Review of Bedtime Story (1964) by Guy G — 09 Jul 2011

[85/B+] This is a whimsical comedy about a couple of confidence men scamming women, and squaring off against each other, on the French Riviera. It's hard not to like a film that is so bare-faced trashy and mean-spirited at heart, and with such a winning cast.

It's delightful to see Brando letting his guard down a little, playing the crude goofball flip-side to Niven's charming criminal aristocrat. He is a little hammy and sloppy at points, and obviously not as totally comfortable in his role as Niven is, but he does manage to be pretty hilarious through much of it.

Many will know this story from its reincarnation as the darn funny Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, from 1988, which was a better directed (and definitely better funded) movie. Bedtime Story is equally as humorous and fun, if a little less tight and a little more technically clunky. It wraps up somewhat too abruptly, and leaves some of the characters in the lurch, but overall works very well.