This morning "On the Media" (NPR) had a discussion of books and films about con men, presented in light of the Bernie Madoff scam and other recent swindles. I thought this was a great topic -- Hollywood's fascination with scam artists. It seems to be a natural fit!

Some of the films mentioned:
- "The Lady Eve"
- "Paper Moon"
- "The Sting"

Any others come to mind?

THE GRIFTERS, HOUSE OF GAMES and WALL STREET.

Those are good ones, Matt. Now that you mention House of Games I guess there are others by David Mamet that also fit the bill -- American Buffalo comes to mind. And maybe Glengarry Glenn Ross?

i was going to say the grifters. good call, matt.

what about:
the big sleep
riffifi
bob le flambeur
classe tout risque
breathless
lucky number slevin
the thomas crown affair
the italian job
inside man
the killing

i suppose branded to kill fits into this genre, but maybe not

They're not really con men in AMERICAN BUFFALO, are they? Just petty slimebag thieves.

How bout:

THE HUSTLER
POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES/LADY FOR A DAY

Or even THE USUAL SUSPECTS, if you think about it in a certain way...

Tom wrote: "They're not really con men in AMERICAN BUFFALO, are they? Just petty slimebag thieves.

Now that I think about it you're right about American Buffalo, Tom. They are just petty thieves. I got carried away.

I've never seen the Italian Job, mentioned by Phillip. I hear there's a Mini Cooper chase scene. Sounds like fun.

What about "Catch Me If You Can"? It's based on a true story to boot.

there's also purple noon and the talented mr ripley (both are based on the same book). neither are perfect films, but worth seeing, i think. i read the corresponding highsmith text, and liked the book...more than the films.

does anyone know detour (1946) ? ...can't decide if that fits the bill or not...definitely grifting going on. i think it's apt.

Am not familiar with DETOUR however now that you mention Highsmith THE AMERICAN FRIEND and RIPLEY'S GAME both of which are based on the novel "Ripley's Game" would fit the bill. THE AMERICAN FRIEND includes some interesting bit performances by Nicholas Ray (dir. of JOHNNY GUITAR and REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE) and Samuel Fuller (dir. THE BIG RED ONE and WHITE DOG). Also arguably miscast but interesting nonetheless is Dennis Hopper as Tom Ripley. I always thought a young(er) James Spader would have done well in the role.

So there are 4 different movies based on the one Highsmith novel? That's really interesting.

Nope, only two. RIPLEY'S GAME and AMERICAN FRIEND are based on Highsmith's RIPLEY'S GAME, and PURPLE NOON and TALENTED MR. RIPLEY are based on Highsmith's TALENTED MR. RIPLEY.

I've seen bits of RIPLEY'S GAME, but find John Malkovich to be so obscenely miscast and the character so changed from Highsmith's character that I just can't take it for long. I've never seen THE AMERICAN FRIEND.

I rather like PURPLE NOON, until the ending cops out. Minghella's film of TALENTED MR. RIPLEY was passable enough, but the film's depiction of Ripley as Tragic Killer Closet Case has only gotten more infuriating as time has passed.

There's another Ripley movie -- "Ripley Under Ground", also based on a novel with the same title. Saw bits of it on cable and it never occurred to me that it was a Ripley movie. I thought it was just some B-rated thriller until someone mentioned "Ripley". Haven't read the book yet but like most Ripley adaptations, the book must be better

Out of the Past (dir Jacques Tourneur, starring Robert Mitchum)

Killing of a Chinese Bookie (dir John Cassavettes, starring Ben Gazzara)

Murder, My Sweet (dir Dmytryk, starring Dick Powell)

?

Also, I'm currently reading Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey. I think this was made into a mini-series by BBC. I'm enjoying the book quite a lot, and would be curious to see the show.

tom, yeah...the talented mr ripley would have been much more satisfying without that element, and without matt damon, in general. can you imagine a film where the killer's motivation is that he's heterosexual?...oh wait a minute, there are thousands of films like that :)

and yes, the ending of purple noon was disappointing. otherwise, it works pretty well. alain delon rules.

steve-o, nice list, as always. i just re-watched out of the past a few months ago. nice film. and cassavettes - how could i have forgotten killing of a chinese bookie?

kate - i was thinking about double indemnity last night...i love stanwyck. i've never seen elmer gantry. it's been floating around in my mind for some time. i'll check it out.

matt, Detour is a nice film....very B-film noir territory. there are some nice plot twists and the whole set up, which i will refrain from stating, because i fear i'd give too much away, is pretty interesting. i'd recommend it.

i watched quicksand last night with mickey rooney. i'm not a big fan of his, but it was a good b-grade noir yarn. he wants to go out with this stylish dame and "borrows" some money from the cash register where he works, and it just snowballs until his life careens way out of control. a somewhat bloated peter lorre is in it, and there are lots of nice shots of old los angeles (including a few nice scenes on the santa monica pier). it's not the most gripping film you've ever seen, but a solid noir effort nonetheless.

A few of these mentioned are playing on TCM this week. , including these back-to-back-to-back on Friday night:

8:00 PM Double Indemnity (1944)
An insurance salesman gets seduced into plotting a client's death. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Edward G. Robinson. Dir: Billy Wilder. BW-108 mins, TV-PG, CC

10:00 PM Mildred Pierce (1945)
A woman turns herself into a business tycoon to win her selfish daughter a place in society. Cast: Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Jack Carson. Dir: Michael Curtiz. BW-111 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS

12:00 AM Postman Always Rings Twice, The (1946)
Illicit lovers plot to kill the woman's older husband. Cast: Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway. Dir: Tay Garnett. BW-113 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS

if you haven't seen it, the "original" postman always rings twice, by visconti is also really good. the film is called "ossessione", but can be hard to find.

but the version steve-o is talking about with lana turner is also a fine film.

"Moonlighting"-no not the TV series.
The 1982 movie starring Jeremy Irons.

A Polish Man-Friday, living in England, in charge of a gang of illegal Polish construction workers doing work for a wealthy expatriot Pole. He is the only person who speaks English and the men grow to depend on him for daily needs and contact with Poland. A military coup has taken place in Poland, but he decides not to tell the men. His lies and deception keep growing day by day.

Steve-O wrote: "A few of these mentioned are playing on TCM this week. , including these back-to-back-to-back on Friday night:"

That looks like a great line-up! I've seen them all, but they're all well worth watching again.

Wasn't there a fairly recent (last 15 years) version of Postman? I didn't see it, but have a vague recollection of it coming out. Has anyone seen it?

Not that recent, that I know of. There was a version in the very early 80s or very late 70s with Jessica Lange and Jack Nicholson. Unfortunate movie all around, but it did kind of help Jessica Lange get some respect as an actress.

believe it or not, tom - i think there was a low-budget cable version that was more recent. i can't remember it clearly, and it's possible i'm making this up, but i seem to remember asking myself, "really, they're remaking that AGAIN?"

sheesh! - i forgot Ball of Fire! (1940), with Stanwyck, Gary Cooper, Oscar Homolka and a host of others...

and what about "The Flim Flam Man?"

"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"
"Nine Queens"
"Trouble in Paradise"
"Gaslight"

The Man on Garibaldi Street

About the abduction of Adolf Eichmann , the escaped Nazi; who was finally abducted by Israeli agents from Buenos Aires in 1961.

Two from the early part of this decade:
- THE NEXT BIG THING (about an artist who makes up a phony back story to sell his work)
- MATCHSTICK MEN (about two flim-flam men)

i liked matchstick men, and it introduced rachel evan wood, who is a really fine actress when she works with the right director.

Phillip wrote: "i liked matchstick men, and it introduced rachel evan wood, who is a really fine actress when she works with the right director."

Evan Rachel Wood was in The Wrestler and Alison Lohman was in Matchstick Men.

i think you're right. i think i was confusing it with thirteen.

In another GR group someone mentioned the new movie THE INTERNATIONAL as one that relates to cons. It sounds interesting, and is supposed to be beautifully filmed, but I haven't seen it yet.

Bria wrote: ""Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"
"Nine Queens"
"Trouble in Paradise"
"Gaslight"
"

Loved "Nine Queens" and did not mind the American version, "Criminal".

Matt wrote: "THE GRIFTERS, HOUSE OF GAMES and WALL STREET."

I loved the Grifters!

I have a small list.

1) Ocean's 11
2) Ocean's 12
3) Ocean's 13
4) The Color Of Money
5) old school Maverick
6) Revolver
7) Snatch