Two bumbling private detectives get themselves hired to find a missing person. They find themselves in the middle of a mob war when it turns out that the missing person is somebody the mob w... Read allTwo bumbling private detectives get themselves hired to find a missing person. They find themselves in the middle of a mob war when it turns out that the missing person is somebody the mob wants to stay missing.Two bumbling private detectives get themselves hired to find a missing person. They find themselves in the middle of a mob war when it turns out that the missing person is somebody the mob wants to stay missing.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
Lewis E. Ciannelli
- Embassy Official
- (as Lewis Ciannelli)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I think I was ten when I first saw this movie at the theaters and I can honestly say I have never laughed so hard and uncontrollably at any film in my life. Granted, today the movie does look dated and suffers from some poor picture and sound quality (the usual product of the infamous Golan Globus guys) but I urge you to try and see beyond that. This is a small masterpiece. David Landsberg's honest but clumsy Wilson is perfectly balanced by Dreyfuss' seedy, fast-talking... uh sorry I forgot the character's name. Anyway, the movie has several well timed running gags (the hurt hand, the old lady whose pictures are always messed up, etc.) some hilarious chase sequences (my fave being a chase through a movie set), a cheesy yet quirky soundtrack and an overall sense of outrageousness. The plot is just credible enough to make the comedy work and the action sequences are well done but not lended so much weight that they distract. Landsberg and Dreyfuss (both of whom also wrote the film) have a keen sense of comic timing, and play off of each other like pros. (This film also introduced me to the Italian beauty Valeria Golina, several years before Rainman). I've seen Landsberg in the occasional supporting role on TV and in film but I've never seen Dreyfuss before or since (I've read before that he's Richard's brother and that's certainly reasonable). It's a shame these two didn't make more films, and in a way it's sad that this film didn't do better, and yet now I can officially refer to it as a forgotten, hidden treasure. Good luck finding this film on VHS, much less on DVD but if you do, check it out.
10fosterbt
My best friend and I have seen this movie well over one hundred times. We have it memorized, line by line. We act out scenes from the movie, and rate each other's performance. We don't even refer to it by the full title of "Detective School Dropouts" anymore -- long ago we abbreviated it to "DSDO."
My favorite scene has to be when Paul and Donald steal the Ferrari:
Paul: "slow down!!" Donald: "I can't!" Paul: "would you open your eyes and watch out for those sheep?!"
It's really a pity that Landsberg and Dreyfuss haven't made more movies together, because they had such a hilarious synergy in this one. The scene where Wilson is dressed up in a wedding gown while trying to fend off the unsuspecting Bruno, had me on the floor in tears. Bruno's constant injuries (the knives!!) are a source of much humor. Suffice it to say that this is one hilarious film with some "zany" slapstick humor. It is definitely worth renting, if you can find it. I give this movie a perfect 10!
My favorite scene has to be when Paul and Donald steal the Ferrari:
Paul: "slow down!!" Donald: "I can't!" Paul: "would you open your eyes and watch out for those sheep?!"
It's really a pity that Landsberg and Dreyfuss haven't made more movies together, because they had such a hilarious synergy in this one. The scene where Wilson is dressed up in a wedding gown while trying to fend off the unsuspecting Bruno, had me on the floor in tears. Bruno's constant injuries (the knives!!) are a source of much humor. Suffice it to say that this is one hilarious film with some "zany" slapstick humor. It is definitely worth renting, if you can find it. I give this movie a perfect 10!
I worked with Loren and David in their next movie "Dutch Treat". This movie actually has a better overall quality than Dutch Treat. About the only action as far as chase scenes in Dutch, was the two idiots on a tandem bicycle running from a bunch of guys, one armed with a meat cleaver. Detective has many automotive chase scenes around Italy. Great shots of old Rome and Pisa.
I traded a DVD of Dutch Treat for a DVD of this one and think I did okay.
I recommend Detective School Dropouts. Good clean fun with lots of mayhem and maiming. One hell of a better ending than Dutch Treat, too.
I traded a DVD of Dutch Treat for a DVD of this one and think I did okay.
I recommend Detective School Dropouts. Good clean fun with lots of mayhem and maiming. One hell of a better ending than Dutch Treat, too.
10richcam1
This is definitely a shtick-flick. A down and out dick pins up a card at the laundramat advertising "detective lessons". You can guess the type of guy that shows up for the class. Right! A guy with no class! The two end up mixed up in international intrigue to save the kidnapped daughter of a cheese mafia baron. Excellent sight gags, a chase scene that takes us all over Italy and a hysterical running gag make this a movie a can't miss. Forget prosac, rent this movie instead!
This movie probably cost around three hundred thousand..of course, that's in lyra.
I loved this movie. It was really funny. They successfully and thoroughly insulted everyone!
The humor wasn't really all that original nor well thought out, but it was well implemented.
I would probably give this movie around a 6, and say that it's enjoyable to watch. It's hard to find in the video stores, but I have seen it on TV twice in my lifetime.
I loved this movie. It was really funny. They successfully and thoroughly insulted everyone!
The humor wasn't really all that original nor well thought out, but it was well implemented.
I would probably give this movie around a 6, and say that it's enjoyable to watch. It's hard to find in the video stores, but I have seen it on TV twice in my lifetime.
Did you know
- TriviaCannon initially contracted Tommy Chong to direct. Chong scouted locations in Rome, Italy, but thought the script wasn't funny and suggested adding a romantic subplot. He left the project after Lorin Dreyfuss and David Landsberg rejected his script revisions.
In the meantime, Cheech Marin signed with Columbia to work on his first solo feature: Born in East L.A. (1987). According to Chong, when Marin first told his comic-partner about the project (sometime after he left the Cannon project), he prefaced his decision, insisting he'd felt obligated to work on his own picture since Chong was off in Rome working on "his" own film.
- GoofsObvious stunt doubles for Paul and Catherina when they jump their ski boat over a barge in the river.
- Quotes
Paul Miller: You were born to be a detective!
Donald Wilson: I was?
Paul Miller: You reek of detective!
Donald Wilson: I reek?
- Crazy creditsThe end credits feature scenes from the movie, some with alternate shots.
- Alternate versionsSome of the profanity and some obscene sight gags are cut from the TV version, including the shot of the nude woman in the woods during the car chase. Also, there is looping rumbling sounds when Bruno's car gets stuck in a narrow alleyway before a scaffolding collapses onto it.
- ConnectionsEdited into Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s (2012)
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $22,123
- Runtime
- 1h 32m(92 min)
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content