Sept. 29, 2025

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

In this episode, hosts Bill Bant and Jason Masek take a closer look at the 1988 comedy 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.' They dive into the film’s cast and crew, sharing personal memories and first impressions, while breaking down what makes this con-artist classic so memorable. From standout performances by Michael Caine and Steve Martin to the film’s sharp humor and clever plot twists, the hosts explore the dynamics between the characters and the art of the con.

The discussion covers everything from favorite scenes and comedic highlights to behind-the-scenes trivia, nitpicks, and the film’s reception. Bill and Jason also reflect on the broader world of con movies and even share some of their own experiences with scams. Wrapping up with their final rating, they assess the film’s strengths, weaknesses, and its enduring entertainment value.

Show Notes
Transcript

"Nice guys finish last. Meet the winners." In this episode, we are discussing the comedy 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.' The movie stars Michael Caine, Steve Martin and Glenne Headly. Directed by Frank Oz.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095031/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_in_0_q_dirty%2520rotten

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dirty_rotten_scoundrels

Bill's Letterboxd Ratings: https://letterboxd.com/bill_b/list/bills-all-80s-movies-podcast-ratings/

Jason's Letterboxd Ratings: https://letterboxd.com/jasonmasek/list/jasons-all-80s-movies-podcast-ratings/

Website: http://www.all80smoviespodcast.com

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/podcastAll80s

Facebook (META): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100030791216864

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podcastall80s.bsky.social

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@all80smoviespodcast

Over 25,000 podcasters use Podpage! Create your own podcast website that looks great, runs smoothly, and is optimized for search engines. Get started today! Click Here to learn More

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:22.640
Everything podcast.

2
00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.440
Hello and welcome to the All Eighties Movies podcast podcast,

3
00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:28.960
where we talk about the blockbusters, love blocks and everything

4
00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:31.879
in between from one of the prestest decades from movies,

5
00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:34.520
the nineteen eighties. I'm your host Bill Banton, locked me

6
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.560
on this journey revisiting eighties movies. Is my co host

7
00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:40.960
Jason Massek. Hello, Jason Freddy.

8
00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:44.119
As a younger man, I was a sculptor, a painter,

9
00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:47.679
and a musician. There was just one problem. I wasn't

10
00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:49.920
very good. As a matter of fact, I was dreadful.

11
00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.719
I finally came to the frustrating conclusion that I had

12
00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:56.520
taste and style, but not talent. I knew my limitations.

13
00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:00.759
We all have our limitations, Freddy. Fortunately, I discovered that

14
00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:05.519
taste and style were commodities that people desired. Freddy. What

15
00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:10.000
I am saying is know your limitations. You are a moron.

16
00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:13.400
That's right, Listeners, we are discussing with spoilers of Plenty,

17
00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:17.000
the nineteen eighty eight comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. It was

18
00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:20.519
produced by Bernard Williams and distribed it by Ryan Pictures.

19
00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:24.359
The movie stars Michael Kain, Steve Martin, and Glenn Headley.

20
00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:27.359
Directed by Frank Oz. This movie is rated PG with

21
00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:30.200
a running time of one hour and fifty minutes. It

22
00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:32.920
is a remake of Bedtime Story, which was released in

23
00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:36.680
nineteen sixty four and starred Marlon Brando, David Niven, and

24
00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:40.760
Shirley Jones. So what is this movie about? What's on

25
00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:42.920
the box? If you grew up in the nineteen eighties,

26
00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:45.120
in what's your local video store to rent this movie?

27
00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:47.480
You would find this description on the back of the

28
00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:50.760
VHS box. It is what's on the box? Take it away.

29
00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:56.799
Jason, a connoisseur of conning. Lawrence Jamison Michael Kaine is

30
00:01:56.920 --> 00:02:00.640
running the ultimate royal scam on the Riviera. He's posing

31
00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:04.159
as a deposed prince, raising funds for the freedom fighters

32
00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:07.599
of his stricken homeland. Should a wealthy commoner care to

33
00:02:07.959 --> 00:02:11.400
give her all to his noble cause, so be it,

34
00:02:11.479 --> 00:02:14.639
provided she also kicks in cash, jewelry and gambling chips.

35
00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:18.599
But his hustling highness gets royally flushed when one day

36
00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:23.159
a pretender to his throne turns up. He's Freddie Benson

37
00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:26.000
Steve Martin, a small time scam artist who has enough

38
00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:28.800
on Jamison to make a mess of the monarchy. So

39
00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:31.680
the rivals make a wager. The first to extract fifty

40
00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:34.919
thousand dollars from the next woman they see wins and

41
00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:39.879
the loser goes into exile. Enter Janet Colgate Glen Hedley,

42
00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:44.560
a naive American detergent heiress, and the races on with

43
00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:47.919
Jamison ready to take her and Freddy eager to make her.

44
00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:50.800
The innocent soap queen is well on her way to

45
00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:54.439
the cleaners in this hilarious comedy that proves that anybody

46
00:02:54.680 --> 00:02:59.120
can be taken in by dirty, rotten scoundrels.

47
00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:02.960
Dirty rotten skiss. So that was what's in the box.

48
00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:06.199
Let's move on to our av snapshot as we highlight

49
00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:09.120
some of the creative forces from this movie. Jason, who

50
00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:09.599
do you got?

51
00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:13.919
All right, let's get into it. This will be fun. Well,

52
00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:17.080
I got to talk about Michael Kain playing one of

53
00:03:17.080 --> 00:03:22.199
the protagonist roles of English con artist Lawrence Jamison, so

54
00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:25.319
real quick. On a personal note, I've always been a

55
00:03:25.400 --> 00:03:28.599
huge fan of Michael Kain since I was a young

56
00:03:28.680 --> 00:03:33.360
and up and coming actor, especially after watching his famous

57
00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:37.800
video Acting in Film, which was a staple in acting courses.

58
00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:39.879
I remember watching that at the University of Miami It's

59
00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:41.560
a great video if you want a quick lesson on

60
00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:44.599
how to act on camera, very different from acting in

61
00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:48.280
the theater. It's a very practical lesson and he's brilliant

62
00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:51.039
in it. You can see his technique shine through then

63
00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:54.000
and in any movie he's in, including this one, of course.

64
00:03:54.039 --> 00:03:59.439
Michael Kain was born as Maurice Joseph Mikelwhite in London.

65
00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:02.039
He stands pretty tall at six foot two. Michael Kaine's

66
00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:04.879
been nominated for an Oscar six times. He won the

67
00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:07.560
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice for Hannah and

68
00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:10.280
her Sisters in eighty six and The Cider House Rules

69
00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:13.439
in ninety nine. His career dates back to the fifties,

70
00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:16.360
but he makes a splash with Zulu in sixty four.

71
00:04:16.759 --> 00:04:19.360
He was nominated for Alfie in sixty six. He does

72
00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:22.439
a bunch of work then and here comes the eighty snapshot.

73
00:04:22.519 --> 00:04:24.959
He does Dressed to Kill an eighty Victory in eighty one,

74
00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:27.000
death Trap in eighty two, Bill we got to do

75
00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:30.879
that one, yes, death Trap. Christpher reed educating Rita in

76
00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:32.879
eighty three, Blame It on Rio in eighty four, Hannah

77
00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:35.600
and Her Sisters eighty six, Jaws The Revenge the Best

78
00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:38.600
movie Ever in eighty seven, and then he does a

79
00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:40.680
couple episodes of a TV mini series called Jack the

80
00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:43.680
Ripper in eighty eight, This Dirty Rotten Scoundrels also in

81
00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:47.079
eighty eight. His trademarks, of course, are his Cockney accent.

82
00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:50.279
He often plays mentors the younger characters. Now frequently works

83
00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:53.279
with Christopher Nolan. We do love him as Alfred in

84
00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:56.959
Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Of course, a little trivia once

85
00:04:57.240 --> 00:04:59.120
he said that he knew he had made it as

86
00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:01.600
an actor when he starts getting scripts to read that

87
00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:04.399
no longer had coffee stains already on them, meaning that

88
00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:06.480
he was the first choice for the role when he

89
00:05:06.600 --> 00:05:09.519
was still a struggling actor in London and rooming with

90
00:05:09.800 --> 00:05:16.759
Terrence Stamp. Cain's barber was future hairstylist and guru Vidal Sassoon.

91
00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:19.480
And here's a quick quote. This is a famous one

92
00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:21.399
if you're familiar with any of the behind the scenes

93
00:05:21.399 --> 00:05:24.759
stuff from Jaws The Revenge. Here's his quote he says

94
00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:26.959
about the movie. He says, I have never seen it,

95
00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:29.759
but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have

96
00:05:29.879 --> 00:05:32.319
seen the house that it built, and it is terrific,

97
00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:33.360
Michael Kaine.

98
00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:36.319
I always love that quote. It's great, it's so honest.

99
00:05:36.759 --> 00:05:38.439
What do you got for your eighties snapshot?

100
00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:41.759
Bill bant So I went with producer Bernard Williams, who

101
00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.680
was known for his work on a range of acclaimed films,

102
00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:49.240
including collaborations with director Stanley Kubrick and Frank Oz. Born

103
00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:52.240
in London, Williams began his career in the film industry

104
00:05:52.279 --> 00:05:55.839
as a teenager, starting in the mailroom at Associated British

105
00:05:55.879 --> 00:05:58.839
Pictures in the early sixties. He served as second and

106
00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:03.160
third assistant dire director to two notable films Today The

107
00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:06.879
Earth Caught Fire in nineteen sixty one and Bunny Lake

108
00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:11.399
Is Missing from sixty five, directed by Auto Preminger. He

109
00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:14.600
also worked as a production manager on the influential British

110
00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:17.759
television series The Prisoner. Williams went on to collaborate with

111
00:06:17.800 --> 00:06:21.319
Stanley Krubrick as associate producer on two of the director's

112
00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:24.839
most iconic films, Blockwork Aren't from nineteen seventy one and

113
00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:29.240
Barry London from nineteen seventy five. His long standing partnership

114
00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:32.240
with director Frank Oz began with Dirty Rotten Scandals and

115
00:06:32.279 --> 00:06:35.639
continued through a series of successful films, What About Bob

116
00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:38.759
in ninety one, House Sitter in ninety two, The Indian

117
00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:42.319
and the Cupboard in ninety five, Both Finger in ninety nine,

118
00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:46.079
and The Score in two thousand and one. Beyond these collaborations,

119
00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:50.360
Williams produced a diverse array of films, including Flash Gordon

120
00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:53.680
from nineteen eighty, Ragtime nineteen eighty one, The Bounty in

121
00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:58.319
eighty four, and Manhunter in nineteen eighty six. Williams passed

122
00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:01.879
away in twenty fifteen at the age of seventy two.

123
00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:06.439
Wow, quite the resume. The very cool. I enjoyed that. Yeah.

124
00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:08.839
I thought it was a bit unusual because when we

125
00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:12.600
talk about these movies, the producer is typically a studio.

126
00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:15.240
So when I saw it was just a person, I

127
00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:16.920
was like, who is this guy? Then I did a

128
00:07:16.920 --> 00:07:21.399
deep dive and realized, Wow, he's actually done some impressive work.

129
00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:22.199
Yeah, big time.

130
00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:25.319
I figured it was worth sharing. Okay, so this leads

131
00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:30.000
us to earliest memories? What are your earliest memories from

132
00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:32.639
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels? Jason stars Off.

133
00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:36.439
I don't recall seeing this film in the theater, nor

134
00:07:36.519 --> 00:07:38.800
did I have any recollection of who I was with

135
00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:40.680
or where I was exactly when I first saw it.

136
00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:43.879
I just know the feeling it gives me when I

137
00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:47.160
hear the title mentioned, and for me, it's all feel

138
00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:51.560
good nostalgia. I recall seeing the trailer on television, finding

139
00:07:51.560 --> 00:07:55.600
it amusing, and I recall that the film, you know,

140
00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:57.360
I thought it was just really light on its feet,

141
00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:00.519
great entertainment with great performances that made me laugh out loud.

142
00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:05.759
I always recall watching Steve Martin and enjoying him thoroughly,

143
00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:09.279
always been a fan. What he does best in this film,

144
00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:13.839
it's the combination of his physical comedy with brilliantly delivered timing.

145
00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:17.079
And here's the thing. For me, he just exudes such

146
00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:20.639
a likability. There's something there's a warmth about Steve Martin

147
00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:23.959
that I've always been attracted to. So I recall that,

148
00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:27.360
and over the years, I mentioned this briefly. You know,

149
00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:30.480
I've had a huge appreciation for Michael Kain, but I

150
00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:35.120
recall really enjoying his performance in this comedy, which I

151
00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:38.240
wasn't familiar. You know, you think Michael Caine, you think

152
00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:42.639
a little bit more serious actory performances, if that makes sense,

153
00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:45.919
And that's what I recall. So he was well regarded

154
00:08:45.960 --> 00:08:47.960
as a serious actor at the time, but yeah, he

155
00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:50.159
shows up big time in this as more of the

156
00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:52.440
straight man, but has some great comedic moments. I do

157
00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:57.440
remember enjoying the so called twist at the end spoiler alert,

158
00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:01.320
sort of gosh, this is for sure. I do remember

159
00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:06.000
thinking that Glenn Headley in the role of Janet Colgate

160
00:09:06.519 --> 00:09:09.480
was very cute. I always found her. There's just something

161
00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:11.960
about her I found very attractive when I was younger,

162
00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:14.919
still do to this day. So yeah, I could go

163
00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:17.679
through all the scenes which I recall being funny. There

164
00:09:17.720 --> 00:09:20.159
are standout moments, but I'm gonna pulled off because I

165
00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:22.159
think we'll talk about some of those in our favorite

166
00:09:22.200 --> 00:09:24.799
scenes and moments coming up. I've always liked movies about

167
00:09:24.840 --> 00:09:28.200
con artists. I just really enjoyed the silliness of this

168
00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:30.559
film as a kid. I remember it being a little

169
00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:33.559
over the top in moments. I enjoyed the sort of

170
00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:36.200
the back and forth tennis match, if you will, between

171
00:09:36.360 --> 00:09:39.600
Michael Caine and Steve Martin's characters. It's just watching this

172
00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:42.799
game of who's gonna out con the other person or

173
00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:45.879
outsmart the other person, out play the other person, and

174
00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:48.799
out maneuver them. It's like, you know what I thought

175
00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:51.279
of this is this is probably was why I was

176
00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:53.679
attracted to con artists movies as a kid. It's like

177
00:09:53.720 --> 00:09:57.000
their magicians and you're just trying to figure out their secrets,

178
00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:58.879
how they're gonna pull it off, and how they managed

179
00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:01.720
to do it. And there are a sort of actors themselves, right,

180
00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:04.480
I mean, their performance artists themselves being connors. So I

181
00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:06.240
was always attracted to that as a kid, and it's

182
00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:07.600
one of the reasons why I like this movie as

183
00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:10.879
a kid. So those are my earliest memories. Just always

184
00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:13.440
thought this movie was fun, and so I watched it

185
00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:15.600
more than a few times when I was younger. What

186
00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:18.120
are your earliest memories of DRS.

187
00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:21.080
Yeah, for me, it was the trail that hooked me

188
00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:24.960
right away. That scene, it's not even in the actual movie,

189
00:10:25.320 --> 00:10:28.240
where Steve Martin pushes the woman into the canal or

190
00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:31.600
river made me laugh out loud. I saw that and

191
00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:35.080
thought I have to watch this. Then later, while doing

192
00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:37.519
some research on the film, I realized I had never

193
00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:40.759
even noticed the moment where Michael Caine shots Cotton Candy

194
00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:43.360
and that kid's face, probably because I was so focused

195
00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:46.039
on Steve Martin. Pushing the woman into the water. And

196
00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:49.919
then there's that scene where Steve Martin plays ruprict sitting

197
00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:52.120
at the table with the eye patch, and he says,

198
00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:54.200
may I go to the bathroom?

199
00:10:54.360 --> 00:10:54.600
Leave?

200
00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:58.159
It just sits there that whole moment, I mean dying,

201
00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:01.759
and you're thinking, my god, what is going on with

202
00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:04.720
this movie? It came out around Christmas during the school year,

203
00:11:04.759 --> 00:11:06.399
and so there was no way I was going to

204
00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:09.480
see in the theaters. It was definitely a rental. Honestly,

205
00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:11.919
when I first watched it, I wasn't that into it.

206
00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:15.559
I mean, I liked the ending, the twist was pretty cool,

207
00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:18.240
but overall it just didn't fully land for me. I

208
00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:21.279
never really watched it again after that. I thought, Okay,

209
00:11:21.480 --> 00:11:26.200
that was interesting, but it didn't leave a strong impression. Still,

210
00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:29.720
I've always been curious about revisiting it, like, would I

211
00:11:29.720 --> 00:11:32.519
appreciate it more now? Maybe I'd end up loving it,

212
00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:35.759
or maybe I'd still feel the same. That curiosity is

213
00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:37.840
one of the main reasons I wanted to get this

214
00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:41.159
movie on the schedule, because I haven't really gone back

215
00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:43.600
to it since the eighties. I might have caught a

216
00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:46.600
clip here or there, but that's it. I think part

217
00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:50.399
of it was that the trailer just set my expectations

218
00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:52.759
so high, right, and I didn't feel like the movie

219
00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:56.639
paid off. Yeah, and then the fact that the scene

220
00:11:56.639 --> 00:11:59.559
for the trailer wasn't even the movie. I get why

221
00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:02.799
the context of the film, it probably wouldn't have worked.

222
00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:06.559
The characters are constantly at odds, but in that trailer

223
00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:10.120
moment they come across more like buddies, which doesn't really

224
00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:13.279
fit their dynamic. So in a way, I'm actually glad

225
00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:16.279
it wasn't included in the film, but still it hooked me.

226
00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:18.960
The trailer did this job, it just didn't deliver the

227
00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:20.679
kind of payoff I was hoping for.

228
00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:24.080
That totally makes sense, and I'm glad you brought up

229
00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:27.000
the trailer. That is definitely an early memory of mine,

230
00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:29.919
as I mentioned, because it is so funny and it's

231
00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:33.320
unexpected you when you first see it. Of course, and

232
00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:37.200
you are absolutely right that scene would not work within

233
00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:40.080
the context of the film, because in just such a

234
00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:43.639
small amount of time within that trailer, that scene does

235
00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:47.679
portray them as more there's more camaraderie there. Maybe, yeah,

236
00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:49.720
it's very subtle, but you can feel like, as in

237
00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:52.360
their partner, they're not just partners, but maybe there's an

238
00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:56.960
underlying friendship as well, which is not really what occurs

239
00:12:57.000 --> 00:12:57.279
in this.

240
00:12:57.320 --> 00:13:00.840
Film, right, And Michael Kaine's character Laurence has a code

241
00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:03.799
about who he cons and he definite wouldn't shove cotton

242
00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:06.639
candy and some kid's face. That kind of behaviors totally

243
00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:07.720
have a character for him.

244
00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:12.120
Great point. Yeah, yeah, that's outside of his boundaries for him.

245
00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:15.360
Yeah, all right, let's move on to initial thoughts. Jason,

246
00:13:15.480 --> 00:13:18.639
what are your initial thoughts about dirty rotten Scoundrels?

247
00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:20.879
You know what, I will just spoil it right now.

248
00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:24.240
I felt fantastic. I had a great time. I laughed

249
00:13:24.279 --> 00:13:30.120
out loud several times watching this. I was really, really

250
00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:33.720
pleasantly surprised. I expected to like it. I've always had

251
00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:36.879
an affinity for it, but I was surprised at how

252
00:13:36.919 --> 00:13:40.559
many times I actually like burst out laughing in moments.

253
00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:45.039
So I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoy this. It's just kind of

254
00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:47.159
a fun romp and I'll get into it now. And

255
00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:50.360
I just watched the opening credits bill and it's just

256
00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.840
been a you know, man, in the eighties, remember when

257
00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:54.720
we had to sit through credits from the beginning of

258
00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:57.080
the film and this is just one of those like

259
00:13:57.159 --> 00:14:00.240
nothing's happening, it's just credits over. I guess it's is

260
00:14:00.279 --> 00:14:02.559
it the French Riviera? You're just seeing the water in

261
00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:03.360
the background.

262
00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:06.759
And let me ask you a quick question. Did you

263
00:14:06.840 --> 00:14:10.840
think that was the real, actual French Riviera or was

264
00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:12.879
it a model? I couldn't tell.

265
00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:16.120
That's a great question, and I thought of that myself.

266
00:14:16.200 --> 00:14:19.399
I couldn't tell either if it was real or not.

267
00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:22.639
It was a pretty setting, but it could. Yeah, there

268
00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:24.519
was something about it that felt.

269
00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:27.240
But I know they filmed it out there, right, Yeah.

270
00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:30.559
But that particular still shot, although you can see the

271
00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:34.320
water moving, it feels like a model a little bit.

272
00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:36.639
There's something plastic about it or something. I don't know

273
00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:39.559
what it is, but you're right, it's an interesting observation.

274
00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:41.639
Yeah, it's just the way it's slit it makes it

275
00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:42.159
look fake.

276
00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:44.559
Yeah, it's kind of It's a little strange. But we

277
00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:46.960
said through the credits it's still fun because there was

278
00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:50.480
a little bit of a cold open there, which we'll

279
00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:53.440
get into because that leads into my first favorite scene.

280
00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:57.600
But I forgot or just didn't realize Bill that this

281
00:14:57.759 --> 00:15:00.960
movie was indeed directed by Frank Oz the great Frank

282
00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:04.559
Oz the Wizard of Oz, because not only, of course,

283
00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:07.519
was he famously the voice of Yoda, but he acted

284
00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:10.120
and directed as well. This is one talented guy and

285
00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:12.480
I just wanted to give him a shout out because man,

286
00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:15.320
you mentioned the producer here and working with Frank Oz.

287
00:15:15.399 --> 00:15:18.200
But yeah, he directed films like The Dark Crystal, Little

288
00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:21.360
Shop of Horrors, The Muppets Take Manhattan, what about Bob

289
00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:25.559
the Score, Bowfinger. These are great movies. When he shows up,

290
00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:28.159
does like cameos and other films you know, or like

291
00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:30.120
It's The Blues Brothers or something like that. You're just

292
00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:32.679
happy to see him, just like, that's freaking Frank Oz.

293
00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:34.799
What a great dude. It's just one of those guys

294
00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:36.960
you know, you'd just like to have a conversation with

295
00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:39.200
whatever it is, just to pick his brain about all

296
00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:41.960
of his experiences, his stories and doing so many things,

297
00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:45.000
wearing so many hats over the years. So I mentioned, yes,

298
00:15:45.159 --> 00:15:48.840
I still think this movie holds up. I still think

299
00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:51.720
the humor for me, the style of humor in this

300
00:15:52.120 --> 00:15:54.720
works for me today. And a big part of why

301
00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:57.440
it works for me is the casting. I love the

302
00:15:57.519 --> 00:15:59.759
casting of this. I think it's spot on all around.

303
00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:02.840
We don't have a lot of protagonists in this, only

304
00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:07.120
three real main protagonists, and then you have is It

305
00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:11.799
Inspector Andre who is kind of a supporting role throughout.

306
00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:15.000
But let's start with Steve Martin. I believe he's at

307
00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.000
his best in this. Like I said, made me laugh

308
00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:20.159
out loud multiple times during the rewatch, his over the

309
00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:24.240
top goofiness, his physicality, the facial expressions throughout he's delivering

310
00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:28.799
a speech during a con and he does all of

311
00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:33.360
these things to just con these women throughout, to either

312
00:16:33.399 --> 00:16:36.960
seduce them or have them sympathize with him and draw

313
00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:41.279
out their empathy. And it's ridiculous. But like I said,

314
00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:45.080
he's so likable that you can't keep your eyes off

315
00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:47.879
of him. He's doing so much with his face and

316
00:16:47.879 --> 00:16:51.919
his voice all the time. So really appreciate Steve Martin.

317
00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:55.080
It's something about his style of humor, because he's obviously

318
00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:57.039
so eccentric and theatrical and big and over the top,

319
00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:58.559
but he makes it so fun and charming at the

320
00:16:58.600 --> 00:17:01.360
same time. He can be a relatable every man and

321
00:17:01.399 --> 00:17:03.320
a leading man at the same time. He just pulls

322
00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:06.640
that magic off that I appreciate. Michael Caine, what can

323
00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:09.839
you say, consummate professional actor And if you didn't think

324
00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:12.519
he could do comedy, you got to watch this. He

325
00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:15.279
plays the straight man to a tee, but he also

326
00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:18.839
has his own laugh out loud moments which I really appreciated.

327
00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:22.039
I like their chemistry in this. Steve Martin Michael Caine,

328
00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:24.799
I think have great chemistry. They play off each other brilliantly.

329
00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:28.319
I think they're really perfect for the roles. Caine playing

330
00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:31.559
the role of Lawrence Jamison, this British and well established

331
00:17:31.559 --> 00:17:34.839
and well polished professional con man who's working out of

332
00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:38.200
the small town of Beaumont sour Meer in the French

333
00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:41.279
rivier when he stumbles onto the less polished and very

334
00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:44.440
crude American con man and Steve Martin playing the role

335
00:17:44.440 --> 00:17:47.279
of Freddie Benson. So you got Lawrence and Freddy. And

336
00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:51.160
when Freddy infringes upon Lawrence's territory here in the south

337
00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:53.519
of France, they go head to head and competing for

338
00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:56.960
taking money from wealthy corrupt women. And then finally Martin

339
00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:59.480
says he wants to learn from Cain the season pro,

340
00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:01.440
but Caine takes him under his wing, only to beat

341
00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:03.400
him down and try to drive him out and then

342
00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:06.680
it ends up in this Gentleman's Bet, and that's when

343
00:18:07.079 --> 00:18:11.799
Glenn Headley's character Janet Colegate comes into the frame and

344
00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:16.799
Glenn Headley as Janet Colegate sneaky sexy in this. For me,

345
00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:19.319
Bill Bant, this is an actress I've always liked, but

346
00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:21.640
to be honest, I looked at her IMDb. I've seen

347
00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:24.039
her in a few things, namely Dick Tracy's That's the

348
00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:26.200
other one I really remember her from, but not much else.

349
00:18:26.599 --> 00:18:29.559
I've seen this film multiple times. I do know the twist,

350
00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:32.960
and I was paying close attention to her in particular

351
00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:35.359
on this rewatch. And I still think she's a natural.

352
00:18:35.720 --> 00:18:38.920
I don't think she really gives anything away. She's my

353
00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:41.680
type in a way. She can be that cute female

354
00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:45.079
next door or play like a sexy synuttress if she

355
00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:46.960
wanted to. She can do both. I don't know. Did

356
00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.799
you have any thoughts about either Martin Kine or Glenn Headley.

357
00:18:51.160 --> 00:18:53.440
For me, Headley was the highlight of the movie. The

358
00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:56.319
movie doesn't get interesting until she is in it.

359
00:18:56.480 --> 00:18:58.279
There you go. It's funny because we have a really

360
00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:01.160
opposite take on this rewatch. That's great. I love that

361
00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:04.640
and make I totally I get that. I totally get that.

362
00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:07.519
Yeah, and then after listening to you, I think my

363
00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:11.519
issue with it was I don't think I like Steve

364
00:19:11.559 --> 00:19:14.240
Martin being an asshole. Ah okay, it doesn't do it

365
00:19:14.279 --> 00:19:17.119
for me. I kept trying to figure out while watching it,

366
00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:19.839
why am I not enjoying this? And then while you

367
00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:22.480
were talking, it hit me, I don't like Steve Martin

368
00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:25.160
when he's playing an asshole. I like what he's lovable,

369
00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:26.400
I don't like his character.

370
00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:31.519
That totally tracks also makes sense, and I think why

371
00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:34.880
I appreciate him so much is that I still found

372
00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:38.480
him likable even though he is playing a jerk no

373
00:19:38.599 --> 00:19:41.599
pun intended. I totally get it. For me. The standout

374
00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:45.079
this time was actually Michael Kaine, because I just think

375
00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:48.319
he's he's so controlled the untire and he just puts

376
00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:51.559
on a masterclass performance. And I'll bring up a couple

377
00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:54.200
of his moments later on. I thought he looked really

378
00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:56.799
sharp in this. I was like, Wow, Michael Kine obviously

379
00:19:56.920 --> 00:19:59.240
a little bit younger at this time. And then I

380
00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:01.759
found in the trivia and this is stepping on some trivia.

381
00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:04.480
They use a lot of skin tightening makeup on him

382
00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:06.920
to make him look younger, to make him look closer

383
00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:09.720
in age to Steve Martin. Right, hell of a job.

384
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:13.519
Yeah, probably threw a little preparation h on that face

385
00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:14.319
to tighten it up.

386
00:20:14.680 --> 00:20:18.680
Yeah, it worked because he looked fantastic. Hey, Bill, it's

387
00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:21.759
great to see Emperor Palpatine in this What is he

388
00:20:21.880 --> 00:20:22.480
doing here?

389
00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:24.839
He has a great line in this one.

390
00:20:25.079 --> 00:20:27.559
Yeah. Ian McDermott, the great Ian McDermott that plays the

391
00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:30.599
role of Arthur the Butler, Lawrence's butler in this movie.

392
00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:32.960
Now I see how I became so evil.

393
00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:35.839
Mm mmm hmm. I think he's a bit underused, in

394
00:20:35.880 --> 00:20:37.519
my opinion, in this film, but it's still great to

395
00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:38.359
see him pop up.

396
00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:39.000

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

Listen On

Featured Episodes

1988 Movies Episodes

Comedy Episodes

Recent Episodes