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The Grifters ()

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A small-time conman has torn loyalties between his estranged mother and new girlfriend, both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play.
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Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 17 nominations.
  • See more »
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Photos and Videos

71 photos | 2 videos

Cast verified as complete

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Lilly Dillon
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Roy Dillon
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Myra Langtry
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Guy at Bar
Robert Weems ...
Racetrack Announcer (voice)
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Jeweler
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Bartender
Richard Holden ...
Cop
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Simms
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Irv
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Mintz
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Doctor
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Nurse
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Joe
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Nurse Carol Flynn
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Maid
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Bobo Justus
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Sailor - Young Paul
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Sailor - Freshman
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Sailor - Spooney
David Sinaiko ...
Sailor - Stinky
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Drunk
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Drunk's Friend (as Jonathan Gries)
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Waitress
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Gloucester Hebbing
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Cole Langley (as J. T. Walsh)
Teresa Gilmore ...
Receptionist 1 (as Teresa Gilmore Capps)
Elizabeth Ann Feeley ...
Receptionist 2
Billy Ray Sharkey ...
FBI Man
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Arizona Motel Clerk
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Lt. Pierson
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steven Anderson ...
Nervous Man in Jewelry Shop (uncredited)
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Kaggs (uncredited)
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Young Teenager (uncredited)
John Gillespie ...
Bartender (uncredited)
Bob Gray ...
Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Eve Hands ...
Bystander at Ambulance (uncredited)
Lee Hollingsworth ...
Dog Race Spectator (uncredited)
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Young Lilly (uncredited)
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Cab Driver (uncredited)
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Opening Voice-Over (uncredited) (voice)

Directed by

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Stephen Frears

Written by

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Jim Thompson ... (novel)
 
Donald E. Westlake ... (screenplay)

Produced by

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Barbara De Fina ... executive producer
Robert A. Harris ... producer
Jim Painter ... producer
Peggy Rajski ... co-producer
Martin Scorsese ... producer

Music by

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Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by

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Oliver Stapleton

Editing by

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Mick Audsley

Editorial Department

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Julie Feiner ... first assistant editor: Los Angeles
Dan Gane ... second assistant editor: London
Martyn Robinson ... first assistant editor: London
Mary Ann Slim ... post-production assistant
Brian Ufberg ... second assistant editor: Los Angeles

Casting By

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Juliet Taylor
Victoria Thomas

Production Design by

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Dennis Gassner

Art Direction by

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Leslie McDonald

Set Decoration by

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Nancy Haigh

Costume Design by

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Richard Hornung

Makeup Department

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Cydney Cornell ... department head hair stylist
Gina DiMaria ... assistant makeup artist (as Gina Di Maria)
Alec Gillis ... special makeup effects artist
Lori Guidroz ... assistant hair stylist
Julie Hewett ... makeup artist
Tom Woodruff Jr. ... special makeup effects artist

Production Management

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Fiona Morham ... post-production supervisor
Llewellyn Wells ... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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J. Stephen Buck ... first assistant director (as Stephen Buck)
Joe Camp III ... second assistant director (as Joseph Camp III)
Randall Newsome ... second second assistant director

Art Department

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Paige Augustine ... assistant set decorator
Curtis Baruth ... carpenter
Rob Brown ... carpenter
Bill Cancienne ... assistant property master
Linda Cathey ... swing gang
Shelley Chamberlain ... stand-by painter
Joseph Timothy Conway ... assistant property master (as Joseph Conway)
Michael T. Daigle ... key scenic artist (as Michael Daigle)
Frank Darlington ... stand-by painter (as Frank Peter Darlington)
Marina Drasnin ... art department intern
Douglas Fox ... property master (as Doug Fox)
Lucy Frears ... art department intern
Claire Gaul ... assistant set decorator
Robert Greenfield ... leadperson
Joe Griffith ... storyboard artist (as Joseph F. Griffith)
Mike Keith ... stand-by painter
Roger L. King ... carpenter
Leslie 'Tinker' Linville ... key set dresser (as Tinker Linville)
John Moore ... carpenter
Scott Plauche ... art department coordinator
Elizabeth Prejean ... stand-by painter
John Setzer ... carpenter
Chris Snyder ... construction foreman
Chris L. Spellman ... swing gang (as Chris Spellman)
Joseph Torres ... carpenter
Theo Van Den Huevel ... carpenter (as Theo Van Den Heuvel)
Frank Viviano ... construction coordinator
Wallace W. Wright ... stand-by painter

Sound Department

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Mick Boggis ... assistant sound mixer
Jeremy Child ... assistant dialogue editor
Richard Dunford ... foley editor
Derek Holding ... dialogue editor
Peter Maxwell ... re-recording mixer
Folasade Oyeleye ... assistant sound editor
Kant Pan ... supervising sound editor
Gill Parry ... assistant sound editor
Colm Sexton ... Music Recording Studio Manager
John Sutton ... sound mixer
Ian Wright ... boom operator
Steve Hancock ... sound camera operator (uncredited)
Tim Partridge ... dolby sound consultant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Peter Watson ... opticals

Stunts

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John Gillespie ... assistant stunt coordinator
Gary Jensen ... stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department

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Steve Austin ... video playback operator
James Babineaux ... best boy electric
Joe Broderick ... assistant steadicam operator
Katherine M. Butler ... second assistant camera (as Kate Butler)
George M. Chappell ... electrician
Mark Shane Davis ... key grip (as Mark Davis)
Jack English ... gaffer
Irv Gorman ... grip
Scott Graves ... electrician
Kurt Grossi ... grip
Suzanne Hanover ... still photographer
Stephen Harvey ... titles still photographer
Trev Holmes ... electrician
Lee Johnson ... additional electrician
Steve Lang ... grip
Mitchell Linden ... grip
Marco Mazzei ... first assistant camera
Tony Mazzucchi ... best boy grip
Matthew Morrissey ... third assistant camera
Toby Phillips ... steadicam operator
Bill Pierson ... dolly grip
Darrin C. Porter ... electrician (as Darrin Porter)
Marc Reshovsky ... director of photography: second unit
Pierre Rouger ... first assistant camera: second unit
David L. Starkey ... additional grip
Greg Wardell ... electrician

Casting Department

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Sunny Seibel ... extras casting: Phoenix
Jory Weitz ... casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Kimberly Adams-Galligan ... assistant costume designer (as Kimberly Adams)
Marsha Bozeman ... wardrobe (as Marsha Brand)
Mark Bridges ... assistant costume designer
Elizabeth Feldbauer ... wardrobe supervisor
Gail McMullen ... wardrobe assistant

Location Management

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Richard Davis Jr. ... location manager (as Richard Davis)
Jody Hummer ... assistant location manager
Ronald M. Quigley ... location manager: second unit (as Ronald Quigley)

Music Department

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Brian Masterson ... music recordist
Cynthia Millar ... electronic music designer
Elmer Bernstein ... conductor (uncredited)
Dick Lewzey ... music recordist (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Mary Cybulski ... script supervisor

Transportation Department

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Moises Blay ... driver (as Moses Blay)
Fred Falcone ... driver
Al Goelz ... driver
A. Welch Lambeth ... transportation coordinator
Tony Laron ... transportation co-captain
Bill Oykman ... driver
Bill M. Puluti ... transportation captain (as Bill Puluti)
Terry Ragan ... driver
Urs Stalder ... driver

Additional Crew

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Catherine Anderson ... production assistant
Beth Bernstein ... assistant production coordinator
William C. Breen ... consultant
Sharon A. Briggs ... assistant: Barbara De Fina (as Sharon Briggs)
Kathleen M. Courtney ... production coordinator
Dean Dill ... consultant
Tom Gamble ... production assistant
Nan Garcia-Wood ... medic
Chris Grant ... cook
Daniel Grant ... cook
Vincent Gratzer ... promotions
Brian Jochum ... production assistant
Julia Judge ... assistant: Martin Scorsese
Shannon Kane ... assistant production accountant
Stephen Masters ... titles designer
Peter E. Nunnery ... production assistant (as Peter Nunnery)
Roger Phillips ... title designer
Pablo Prietto ... production assistant
Cynthia Quan ... production accountant
Tiffany Rosen ... production secretary
Julian Rothenstein ... title designer
David Saltzman ... production assistant
Andrew Varela ... promotions
Dan Winkle ... production assistant
Craig Caton ... creature crew (uncredited)
Dianne E. Collins ... publicist: M/S Billings Publicity Ltd. (uncredited)
Michael Jackman ... post-production accountant (uncredited)
Donnie Saylor ... technical consultant (uncredited)
Gregg Singer ... talent assistant (uncredited)

Thanks

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Anne Harrison ... special thanks
Kim Jacobsen ... thanks
Bruce Kawin ... special thanks
Debra Knoblauch ... thanks
Frank Kush ... thanks
Victoria Ann Varga ... thanks

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Lilly works for a bookie, placing bets to change the odds at the track. When her son is hospitalized after an unsuccessful con job and resultant beating, she finds that even an absentee parent has feelings for her child. This causes her own job to go wrong as well. Each of them faces the downside of the grift. Written by John Vogel

Plot Keywords
Taglines Who's Conning Who? See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Les arnaqueurs (Canada, French title)
  • Les arnaqueurs (France)
  • Grifters (Germany)
  • Los timadores (Spain)
  • Els estafadors (Spain, Catalan title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 110 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Opening Weekend United States $125,195, 21 Jan 1991

Did You Know?

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Trivia In a late 2013 interview, Anjelica Huston described this role as the most challenging one of her career. See more »
Goofs Lily unscrews both light bulbs in the hallway outside Roy's apartment. In a following cut, Roy is seen entering his apartment from a well-lit hallway. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in The Rookie/Berkeley in the Sixties/Edward Scissorhands/The Grifters (1990). See more »
Soundtracks Do Ya, Do Ya Love Me? See more »
Quotes Bobo Justus: One question. Do you want to stick to that story, or do you want to keep your teeth?
Lilly Dillon: I want to keep my teeth.
See more »
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