A one joke movie- but its a great joke.1940s gumshoe Rigby Reardon{Steve Martin} gets a visit by sultry client Rachel Ward whose father has gone missing. Then the fun begins.Set in and around 40s LA, this film combines Martin interacting with clips of characters and scenes from classic 40s noir.He gets advice from Marlowe- the actual clip of Bogart is shown and flawlessly inserted into the film. Along the way, he gets to interact with Alan Ladd{This Gun For Hire}, Barbara Stanwick and Fred Mac Murray{from Double Indemnity}, Burt Lancaster{from The Killers}, Cagney {The prison scene from White Heat} Cary Grant {from Suspicion} Edward Arnold, Bette Davis, Charles Laughton, etc. This film works like a charm because it parodies the noir that it spoofs in a lovable and respectable way. It is never held up to ridicule. The beautiful black and white photography and costume designs by the late great Edith Head all work as one.The ending is a riot! If director Reiner playing a Nazi with a bogus German accent doesn't make you laugh, hothing will. Its all there- the seedy office, the rainy nights, the 40s cars, and the typical noir jargon that made these films great. Ir will probably appeal more to film buffs than the average viewer, but thats OK. Martin has never been better- and Rachel Ward is a knockout too.Great fun!