This week, over at Wandering Through the Shelves, the theme is Con Artists. Every week there is a new theme and you get to pick 3 films that work with the theme. These are my three:
1. THE LADY EVE-1941
I love screwball comedies and this is a classic. Henry Fonda plays a very rich and naive (aka dumb nut) man who has been in the Amazon checking out snakes. Stanwyck is the wicked lady enticing him with an apple because all women do these things (eyes raise up to the ceiling). The Lady Eve and her dad are grifters and Fonda is their mark. It is very witty and sexy for its day considering the major censorship rules of the time. A true classic.
2. THE PRODUCERS-1967
This is simply hilarious-nutty, manic, but hilarious. Zero Mostel is perfect in this part and so glad he was able to achieve fame after being labeled a Communist during the witch hunts of the 1950's. He couldn't find work for years until the 1960's. He plays a down and out producer and brings in his accountant to create the worst play ever made and become millionaires. Little did they know that their Hitler musical would make it big. Now everybody sing..."Springtime for Hitler and Germany..."
3. THE STING-1973
This is the con film of all con films in my book. I am not even going to attempt to discuss anything about the plot suffice to say that Newman and Redford made a great team especially when they are trying to bamboozle Robert Shaw. Add in great music by Scott Joplin set during the starving 1930's and you have a priceless film. A must see in my book.
I could have picked so many more...what would be your three?
Haven't seen the first one, but the other two are great!
ReplyDeletethey are aren't they? :)
DeleteBIRGIT ~
ReplyDeleteYep, 'THE LADY EVE' was a good one, and 'THE STING' was the best one.
'THE PRODUCERS' is one of just a small handful of movies I've never seen but am determined to get around to one of these days.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
They are great and I do love The Producers-Hope you see it one day
DeleteHi again, dear BB!
ReplyDeleteI have seen The Producers and The Sting. I love Barbara Stanwyck in dramatic roles and am eager to see her in a comedic one in The Lady Eve. I am also a big Paul Newman fan and urge you to see The Verdict (1982).
One of my favorite movies about con artists, the one that springs immediately to mind, is A Fish Called Wanda (1988) starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin. The first time I saw it I laughed as hard as I did when I saw It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and that's a lot!
Thanks, dear friend Birgit!
I love the movie The Verdict-excellent film and Newman did some of his best acting. A Fish Called Wanda is so funny-I felt so bad for the animal loving Michael Palin:)
DeleteThe Producers is great, if you say The Sting is the best then I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteThe Sting is excellent!
DeleteDidn't see the first two, but saw The Sting; that was a great one indeed! Wouldn't the Ocean movies with George Clooney and Brad Pitt be considered con movies? If so, seen all of them and relatively liked all of them :)
ReplyDeletebetty
Yup all the Ocean movies would work and they are quite good
DeleteHaven't even heard of the first, but the other two I've seen. Great indeed. 22, the number used in roulette on The Sting, has been used in tons of movies, all harks back to Gone with a Wind they say.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that-about the link with Gone With The Wind. I will have to look that up
DeleteI've only seen The Sting. Great movie, that one. Unfortunately, I saw the remake of The Producers. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteNo to the remake-No!!! The original is by far the better film
DeleteLove your picks! I considered The Lady Eve but figured it would show up somewhere, so great for you to have chosen it. Missy Stanwyck is so identified with her later hard charging, tough sometimes evil roles now that this is a great reminder that she could be soft, alluring and funny too. Such a varied talent. Fonda and Charles Coburn as her father are equally wonderful and Sturges's direction is ace.
ReplyDeleteThe Producers is one crazy movie with both Mostel and Wilder positively unhinged. The remake with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick was such a disappointment especially considering the mad amount of success it had on stage leading up to their new version.
The Sting is a near flawless piece of filmmaking with a perfect cast in every part and the choice of Scott Joplin's music was inspired. Haven't seen it in a while so I should give it a rewatch soon.
This is a theme with so many possible picks and as always I had trouble narrowing it down but I tried for a bit of variety, here's what I came up with.
The Grifters (1990)-Roy Dillon, a small time conman is torn between his loyalty to his ice cold mother and his slightly less ruthless girlfriend, both far more adroit grifters then he. A fascinating examination of a group of unsavory people with a staggeringly great performance from Anjelica Huston as one hard opportunistic woman, a true Medea.
The Music Man (1962)-Traveling conman Harold Hill blows into River City expecting to fleece the townsfolk by forming a band and selling their children instruments that don't exist. Everything goes smoothly until he meets Marion the Librarian. Sprightly and colorful with great music.
Bedtime Story (1964)-Lawrence Jameson (David Niven) lives in a castle on the French Riviera seducing wealthy women and persuading them through charm and other methods out of large quantities of their fortunes. Everything is going swimmingly until rival Freddy Benson (Marlon Brando) appears on the scene. The two eventually meet and engage in a bet. The first to successfully bilk $25,000 out of the pocket of Janet Walker (a very lovely Shirley Jones), the daughter of a wealthy business man, will win the title of king of the flim-flam men. When Freddy pretends to be paralyzed, supposedly the result of a sad love story, in order to garner Janet’s attention and sympathy Jameson turns up as his rival's putative psychiatrist and the game is on! Breezy comedy was the basis for the Steve Martin/Michael Caine starrer Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Honorable Mention-The Hoax (2006)-I remember so well the outcry this caused when it was happening as it occurred almost concurrently with Watergate and the two together showed the two sides of journalism. Based on a huge scandal of the 70's. Novelist Clifford Irving tells his publishing company that he has partnered with the reclusive Howard Hughes and has been authorized to write his autobiography. Amid much fanfare and a great deal of money the book is published. The catch-the entire project is a con job. The film tells Irving's version of the events.
The Grifters is one film I have yet to still see. It is on the list! I want to see Bedtime Story since I love David Niven and I have a feeling it will be better than Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Love The Music Man and almost picked it-that's with a capital L:) Even little Ronnie Howard is fun in this film. One of my favourite songs are the old ladies singing and sounding like hens...Balzac!
DeleteOh and I remember when that was going on regarding Hughes. Hughes was in the news a lot since they were always trying to get pictures of him.
DeleteBelieve it or not, I've never seen The Sting. I have seen the other two, however. (Most of the '70s movies I've seen were ones I saw in the '70s, for some reason. I haven't gone back to watch those that I missed.)
ReplyDeleteThere are two more recent movies that come to mind, but I can't think of the titles of either. Maybe it'll come to me later. (I'm not cogent this early in the morning.)
I wonder if you would like The Sting. Let me know which films you were thinking of
DeleteI remember when The Sting came out and someone told me the ending before I'd even seen it! I'll have Scott Joplin playing in my head all night now. Remember Fish called Wanda as mentioned above mainly for the unlikely event of John Cleese getting the appearing romantic.
ReplyDeleteAnabel's Travel Blog
Oh that would suck to know the ending before even seeing the film. You must have wanted to strangle the person:) Love A Fish Called Wanda-Cleese being romantic and poor Palin's character being an animal lover but seeing the fish being gulped down by Kline (ick)
DeleteThe Producers and The Sting are both great movies.
ReplyDeleteThey are!
DeleteAHA. Three movies I've actually seen and enjoyed. Also saw 'The Producers' on Broadway.
ReplyDeleteLucky Gal! I saw them in Toronto and thought it was great but not sure about the rest of the people in the audience
DeleteBirgit, the only movie that comes to mind at the moment is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) with Steve Martin and Michael Caine. If you haven't seen this movie then check it out! It's hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI have only seen part of it but one day I will see the whole thing as well as the original
DeleteI've seen all three of these. I love The Lady Eve. It's hilarious. I prefer the updated version of The Producers to the original. I love Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Steve Martin is almost unbelievably funny in it. Oh, I know! A Fish Called Wanda is a hoot.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Glad you have seen all of them. I prefer the original-hahahaa-I love how we all like different things-that is how it should be. I have only seen parts of Scoundrels and one day will see the whole film. A Fish Called Wanda is great!
DeleteThree fun picks, Birgit. I agree wholeheartedly about The Sting. It would've been nice to see them in one more film together.
ReplyDeleteOh it would have been great and they wanted to do another film but could not find the right vehicle for them
DeleteThe Producers is such a good pick. Should've thought of that one. The other two are quite familiar titles. Looking forward to The Sting as one of my Blind Spot picks.
ReplyDeleteThe Sting is a great film...I think you should like it
DeleteHmm...have to say I haven't watched many con artist movies. I did like The Usual Suspects a lot - does that count?
ReplyDeleteThe first Oceans Eleven was pretty good too.
They both count and The Usual Suspects is excellent
DeleteOh the original Producers.... LOVE it!
ReplyDeletex Asha
Three more I have never seen! But I have heard of 2 of them. :) More movies for my list. Loved reading the comments from everyone too. I agree that The Usual Suspects is a great one for this category.
ReplyDelete~Jess