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Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (film)

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Dirty rotten scoundrels film.jpg
Directed by Frank Oz
Produced by Bernard Williams
Written by Dale Launer
Stanley Shapiro
Paul Henning
Starring
Music by Miles Goodman
Cinematography Michael Ballhaus
Edited by Stephen A. Rotter
William S. Scharf
Distributed by Orion Pictures
Release date
  • December 14, 1988 (1988-12-14)
Running time
110 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $42,039,085

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Steve Martin, Michael Caine and Glenne Headly. The screenplay was written by Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, and Paul Henning, it is a remake of the Shapiro and Henning script for the 1964 Marlon Brando/David Niven film Bedtime Story.

It is the story of two men competing to swindle an American heiress out of $50,000. Caine plays the suave, charming British con man Lawrence Jamieson, who believes in conning corrupt, rich people out of their money so he can spend it on culture and a lavish lifestyle. Martin plays his laddish, arrogant American rival, Freddy Benson, who believes in conning just about anyone in order to get a free meal. It takes place in the French Riviera.

Lawrence Jamieson is an intelligent and sophisticated British con artist operating in the French Riviera with the help of manservant Arthur and corrupt police official Andre. He seduces wealthy and morally suspect women and steals their money. His only concern is a con artist known as "The Jackal" who has been preying on other wealthy victims.

When underachieving American hustler Freddy Benson searches for easy marks in Beaumont-sur-Mer, Lawrence's home base, Lawrence believes the Jackal has shown his face. Worried that Freddy's inexperienced antics will scare away his prey, Lawrence has Freddy arrested and put on the next plane out of town. However, Freddy meets one of Lawrence's former marks and deduces that he is also a crook.

Returning to Beaumont-sur-Mer, Freddy forces Lawrence to take him on as a pupil in exchange for his silence. Lawrence attempts to teach Freddy about high culture with limited success. He also involves him as a subordinate player in his cons, making him play the mentally challenged and socially inept Ruprecht in order to scare away their female targets after their money has been acquired. Freddy, tired of not getting paid and the humiliating part he has to play, strikes out on his own.


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