On this day April 15, 1988, the comedy mystery Plain Clothes premiered in theaters. Directed by Martha Coolidge, the film starred Arliss Howard as a young detective who goes undercover at a high school to clear his brother’s name after he’s accused of murder. Suzy Amis and George Wendt rounded out the cast in this offbeat blend of crime solving and teen culture.
The movie followed the detective as he posed as a student, trying to navigate cliques, exams, and high school drama while secretly chasing down clues to uncover the real killer. Mixing elements of a whodunit with high school comedy tropes, the film aimed for something quirky and unique. Despite its fresh premise and solid cast, Plain Clothes struggled at the box office, earning just 289,000 dollars from a 7.5 million dollar budget. It has since become a hidden gem for fans of 80s comedies that took a different path.
Fun fact: Director Martha Coolidge also directed Valley Girl and Real Genius, two other cult classics from the 80s with unconventional plots and sharp humor.
Trivia question: What 1988 comedy featured a detective going undercover in high school to solve a murder and starred Arliss Howard?
The movie followed the detective as he posed as a student, trying to navigate cliques, exams, and high school drama while secretly chasing down clues to uncover the real killer. Mixing elements of a whodunit with high school comedy tropes, the film aimed for something quirky and unique. Despite its fresh premise and solid cast, Plain Clothes struggled at the box office, earning just 289,000 dollars from a 7.5 million dollar budget. It has since become a hidden gem for fans of 80s comedies that took a different path.
Fun fact: Director Martha Coolidge also directed Valley Girl and Real Genius, two other cult classics from the 80s with unconventional plots and sharp humor.
Trivia question: What 1988 comedy featured a detective going undercover in high school to solve a murder and starred Arliss Howard?
