Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
Another of those “all-time” favorite movies of mine is the 1988 comedy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which stars Steve Martin and Michael Caine as two con-artists working the same area. In the film, Michael Caine’s character has made a fine living from conning gullable – and very wealthy – women into sharing some of their wealth for his “charitable” causes.
Enter Steve Martin, a less sophisticated thief who’s more used to conning women out of $20 and the random meal. Though he presents little competition for Lawrence Jamieson (Michael Caine), Freddy Benson (Martin) is nonetheless an annoyance worth getting rid of.
The two meet by chance on a train, and it isn’t long before the two of them are privvy to each other’s true lifestyles. Unable to successfully get rid of Freddy, Lawrence is forced to agree to train him in the fine art of conning women with the agreement that Freddy will move on to a different playground when the training is over.
Of course, it is not to be, as Freddy decides he wants to stay put. Realizing that both can’t work the same area without making the locals suspicious, they agree on a bet: the first to get $50,000 from the same woman gets to stay. The loser must leave the area immediately and never return.
What follows is a hilarious journey into the cons and tricks these two dirty, rotten scoundrels pull on the unsuspecting woman.
Full of twists and turns, this film is sure to keep you laughing, guessing, and cheering right until the end.
I’m apparently not the only one who loves this movie, as it’s been turned into a Broadway musical! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the musical when I was living near NY, and I haven’t gotten a hold of the soundtrack yet. But it’s only a matter of time. I love this movie!
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