Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

  • 77% of critics liked it
    (22 reviews)

  • 67% of users liked it
    (9,442 ratings)

In this post-modernist exercise, star/writer Steve Martin and director Carl Reiner spoof the film noir yarns of the '40s with Martin playing gumshoe Rigby Reardon, who interacts with a legion of Hollywood greats -- including Humphrey Bogart, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Edward Arnold, Barbara… More

PG, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By
Carl Reiner
Written By
George Gipe, Steve Martin
Genres
Mystery & Suspense, Comedy
In Theaters
May 21, 1982 Wide
On DVD
Mar 16, 1999
Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

    A parlor trick, but the kind -- an inquiring jester making his way through the ghosts of cinema's past -- that gets Godard at the Moviola to layer Histoire(s) together

  • Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures

    Hilarious and seamless!

  • Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

    Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is a thoroughly entertaining spoof of Hollywood private eye movies.

  • Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

    Too clever for its own good when it should be worried about being funny.

  • Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

    Mainly for the noir geeks and the Steve Martin fans -- and I'm both.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Clintus M


    This may be my favorite Steve Martin movie and one of my favorites ever. I consider it one of the funniest, most inventive films ever and years ahead of its time. As most of you know, this is a send-up or spoof of film noir detective movies interlacing live action with film clips.… More

  • AJ V


    This film noir spoof takes footage from the old movies and mixes them with scenes of Steve Martin as a detective. It's very interesting to watch, and very funny too.

  • Anthony L


    Slightly funny but not much. Good editing and clever idea, for the first five minutes that is, then it gets a bit boring!

  • xGary X


    Luckily, this affectionate parody of Film Noir from Steve Martin was made deep, deep back in the mists of the dawn of time, when giant reptiles ruled the Earth and he was still funny. Cleverly splicing in sequences from several movie classics, it tells the story of Rigby Reardon,… More

  • Tim S


    If you're a film noir fan or just a spoof fan in general, then this movie is right up your alley. Steve Martin plays a P.I. who falls for a beautiful client, whose case turns out to be more dangerous and complicated than he expected. Weaving together footage from 1940s film… More

Read all 9 featured audience ratings

Cast

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