Adapted into a stage musical starring John Lithgow. When director Frank Oz first approached Sir Michael Caine about a key role in this movie, he tempted him with the promise of a cozy villa in the south of France for the three-month period of the shoot. The screenplay was written by Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, and Paul Henning. Frank Oz: As the police officer rushing Freddy to meet Lawrence at the airport near the end of the movie. The bet brings out the best and worst in the two. Sir Michael Caine was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, but lost out to Tom Hanks, for Big (1988). All the earlier ones had, they being The Dark Crystal (1982), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), and The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). 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. Playing "Lady" Fanny Eubanks of Omaha, the sucker victim of Lawrence Jamieson's major start-of-movie ruse, was Barbara Harris. Jagger had previously written the title song to Ruthless People (1986), based on his enthusiasm for Launer's script. But their focus may change with more information learned about the situation, as well as some external factors they did not anticipate. In March 2016, the MGM channel (in the U.K. and Ireland) showed the American version of this movie. Both pictures were comedies, with the other one being Without a Clue (1988). The butler was named Arthur and played by Ian McDiarmid. According to the DVD commentary, when Freddy is in jail, trying to remember Lawrence's name, the entire scene was improvised by Steve Martin. Previously, Harris had portrayed a con artist in Sir Alfred Hitchcock's final movie Family Plot (1976). Also, Fanny Eubank from the original, is Fanny Eubanks from Omaha here, while Janet Walker (Shirley Jones) of the original becomes Janet Colgate (Glenne Headly) here. Showing all 10 items Jump to: Certification; Sex & Nudity (7) Violence & Gore (1) Profanity (1) Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking (1) Certification. Edit. 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. Headly also was also Captain Stottlemeyer's wife in Monk (2002). Lithgow also shares the role of Yoda with Director Frank Oz. If the Ferrari was registered in Denmark in 1987/1988 it would start with either an "M" or "N" the prefix "AB" on a white Danish plate was not used until 2016 and the plate no "AB 23 893" would belong to a tractor or motorcycle. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) Plot Summary (4) Two con men try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle a young American heiress out of fifty thousand dollars first. Director Frank Oz has said that audiences were very surprised to learn that the scene was not part of the finished movie. Steve Martin was not nominated in the same category, despite many people considering him being the major contributor of many of the movie's laughs. Freddy Benson, a con man, lives off women by waking their compassion with shocking stories about his fake fate. U.S. Military tradition states that the value of the medal, is in the action taken to earn it, not in the material from which it's assembled. This movie was known as "King Of The Mountain" and "Dirty Rotten Criminals" during its early stages. Sir Michael Caine and Steve Martin play the parts originated by David Niven and Marlon Brando. Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988) was released the same year as this film. The crystal stemware used in the scene, where Sir Michael Caine is teaching Steve Martin how to act debonair, is called Massena, and is made by Baccarat. Sean Young was offered the role of Janet Colgate, but turned it down to do The Boost (1988). This movie is ranked at the number eighty-five spot on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies" list. Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese, Richard Dreyfuss, Eric Idle, Dudley Moore, Leslie Nielsen, Michael Palin, and Gene Wilder were all considered for the role of Lawrence Jamieson. Beaumont-sur-Mer, and thus his world, is invaded by brash American Freddy Benson, another con man whose targets are also wealthy unsuspecting women. Two con men try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle a young American heiress out of fifty thousand dollars first. When Freddy is in the casino wearing a U.S. Army uniform, he attempts to use a U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal as collateral at the roulette table, and the dealer refuses. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Steve Martin, Michael Caine and Glenne Headly. Launer acquired the remake rights from one of the original writers, Stanley Shapiro. This movie was originally a project for Mick Jagger and David Bowie. As MGM now owns Orion Pictures, and Orion Television library, as part of their pre-existing library acquisitions, to replace their original MGM archive, now mostly owned by Warner Brothers Entertainment and Turner Entertainment, this opening credit now also includes the MGM lion, then Orion Pictures branding. Eddie Murphy passed on the role of Freddy Benson. 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. One day in beautiful Beaumont-sur-Mer, he meets Lawrence Jamieson, who shares the same passion, works the rich ladies with the same scheme, but in quite a different league. They subsequently worked together in all three Star Wars prequels, during which McDiarmid was digitally inserted into Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), in which Oz had already appeared. Three full trailers were presented to Frank Oz and Orion Pictures by "trailer house" companies who specialized in making trailers, but Oz didn't like any of them. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) Parents Guide Add to guide . Freddy Benson and Lawrence Jamieson walk along a boardwalk, politely moving out of the way of other people, et cetera, with a voice saying something like "There are numerous distinguished gentlemen in the world... refined, cultured gentlemen... nice men... but nice men finish last". The teaser trailer features a sequence which does not appear in the final movie. The others were Bowfinger (1999), HouseSitter (1992), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), and The Muppet Movie (1979). After the success of their "Dancing in the Street" video in 1985, studio bosses were anxious to put them in a movie together. During development, Jagger and Bowie dropped out of the project, and Steve Martin and Sir Michael Caine were brought in as replacements. Let the games begin. The movie was filmed during May, June, and July 1988. They unsuccessfully attempt to work together only to find that this town (on the French Riviera) ain't big enough for the two of them. In comparison with Bedtime Story (1964), of which this movie is a remake, according to show-business trade paper "Variety", "Steve Martin takes the crass American role played by Marlon Brando, and Michael Caine pays homage to David Niven, by sporting a thin mustache, slicked-back hair, and a double-breasted blue blazer, in a sort of 1930s British yachtsman look.". Certification: Argentina:13; Australia:PG; Canada:PG; Finland:S; France:Tous publics; Iceland:L; Italy:T; Japan:G; Netherlands:6; New Zealand:PG; Norway:5; Portugal:M/12; Singapore:PG; Sweden:Btl ; United … Launer had seen the original movie, Bedtime Story (1964), on television once before, and suggested a remake. U.S. Military medals are made of low-grade metals (pot metals), instead of precious metals, specifically to prevent them being sold for cash. 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. According to Bowie, he and Jagger were "a bit tweezed that we lost out on a script that could have been reasonably good.". However, the font reveals it is a fake plate. The sum is no match for Lawrence, the age of the lady no match for Freddy. The movie was used as the source for the musical "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", which opened at the Imperial Theater in New York City on March 3, 2005, ran for six hundred twenty-seven performances, and was nominated for the 2005 Tony Awards for the Best Musical, Book, and Score. Along with all of the other Star Wars connections, Ian McDiarmid, who played Arthur the butler in this movie, played Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious in the Star Wars film franchise. As there is no way two con men can work a town that small at the same time, Lawrence and Freddy agree on a settlement: The first one to extract fifty thousand dollars from a young female target wins, the other leaves town. 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. The music used when Freddy goes on a shopping spree after first arriving back on the Riviera is the same music used for the opening titles of the U.K. sitcom French Fields (1989), which also featured Anton Rodgers. Director Frank Oz was crouched out of camera range and tapped Anton Rodgers on the foot to interrupt Martin when Oz felt that he had gone as far as he could with the improv. Dale Launer was brought in, based on the success of Ruthless People (1986), and asked to submit ideas. Lawrence and Freddie are con men, big-time and small-time, respectively. Glenne Headly was named Most Promising New Actress winning a CFCA Award at the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards in 1989. Apparently, this movie was shot without a definitively known ending. Breakthrough movie role of Glenne Headly (Janet Colgate). Director Frank Oz and Ian McDiarmid had previously been in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). The names of their two lead characters in this remake basically stayed the same as those from the original, but with slightly-altered spellings. A simpleminded, sheltered country boy suddenly decides to leave his family home to experience life in the big city, where his naivete is both his best friend and his worst enemy. This could be considered a bit of name nod to, and twist on, Sir John Gielgud's Hobson butler character from Arthur (1981), where Arthur was his gentleman. 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. First Frank Oz movie which did not feature puppets. The number plate that appears on the white Ferrari, is a Danish one. Who they choose is naive and slightly bumbling American "soap Queen" Janet Colgate, who has just arrived in the area. Caine also starred in the two-part television mini-series Jack the Ripper (1988). When time comes to say goodbye, Freddy decides to stay a little longer. Third of five collaborations of Frank Oz and Steve Martin. This movie is a remake of Bedtime Story (1964). The con artist who is said to be working in the region is known to be "The Jackal". 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. In the original, the lead characters were Freddy Benson and Lawrence Jameson; in this remake, they are Freddy Benson and Lawrence Jamieson. They agree to a "loser leaves" bet. As the last few lines are spoken, Freddy pushes an old lady into the water, and Lawrence shoves a kid's face into his cotton candy. The first letters of Janet Colgate's first and last names when put together phonetically create "Ja-Col"/"Jackal". In both movies, Caine was the senior member of a two-person buddy team. While Lawrence works on thousands of dollars per scam, Freddy works only on tens or if he is lucky hundreds of dollars. Steve Martin and Michael Caine are Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in this hilarious Frank Oz comedy.