Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
“Nice guys finish last. Meet the winners.”
Synopsis
Con artist Lawrence Jamieson is a longtime resident of a luxurious coastal resort, where he enjoys the lavish fruits of his deceptions -- that is, until a competitor, Freddy Benson, shows up. When the new guy's lowbrow tactics impinge on his own sophisticated work and believing him to be the infamous conman 'The Jackal', Lawrence resolves to get rid of him. Confident of his own duplicitous talents, he challenges Freddy to a winner-takes-all competition: whoever swindles their latest mark, American heiress Janet Colgate, out of $50,000 first can stay, while the other must leave town.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS (1988) | Official Trailer | MGMOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2022-09-10
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Steve Martin
Freddy Benson
Michael Caine
Lawrence Jamieson
Glenne Headly
Janet Colgate
Anton Rodgers
Inspector Andre
Barbara Harris
Fanny Eubanks
Ian McDiarmid
Arthur
Dana Ivey
Mrs. Reed
Meagen Fay
Lady from Oklahoma
Frances Conroy
Lady from Palm Beach
Nicole Calfan
Lady in Dining Car
Aïna Walle
Miss Krista Knudsen
Cheryl Pay
Lady with Pearls
Nathalie Auffret
Marion
Lolly Susi
Lady in Rolls Royce
Rupert Holliday-Evans
English Sailor #1
Hepburn Graham
English Sailor #2
Xavier Maly
Hotel Bellboy
André Penvern
Waiter on the Train
Release History & Theatrical Window
December 14, 1988
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 1, 1989
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$6.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$42M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
6.46x
+$35.5M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Frank Oz
- Screenplay & Story
- Dale Launer, Paul Henning, Stanley Shapiro
- Original Score
- Miles Goodman
- Original Title
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 50m
- Production Budget
- $6.5M
- Worldwide Gross
- $42M
- Production Studios
- Orion Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Frank Oz
Dale Launer, Paul Henning, Stanley Shapiro
Miles Goodman
Michael Ballhaus
Stephen A. Rotter, William S. Scharf
Bernard Williams, Dale Launer, Charles Hirschhorn
Department Leadership Roster
Stephen A. Rotter
Editor
Bernard Williams
Producer
Frank Oz
Director
William S. Scharf
Editor
Miles Goodman
Original Music Composer
Michael Ballhaus
Director of Photography
Roy Walker
Production Design
Marit Allen
Costume Design
Dale Launer
Writer
Paul Henning
Writer
Stanley Shapiro
Writer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
Parental Guidance Suggested.
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Movie Collection
Now Showing at Cain Cinema
Cain Cinema features a 4K UHD picture on a 120" (16:9) screen, and a 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos audio experience.
Watched
All movies watched by me
Mind Games
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Movies Collection
Movies
Similar Titles to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.8
7.2
7.4
8.0
7.5
7.8
7.1
7.1
8.0
6.2
7.2
6.0
2.0
6.8
5.7
4.8
6.0
6.2
5.9
More Like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels about?
Con artist Lawrence Jamieson is a longtime resident of a luxurious coastal resort, where he enjoys the lavish fruits of his deceptions -- that is, until a competitor, Freddy Benson, shows up. When the new guy's lowbrow tactics impinge on his own sophisticated work and believing him to be the infamous conman 'The Jackal', Lawrence resolves to get rid of him. Confident of his own duplicitous talents, he challenges Freddy to a winner-takes-all competition: whoever swindles their latest mark, American heiress Janet Colgate, out of $50,000 first can stay, while the other must leave town.
Who directed Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was directed by Frank Oz.
Who stars in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?
The principal cast of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels includes Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, Anton Rodgers, Barbara Harris.
When was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels released and how long is it?
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was released in 1988 with a total runtime of 1h 50m.
What was the box office and production budget of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels had a reported production budget of $6.5M and grossed $42M at the worldwide box office (6.46 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was composed by Miles Goodman.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); CA: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested.); DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).