Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

It was Marlow (Humphrey Bogart) who tells Rigby (Steve Martin) that dead men don't wear plaid. "What does it mean," asks Rigby rhetorically, "I'm still not sure," he admits.

But who wears plaid in film noir, period? No one. Maybe it would ruin the feng shui.

So the "gimmick" of this movie -- the "seamless" blending of archival footage from classic films -- is actually pretty cool, and if it's been done before or since, I'm not aware. The closest thing to it I can think of is how Forest Gump is integrated into historical events... but Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is a groundbreaking film with the technique being utilized, and I don't think it's ever been attempted again.

In Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, Martin gets to "interact" with maybe 15 or 20 classic actors -- from Bogart and Cary Grant and James Cagney to Barbara Stanwyck and Veronica Lake and Ingrid Bergman. It's a real sight to see, and I can imagine Martin combing through all of the films of his childhood, finding the right moments and scenes that he could "borrow" for this film. In a way, the "gimmick" reminds me of one he would use in Bowfinger (1999), when one actor (Eddie Murphy) was being used in a movie without his knowledge. I assume that almost every actor used from the classic footage was dead -- actually, I just checked, and maybe a few were still alive -- Kirk Douglas and Barbara Stanwyck, for instance. Not that whether they were alive or dead matters for purposes of the film, as what matters in the film is the characters and the work.

In 1982, how many movie goers had seen all of these classic films? VHS copies were undoubtedly available for many of the films, but they were expensive to purchase and difficult to rent at the local video store. When I watch the film, I thought about how I wanted to be a film buff when I was in my early 20s, but even in the early 1990s, access to classics was more or less limited to what TCM happened to be playing that month. I wasn't able buy or rent the films I might be most interested in seeing. And here is Martin demonstrating his access to classic films, as well as his impressive breadth of film knowledge.

Yes, I am as impressed by his film knowledge and the time he put into the preparation for this film as I am for the final product of the film.

I noticed that a few reviewers didn't like that Rigby has a "trigger phrase" that sets him off, but I don't think that should be an issue. It's kind of like the trigger phrase used in the Manchurian Candidate. We never know why Rigby has the trigger, or who brainwashed him, but it turns out to be useful in the ending. Likewise, Rigby has the habit of readjusting Juliet's (Rachel Ward) breasts, and that does feel a little juvenile in a 1980s sort of way, but again, later in the movie, the "payoff" makes it feel like it's okay.

Rating: 4/5 stars