It is a remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story, whose co-writers Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning received screen credit for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, along with writer Dale Launer.

Set on the French Riviera, the film stars Steve Martin and Michael Caine as two con men competing to swindle a wealthy tourist (Glenne Headly) out of $50,000.

Aided by his manservant Arthur and amoral police official Andre, Lawrence seduces wealthy women and cons them for high-value sums by posing as an exiled prince raising money for his country's freedom fighters.

While returning from a trip to Zurich, Lawrence encounters Freddy Benson, an unsophisticated American hustler who brags of conning women out of relatively meager amounts with stories of his sick grandmother.

Unwilling to share his territory with Freddy, the pair agree to a bet: the first to con $50,000 from a selected victim wins and the other leaves town.

Lawrence attempts his usual con but Freddy intervenes, posing as a U.S. Navy veteran and psychosomatic parapalegic who needs $50,000 for treatment from psychiatrist Dr. Emil Schaffhausen.

Touched by her genuine kindness and generosity, and adhering to his personal code of never taking advantage of the poor or virtuous, Lawrence calls off the bet.

Lawrence, who is also in the room, declares Freddy cured, having appeased the sailors by revealing his status as a Royal Naval Reserve officer.

Lawrence opens the bag and finds the money replaced with a note revealing that Janet is the Jackal, a prominent American con artist.

While the tourists head to the villa, Janet tells Lawrence and Freddy that while she made millions in the last year, taking their money was the most fun.

Michael Palin, who had also been considered for the role, wrote in his diary that Caine was "probably the nearest he (Oz) will get in an English actor to the effortless charisma of Niven.

The studio held test screenings of the film in early October, one for a blue-collar audience and one for "more upscale", with both receiving high marks.

[12] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that while the film was predictable, Martin and Caine's chemistry was enjoyable and "Headly provides a resilient foil.