The Great Impostor *** (1961, Tony Curtis, Raymond Massey, Karl Malden, Edmond O’Brien, Arthur O’Connell, Gary Merrill, Frank Gorshin) – Classic Movie Review 7,121

Tony Curtis stars as Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr, a cheat notorious for living in other people’s skins, in the wacky, revealing 1961 true-life comedy drama of false pretences The Great Impostor.

Director Robert Mulligan’s wacky, revealing 1961 true-life comedy drama of false pretences The Great Impostor is based by screen-writer Liam O’Brien on Robert Crichton’s bestselling biography of Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr.

Tony Curtis stars as Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr, a cheat notorious for living in other people’s skins and, at least for some long while and most of the time, getting away with it.

Appearing in various disguises, from a Harvard tutor to a marine and on to a novice monk, from a prison warden to a navy doctor, Curtis gives a great performance as Demara Jr, the criminal of heroic dimensions. The versatile Curtis also plays Martin Donner, Dr Gilbert, Ben. W Stone, Dr Joseph Mornay and Robert Boyd Hammond. Curtis was on an exuberant roll at this time, but unfairly his star popularity was about to fade dramatically and suddenly.

A splendid cast backs the star with cast-iron support, and director Mulligan keeps The Great Impostor moving briskly and compellingly through its episodic structure. It also stars Raymond Massey as Abbott Donner, Karl Malden as Father Devlin, Edmond O’Brien as Captain Glover, Arthur O’Connell as Warden Chandler, Gary Merrill as Pa Demara, and Frank Gorshin as Barney.

Mulligan reflected about Demara Jr: ‘Anything he wanted to be, if he did it with authority people accepted it.’

Also in the cast are Joan Blackman, Robert Middleton, Jeanette Nolan, Sue Anne Langdon, Cindi Wood, Robert Crawford Jr, Dick Sargent, Ward Ramsey, Doodles Weaver, Philip Ahn, Harry Carey Jr, Jerry Paris and Herbert Rudley.

The Great Impostor is directed by Robert Mulligan, runs 112 minutes, is released by Universal, is written by Liam O’Brien, is shot in black and white by Robert Burks, is produced by Robert Arthur, is scored by Henry Mancini, and is designed by Alexander Golitzen.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7,121

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