A young trim Brando as Freddie Benson, shows his comedic talent and versatility in this movie classic. David Niven plays the suave sophisticate role better than Michael Cane. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was a good comedy, Bedtime Story (the original) was even better. BTS was so good someone thought they could do better. It's a shame that the many people I have talked to who love DRS didn't even know it was a remake of this excellent film. Brando's scheme at the beginning of the movie to seduce the beautiful peasant girl by aging a Poloroid picture of her farmhouse claiming it was the home his grandmother lived in gives some insight to his character. The fact that Brando is just in it for the sex and Niven is doing it for big money sets the plot for the rest of the movie. Niven sees this interloper as a threat and we are off to the races for the rest of the plot. Both Michael Cane and Steve Martin did a good job in the remake but the Brando/Niven combination is unforgettable. Too bad it is not available on DVD for the US market. A British PAL version was released in 2004. I hope the US-DVD is not far behind.
Review of Bedtime Story
Bedtime Story
(1964)
Classic Comedy, Outdoes Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Remake
15 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers