Terre Haute? It could have been any of a million other towns, DeKalb, Ill., where I live, for example.


I saw this when it came out in the theaters and it didn't work for me at all.... Over the years I would catch a bit on T.V. here and there and it would seem funnier than I remembered...

I took the tape out of the library and thought I would give it another try, having been on a bit of a film noir jag. I think I am going to rank it as a small classic; perhaps as good as Carl's old partner's best film "Young Frankenstein." Admittedly, you have to get on the frequency of extreme silliness that Martin and Reiner ask you accept without forcing things. Some of the gag's meander a bit, like Bogart's Marlowe; yet I somehow feel Bogie's odd, bemused non reaction to the mayhem is perfect. He may fit into this movie better than "Beat The Devil."

Martin get's a chance to do some of his best ever physical comedy. And hat's off to Rachel Ward, who looks great and finds just the right tone for this somewhat odd acting assignment. She can adjust my willie anytime.


A one joke movie- but its a great joke.1940s gumshoe Rigby Reardon{Steve Martin} gets a visit by sultry client Rachel Ward whose father has gone missing. Then the fun begins.Set in and around 40s LA, this film combines Martin interacting with clips of characters and scenes from classic 40s noir.He gets advice from Marlowe- the actual clip of Bogart is shown and flawlessly inserted into the film. Along the way, he gets to interact with Alan Ladd{This Gun For Hire}, Barbara Stanwick and Fred Mac Murray{from Double Indemnity}, Burt Lancaster{from The Killers}, Cagney {The prison scene from White Heat} Cary Grant {from Suspicion} Edward Arnold, Bette Davis, Charles Laughton, etc. This film works like a charm because it parodies the noir that it spoofs in a lovable and respectable way. It is never held up to ridicule. The beautiful black and white photography and costume designs by the late great Edith Head all work as one.The ending is a riot! If director Reiner playing a Nazi with a bogus German accent doesn't make you laugh, hothing will. Its all there- the seedy office, the rainy nights, the 40s cars, and the typical noir jargon that made these films great. Ir will probably appeal more to film buffs than the average viewer, but thats OK. Martin has never been better- and Rachel Ward is a knockout too.Great fun!