Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
88%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 1 nomination
A buoyant, clever update of the conman flick Bedtime Story, with plenty of comedic jousting resulting from a winning chemistry between Michael Caine and Steve Martin
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a hilarious comedy that will have you laughing from start to finish. Steve Martin and Michael Caine are the perfect duo, with Martin’s physical comedy and Caine’s suave charm. The French Riviera setting is stunning and adds to the overall charm of the film. While the story may have a few twists and turns, it’s all in good fun and keeps you engaged. If you’re looking for a lighthearted comedy that will leave you in stitches, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is the perfect choice.
Production Company(ies)
Forty Four Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Côte d’Azur, France
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1988
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English, French, German
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Dec 4, 2001
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Caine, Steve Martin, Glenne Headly, Anton Rodgers, Barbara Harris, Ian McDiarmid, directed by Frank Oz, written by Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by John Mount, Sheila Benson, James Berardinelli, Jonathan Rosenbaum, David Robinson, Variety Staff, Rene Jordan, John Ferguson, Sean Mulvihill, Matt Brunson, David Nusair, Sean Axmaker, PG, con artist, French Riviera, winner-takes-all competition, swindling, deception, comedic jousting, chemistry, Bedtime Story, conman flick, Michael Ballhaus, Dippety-Doo, larceny, physical comedy, Miles Goodman, caustic new gags, effective ending, brightened up script, French resort, lowbrow tactics, duplicitous talents, luxurious coastal resort, fruits of his deceptions, competitor, Freddy Benson, impinge on his own work, get rid of him, confidence, needlessly spun out, implausible, various twists, very physical comedy, pleasant score, wonderfully crafted, charming remake, outrageous behavior, French Riviera, big belly laughs, superb work, measured restraint, unabashed brazenness, bullheaded improvisation, flimflam Olympics
Worldwide gross: $42,039,085
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $107,638,610
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 978
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 11,738,125
US/Canada gross: $42,039,085
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $107,638,610
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 700
US/Canada opening weekend: $3,840,498
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $9,833,370
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 961
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Michael Caine – Lawrence Jamieson
Glenne Headly – Janet Colgate
Anton Rodgers – Inspector Andre
Barbara Harris – Fanny Eubanks
Ian McDiarmid – Arthur
Director(s)
Frank Oz
Writer(s)
Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning
Producer(s)
Bernard Williams
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (5)
Steve Martin does his shtick to perfection and Michael Caine unveils some adroit comic timing in this charming but mediocre comedy.
March 13, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
John Mount
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Blithe, reasonably witty, with as many story twists as a Riviera roadway, its greatest assets are its glorious look (courtesy of Michael Ballhaus’ exceptional camera work) and Michael Caine, his hair full of Dippety-Doo, his heart full of larceny.
March 13, 2021
Sheila Benson
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Unfortunately, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels isn’t quite clever enough to justify the full 110-minute running length. There’s a point at which it starts to feel like it has overstayed its welcome.
March 13, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
The various twists seem needlessly spun out and implausible, although Martin is allowed to show off his brand of very physical comedy to some advantage, and Miles Goodman contributes a pleasant score.
March 13, 2021
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The writers, Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning, have brightened up their 1964 script in collaboration with Dale Launer with some caustic new gags and a more effective ending; and Frank Oz’s direction keeps the comedy zapping along at a fine pace.
December 31, 2017
David Robinson
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
A wonderfully crafted, absolutely charming remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story.
December 31, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is much less sadistic, and much more inventan than Bedtime Stories. [Full review in Spanish]
July 7, 2022
Rene Jordan
El Nuevo Herald (Miami)
Harmless, knockabout fun.
March 13, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
John Ferguson
Radio Times
All these years later Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is still a practically perfect comedy, brimming from scene to scene with outrageous behavior amidst the gorgeous scenery of the French Riviera.
February 1, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Sean Mulvihill
FanboyNation.com
Bright performances define this film as much as the big belly laughs.
January 25, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
…a deliberately-paced yet consistently entertaining comedy that benefits substantially from Caine and Martin’s superb work…
December 12, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Wit and culture and measured restraint take on unabashed brazenness and bullheaded improvisation in a crazy cartoon of the flimflam Olympics…
December 16, 2017
Sean Axmaker
Stream on Demand…
Plot
Wealthy native Brit Lawrence Jamieson, living in Beaumont-sur-Mer on the French Riviera, earns most of his money through big cons on wealthy unsuspecting women. With the help of his associates, corrupt Police Inspector Andre, who provides him most of his intel, and his butler Arthur, he pulls scams such as pretending to be a foreign deposed Prince who needs money to finance a secret war to liberate his people. Beaumont-sur-Mer, and thus his world, is invaded by brash American Freddy Benson, another con man whose targets are also wealthy unsuspecting women. Lawrence believes Freddy is the Jackal, a con man whose true identity is unknown, but who is known to be working his way through Europe. While Lawrence works on thousands of dollars per scam, Freddy works only on tens or if he is lucky hundreds of dollars. Lawrence’s efforts to get Freddy out of his territory are unsuccessful, so when Freddy figures out that Lawrence is a con man like he is, he decides to blackmail Lawrence to work under him to learn the art of the sophisticated and thus earn more lucrative con. Eventually, Lawrence and Freddy have a difference in how to operate their joint cons, so they issue each other an ultimatum: the person who is able to con a mark out of fifty thousand dollars first will get the French Riviera as their territory, with the other having to leave forever. Who they choose is naive and slightly bumbling American “soap Queen” Janet Colgate, who has just arrived in the area. The nature of how each tries to get the fifty thousand dollars from Janet changes over time, each needing to play off the other’s con. But their focus may change with more information learned about the situation, as well as some external factors they did not anticipate.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises the “winning chemistry” between Michael Caine and Steve Martin in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
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