The Flim-Flam Man (1967)

Director:

Irvin Kershner

Writers:

William Rose (screenplay)
Guy Owen (based on a novel by)

Release Date:

29 September 1967 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Meet Mordecai Jones; Master of Back-Stabbing, Cork-Screwing and Dirty-Dealing-Dealing!

Plot:

Mordecai Jones (George C. Scott) is a rural con artist (a 'flim flam man') who takes on a young army...

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Con Artist | Chase | Rural | Con

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

George C. Scott	...	Mordecai
Sue Lyon	...	Bonnie Lee Packard
Harry Morgan	...	Sheriff Slade
Jack Albertson	...	Mr. Packard
Alice Ghostley	...	Mrs. Packard
Albert Salmi	...	Deputy Meshaw
Slim Pickens	...	Jarvis Bates
Michael Sarrazin	...	Curley
Strother Martin	...	Lovick
George Mitchell	...	Tetter
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Super Market Manager
Jay Ose	...	Second Fertilizer Man
Raymond Guth	...	First Fertilizer Man (as Ray Guth)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jesse Baker	...	Doodle Powell (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Deputy-Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Irvin Kershner

Writing credits
William Rose		(screenplay)
Guy Owen		(based on a novel by)

Produced by
Lawrence Turman	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert Swink		(film editor)

Casting by
Joe Scully		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Lewis H. Creber		(as Lewis Creber)
Jack Martin Smith
Robert Emmet Smith		(as Robert E. Smith)

Set Decoration by
Walter M. Scott		(set decorations)
John Sturtevant		(set decorations)

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins		(costumes designed by)

Makeup Department
Margaret Donovan	....	hair stylist
Ben Nye	....	makeup

Production Management
Joseph E. Rickards	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director
William Kissell	....	assistant director

Art Department
Thomas Gark	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Dockendorf	....	sound
J.S. Westmoreland	....	sound (as Josh Westmoreland)
Jim Bullock	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
Art Cruickshank	....	special photographic effects
Emil Kosa Jr.	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Coleman D. Brandenburg	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Tom Dittman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom L. Dittman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Hickman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Homer Plannette	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Peter Nelson	....	assistant to producer
Phill Norman	....	titles: Cinefx

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (A Lawrence Turman Production)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1967) (USA) (theatrical) (released by) (as 20th Century Fox)
• Centfox Film (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox (1967) (France) (theatrical)
• Pidax Film (2013) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cinefx  titles by
• Wrangler (I)  additional wardrobe by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) | USA:Not Rated | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Irvine, Kentucky, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The Vaughn Tobacco Warehouses in Lexington, Kentucky were converted to soundstages for interior shooting of this film.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the sheriff and deputy are giving chase to the stolen car, the deputy raises his gun and fires it into the air while it is next to the sheriff's head. The sheriff cups his hands over his ears and turns to give the deputy a dirty look. However, the gunshot sound occurs after the sheriff has covered his ears.

Quotes:

Mordecai Jones:Son, you'd be amazed at the hundreds of satisfied students I've matriculated over the last 50 years!

Movie Connections:

Features "Peyton Place" (1964)

Let's have a DVD release!

This film has long been one of my favorites, and I think it's just a crime that this wonderful movie is not on DVD yet! I mean come on, this movie was no small time production. It boasted a big name, George C. Scott, as well as a few other well-known supporting players such as Harry Morgan (Col. Potter on "M*A*S*H"), Strother Martin ("What we got here is failure to communicate" from "Cool Hand Luke"), Jack Albertson ("Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and "Chico and the Man"), and Slim Pickens (who also appeared with Scott in "Dr. Stragelove").

The story is quite amusing and wonderfully crafted: A slick con man way up in his years takes a young army deserter under his wing to teach him the tricks of the confidence game. The young man-gone-AWOL at first is taken in by how easy it is to sucker people out of their belongings by having the right props and a perfectly rehearsed act. But he begins to have doubts about the illegal and dishonest ways of his aging con artist mentor and decides that a life on the run is just not for him.

All in all, the film is an incredible light-hearted comedy/adventure complimented by a great musical score by Jerry Goldsmith.

As for a DVD release, I wouldn't even complain if the disc had no special features on it (commentary tracks, theatrical trailer, etc.). Just a widescreen presentation for 16:9 televisions would be plenty enough for me. I hope when 20th Century Fox looks through their film vaults for potential DVD releases that they don't overlook this one!