Product Details

• Actors: Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, Anton Rodgers, Barbara Harris
• Directors: Frank Oz
• Writers: Dale Launer, Paul Henning, Stanley Shapiro
• Producers: Bernard Williams, Charles Hirschhorn, Dale Launer
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: October 5, 1999
• Run Time: 110 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (117 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0792842391
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,712 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Freddy Benson (Steve Martin) is a crass, loud American. Laurence Jameson (Michael Caine) is a suave, urbane European. Their common ground is that they both are confidence men, and they meet in a train compartment as Benson is scamming his way across Europe, taking advantage of women's generosity. The two are forced into a rivalry, which culminates in a wager to see who can be the first to bilk $50,000 out of American heiress Janet Colgate (Glenne Headly). Their game of one-upmanship is, of course, brought to ridiculous heights as things progress. Written by Paul Henning (the mind behind such TV shows as Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is an uneven but funny mix of Martin's physical comedy and Caine's oily charms. Martin's first role as cohort is to assume the persona of Ruprecht, the "special" younger brother intended to scare off potential brides. As Ruprecht, he comes off as a cross between The Andy Griffith Show's Ernest T. Bass and Jerry Lewis; hilarious as it is, it doesn't quite fit with the rest of the film. Once the wager is on, though, Martin slips into his overly earnest mode as an American military man suffering from hysterical paralysis, with Caine as a psychologist who takes on his case. All in all, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (a loose remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story with David Niven and Marlon Brando) is a droll, intelligent comedy, short on knee slappers but long on comic situations and characterizations. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ruprick, the genital cuffs!!!, May 24, 2004

By 

Christian Hunter "Christian Hunter" (Austin, Texas Santa Barbara, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (DVD)

I can't believe this movie is a decade and a half old! Neither will you when you view it again (or for the first time). The cinematography is fresh and the comedy is timeless.

The story revolves around a simple American con-man (brilliantly played by Steve Martin) who specializes in charming wealthy women out of whatever charity he can manage to swindel. That is, until he stumbles on to the master (Michael Caine), a suave ultra-swank European who doesn't go for the fast buck, but rather for the slow millions.

The difference in their styles, as Martin invades Caine's comfortable European playground (and then ultimately decide to work together) make for extreme comedy. However, not the Jim Carrey slapstick that's been so popular lately, rather, this is infinitely more subtle in it's buildup, but "net net" as funny as most of the best contemporary comedy out there.

If you have yet to see this film, count yourself lucky. Buy this DVD and give yourself 15 minutes to get into it. You won't be disappointed. For those of you who have seen it and are thinking about buying. Do it. It's one of the few DVD's in my collection I frequently watch and enjoy.

Hope this was helpful to you.

Christian Hunter

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Verify which DVD edition you are buying!, February 19, 2004

By 

E. Knowles "amazon-queen" (The Amazon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (DVD)

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS is a great comedy. Martin & Caine have terrific on-screen chemistry and their performances in this film can still reduce me to a squalking, teary-eyed viewer. Terrific pacing keeps this movie buoyant at all times, even as the movie approaches its 20th anniversary.

There are two DVD editions. The first was from Orion/Image. It was a "no-frills" release, containing the movie only. Mercifully, that version is out of print although I have seen some unscrupulous sellers hyping that fact as a selling point. Don't be fooled.

Get the current edition on MGM DVD. Watch out for similar cover artwork. The current MGM offering has Martin & Caine standing in front of palm trees. (The no-frills disc has them standing in front of a bunch of beach umbrellas.)

With the current edition, you will enjoy an anamorphic widescreen transfer (better image quality than standard letterboxing). They are also including the original teaser trailer which brilliantly set up one's expectations without revealing ANY of the actual movie. Frank Oz (director) provides an interesting scene-by-scene audio commentary.

Enjoy!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Priceless Match of Wits, December 6, 2004

By 

Laura De Giorgio "hypnotherapist" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (DVD)

The script is flawless and the roles played exquisitely by Michael Caine, Steve Martin and Glenne Headly.

Fred Benson (Steve Martin) has developed some expertise in swindling the small game - getting women basically to pay him a dinner. He is loud, uncultured and proud of his achievement. He has even managed to get publicity for his misdeeds in newspapers.

He realizes that he has much to learn when he steps on the territory, French Riviera, of Laurence Jamieson (Michael Caine), suave, cultured, classy European, who is elegantly getting the better of the big game.

In order to prevent Fred from scarying away his prey, Laurence devises a bet, a match of wits, between the two of them. The one who wins it gets to stay, the one who loses must leave. The bet consists of extracting $50,000 from unsuspecting victim - which they both choose and agree upon.

Now the priceless and hillarious match of wits begins, each one trying to outdo another and each one alternatively getting one step ahead, until the hunters realize that they have been hunted themselves all along by someone with even greater wits.