30 Days, 30 Movies {Day 19} Steve Martin – Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid

Several years back, Hunny was on a Steve Martin kick. We were in Target when he saw a great impulse buy – three Steve Martin movies on one disc. The one I was most interested in watching was Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, a parody and homage to film noir and the detective movies of the 1940’s.

Eighteen movies were spliced with footage shot for this film. Eighty sets were built. This was Edith Head’s final movie! You don’t know Edith Head? She was the genius costume designer who has been quoted to have said:

I also think she was the inspiration for Edna E. Mode in The Incredibles.

It’s incredible that a cohesive storyline was created and executed using so many different films. Carl Reiner is a genius. Obviously. He created The Dick Van Dyke show.

30 Days, 30 Movies {Day 6} Gumshoe Movie – The Maltese Falcon

I hate it when I don’t have good news. I really do. I did not enjoy saying that His Girl Friday was not worth watching. I don’t enjoy saying the same thing about The Maltese Falcon.

The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. I read that the movie is scene by scene exactly the same as the novel. Maybe that’s why it’s so confusing. Maybe the characters thoughts, which can’t be heard on film, explain the action. I tried to borrow the book from the library to see if my theory was correct, but they didn’t have a copy.

Because my husband is a Magnum PI aficionado, he recognized this guy:

He’s Ice Pick!

Of course, the French version of the poster is the best.