On This Day

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels released

December 14th 1988

09:18 14 December 2023

'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' opened in US theaters on this day in 1988. Frank Oz’s comedy stars Michael Caine and Steve Martin as a pair of con men attempting to outwit each other and swindle an heiress out of $50,000. A remake of ‘Bedtime Story’ (1964) starring Marlon Brando and David Niven, the movie was a critical and commercial success, earning $3.8 million on its opening weekend and going on to earn more than $42 million at the domestic box office.

One of the best comedies of the decade, ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ still stands up to repeated viewings largely due to the chemistry between Caine and Martin. A female lead remake ‘The Hustle’ was released in 2019 starring Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson.