Michael Caine Week: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Welcome back for another helping of Michael Caine Week. Well with the fair amounts of laughter we got from Alfie, why keep the ball rolling at Caine's uncanny ability at comedy. Anyone can emote, shriek and scream at drama but conquering comedy is an entirely different matter. To quote Edmond Gwenn: Dying is easy. Comedy is difficult. Now as many of you, I enjoy a good con movie. The likes of The Lady Eve,The Sting, Ocean's Eleven, Diggstown and The Grifters. It is popular in books, TV and film for more decades that we are willing to admit. The end goal is never the most important issue but how you set the game. A tale of two con men working different angles with different styles and approaches are operating in the same town. Both consider the other a poacher and try to figure how to correct this. This is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

I shant fetch you a martini, as I am not Alfred!

Lawrence Jamieson: Do you ever have a single spoiler that originates from above the waist?

Freddy Benson: No!

Lawrence Jamieson (Michael Caine of Zulu, Get Carter, The Ipcress File, Alfie, The Wrong Box and Gambit) comes off as a suave, sophisticate who has set his den of thieves and liars in the French Riviera. With the aid of his manservant Arthur (Ian McDiarmid of The Awakening, Richard's Things, Sir Henry at Rawlinson End, Dragonslayer and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) and his bought police official Inspector Andre (Anton Rodgers of The Old Curiousity Shop, Richard the Lionheart, Carry on Jack, Fresh Fields and May to Remember) the prey is watched and the fleecing can begin. The con of choice is seducing wealthy women and taking their money through misdirection and sleight of hand.

Hmm, Lord Poseidon look different than I imagined.

Jamieson has feathered his nest rather well but is concerned when he hears of a con artist only known as "The Jackal" who operates in the same fashion. Hustler Freddy Benson (Steve Martin of SNL, The Jerk, The Man with Two Brains, The Amigos, Parenthood and Bowfinger) meets Lawerence on the train and brags about his "conquests" to him when he catches Freddy lifting some fun money off an unsuspecting girl. Amused by Freddy but not overtly concerned he preps for his next pigeon only to find out she has already been taken by Freddy. With prison over his head, Freddy vows to take the next plane out of the Riveria when he encounters one of Lawerence's former marks. Figuring out the scam he visits Lawerence and informs him he wants in.

Lawerence in a desperate attempt to give Freddy a bit of class and style realizes this is not his cup of tea and has him portray Ruprecht, the awkward and mentally retarded little brother to terrify the marks away after the money has cleared. Not receiving any payment for his part, Freddy decides he is out on his own again, a lone wolf among the sheep. A showdown between both men is on the rise unless they can come to some sort of agreement or pact. Who will be the better man? Is the Jackal moving in on their turf?

A few words on the film now. This brilliant film was directed by none other than Frank Oz, puppeteer of Jim Henson's The Muppets, the voice of Yoda the Jedi Master and the utter disdained guard in The Blues Brothers. Now more than a few folks have made the comment that this is a remake of the famous film Bedtime Story starring David Niven and Marlon Brando and yes I guess I cannot argue with it given it is shot in the same town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer and all the characters have precisely the same names and cons and while I would like to think of this film as more of a homage to the original, it would be hypocritical of me. 

 Nevertheless, this is a charming film, amazing musical score and the actors are on top of their game. Incidentally, Bedtime Story is an exquisite con movie as well. Watch both and make your own conclusions I say.   

Well, the Riveria's homage to Ann Margret is captivating.

Wild West TV Week: Maverick

And Day 4 of Wild West TV Week is here and booming, folks.  As we look back at the fun of frontier life, fending off outlaws and trying to make order of a lawless land I thought we should look at a series that had nothing to do with that particular theme.  Instead, we focus on the underbelly of society.  Your conmen, card sharks, gamblers and hustlers looking for a easy pot of money to be had and suckers to be taken advantage of.  This is Maverick.

That "lady" had an Adam's apple and a vicious right hook.

Bret Maverick: As my old pappy used to say, you can be a gentleman and still not spoil all you know about self-defense.






Two well heeled gamblers Bret (James Garner of Cheyenne, Darby's Rangers, The Great Escape, Support Your Local Sheriff!, Rockford Files and Space Cowboys) and Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly of Forbidden Planet, She Devil, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Commandos, Young Billy Young and Get Christie Love!) happily out of the Union service are living life a day at a time, enjoying towns, women and the big score at a poker table.  Now lest you think these are not men of action; it could be concluded that both Bret and Bart saw too much death in the Civil War that neither of them wish to engage in mindless fisticuffs or gunfights.  Their action was 5 card stud and wooing crowds of looker-ons and rivaling in the profits.  But there are more then a handful of cheats, back shooters and gunslingers from town to town.  With conflicts waiting to happen, our swindlers do their level best to fast talk their way out of the impeding danger but when push comes to shove or a damsel is in distress our boys spring into action with more than their share of cowboy roundhouses and boots to the stomach.

Dapper and feeling dandy.

Roaming the frontier in search of that illusive "gold ring" or "big score" our fellas get into all sorts of mischief, aid the downtrodden and improve lives all the while swindling barbarous men at cards.  One would come to the conclusion the Maverick boys live in a certain sense of balance but I fail to see the cowardice that some viewers tend to mention.

Just a few points to be made about the show now.  With elaborate costumes and a constant altering background this was relatively inexpensive to make but only seem to have enough life for five seasons unlike shows like Bonanza lasting 14 seasons and Gunsmoke last 20 seasons.

We have two protagonists that traveled together or sometimes separately throughout the show giving plenty of alternative story arcs to work with.

GIN!  Oh dash it all, we're playing poker.