THE FLIM FLAM MAN
A film review by Shane R. Burridge
Copyright 1996 Shane R. Burridge
The Flim Flam Man (1967) 115m.
Lighthearted film by Irvin Kershner should appeal to all ages. Traveling con man Mordecai Jones is tossed off a train passing through North Carolina and is befriended by a young army deserter. The older, experienced Jones gets his newly-appointed partner to shill for him while dodging the local county sheriff and several less-than-satisfied `customers'. George C. Scott puts a bit of W. C. Fields in his portrayal of Jones, while Michael Sarrazin (his film debut) is relegated to the role of sidekick (Kershner jokingly tilts the camera during the scene where Jones introduces himself, just so we know he's crooked). Characters come across as being stock rather than believable. Pretty Sue Lyon, in one of only a handful of starring roles she featured in after LOLITA, doesn't have a lot to do opposite Sarrazin - sparks don't exactly fly between the two. More interesting could have been the relationship between Scott's Jones and Harry Morgan's Sheriff Slade (it certainly would have been more fun) but this isn't developed either.
Film still manages to be entertaining. There are various chases and escapes on trains, trucks, cars, and a paddleboat. In keeping with their shifty con tricks, the characters keep on the move. It's also fun watching them exploiting the greed of others, and seeing each step of their tricks slide into place. The scams themselves, however, aren't that elaborate - they follow a similar formula throughout, involving either sleight of hand or misplaced trust. You'll find trickier, more absorbing ploys in THE STING and HOUSE OF GAMES. But what the characters of those two films lack is the philosophy Jones uses to justify his self-professed trade. He's not obsessed with getting rich (he's still hopping freights), and sees himself performing a public service: his victims will become better people after seeing the consequences of their avarice, and those who are truly honest will not yield to temptation in the first place. Invariably, all his hustles involve the desire of other people to make money. It's Sarrazin who pulls the film's final scam, though unfortunately it doesn't amount to much more than a bluff. But the whole movie is so easygoing that it's unfair to nitpick. Also featuring: Jack Albertson, Slim Pickens, Alice Ghostley. Jerry Goldsmith wrote the music. For history buffs: The alias that Jones uses in one instance - Titus Oates - refers to a 17th century 'con man' who duped the English into believing there was a plot to assassinate their reigning monarch.
Also known as ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE.
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