Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

At first I thought this film was going to be just another detective caper. Steve Martin is a private eye in a spoof of "The Big Sleep". The script is very funny, and you have to concentrate to avoid letting some of the gags whistle past you.

But in fact the whole film is interleaved with actual sections from that and a dozen other Hollywood classics of earlier decades. The format is, we see the big name star in the original film, talking to someone else who has his back to us. Or her back. and then cut to another shot, where Steve Martin is playing the man, or woman, and the big star has his or her back to us. This (pic) is Martin dressing for the first time in the film.

The matches are quite cleverly done, with a lot of effort to make the background, and Steve Martin's character's dresses, close copies.

Here s/he is in the supermarket in Double Indemnity.

Fred MacMurray picks her up, and he snogs her back at his place.

Later, in a different persona, he goes with his client to the State Penitentiary ...

To visit Jimmy Cagney, in White Heat.

The film has been described as too clever by half; but I enjoyed it immensely.

It's in black and white for added period feel.

HF June 2001

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