Rigby Reardon is a private dick in every sense of the word. A black and white throwback to the 1940's and 50's who lives in a world of tough guys and femme fatales, where everyone and everything is covering up for something ...Or someone. That is till the beautiful Juliet Forrest shows up with a case that may just be worth dying for as she tries to find her missing father and discover just who or what are the friends of Carlotta and the enemies of Carlotta. In order to do that Rigby enlists the help from the greatest detective of all time, Philip Marlowe, and nods his hat to every great star of the era in this brilliant and largely forgotten Steve Martin film from a time when he was heading back to the top and working damn hard to do so.<br /><br />This is the second great collaboration he did with the writer/director Carl Reiner, and while the man with two brains may be more laugh out loud funny, there have been few films more clever inventive and downright audacious in their attempt to recreate a bygone era by basically, well, stealing it! The script is extremely clever and the scene when he is being warned off using a former girlfriend for an assignment is hilarious with Kirk Douglas as a particular nasty henchman. The merging of past and present stars is very effective and like Roger Rabbit which came after it's a job in itself to spot whose in it and what film that were originally in.<br /><br />Add to this a great score which perfectly encapsulate the feel of the era and you have a great fun film that's as timeless as the classics it rips off.<br /><br />Good stuff!