this film couldn not miss and for me a i love steve martin irresistibly funny early film and rank film noir a probably my favourite movie genre . right from the start and be comfortingly deposit back into the noir era and with the classic universal revolve black and white logo presage miklos rosza sweep score and the equally welcome news and in the title credit and that the great ( sadly soon to be late ) edith head be costume designer . from there and it a short journey into beautifully shot monochromatic cinematography and martin deliberately clichéd voice over and set the scene for a roller coaster plot and a deliberately convolute and a anything this side of the maltese falcon or the big sleep . the humour be typical early martin which you either love or hate ( i be in the former camp ) and a ever steve not above a little vulgarity to drive out the big laugh for instance his hilarious re organising of pass out lead lady rachel ward out of whack breast or his answer to lana turner what be we go to do now question a she enter his bedroom kinsey and cover to cover . the vintage film clip be cleverly insert into the plot and so that we get a dream cast and their line and action woven even if tenuously into the narrative and although ironically the poorer film quality of some of their scene work against the glossy quality of the modern camera work . martin by turn quirky and laconic delivery work well in context although rachel ward and pretty a she be and seem too lightweight in her part and although she do have some considerable footprint to step into ( bette or lana she isn not ) . a kathleen turner ( later brilliant in martin sci fi spoof the man with two brain ) or jessica lange ( not long out of a noir remake the postman always ring twice ) would i think have work well . even director reiner get a no show without punch role a the scheming want the world nazi dictator behind the shenanigan . the joke come thick and fast and there be plenty of run gag to keep you entertain throughout . i myself will try to look up one or two of the vintage prototypes which i hadn not even heard of and never mind see and i walk alone star kirk douglas and especially the bribe with a stellar cast of ava gardner and charles laughton and vincent price and with what look like a literally crackerjack of a finale . the combination of old film and new be later take up by woody allen in zelig and be far elaborate on in subsequent hollywood film like who frame roger rabbit and the overrated forrest gump and but i will take messrs martin and reiner stylish rib tickle homage any day of the week . just do not mention the cleaning lady .