The Great Impostor

Tony Curtis portrays "Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr.," who faked being a doctor, warden, monk and teacher. When I saw this at the theater 45 years ago, I thought it was fascinating. Much older and seeing it on tape about 10 years ago, it wasn't as interesting as I had remembered. I guess when you're a kid, everything on the big screen is impressive.

Humor helped in this film, giving it some life here and there as it's a bit slow-moving but still entertaining. I've usually found Curtis entertaining to watch, a man who played a lot of interesting characters. I still think he is/was an underrated actor, too.

It was nice seeing the main character, although being a fake, still asking for God's help in certain situations, inside knowing he was not doing the right thing. Those parts would be edited out if the film was re-made today. I agree, too, with a fellow reviewer that faking being a surgeon is not something to be laughed at, especially if he was doing his operating on you or me!

My favorite Tony Curtis picture has always been The Great Imposter. He's supported in this true story of a man who wouldn't settle for the humdrum by a wonderful cast of Hollywood players.

This film is particularly personal to me because I knew a Ferdinand Waldo DeMara character in my life. This person was not a great impostor like Curtis plays in this film, but like DeMara was amazingly bright and was a quick study. Even though he didn't have a high school diploma just like Fred DeMara, like DeMara with study he could learn enough to do anything. Unfortunately in the span of his life on earth all he did was use his brain was to con the social service system. And like Karl Malden's priest confidante to Tony Curtis, I told him he could do so much more with his life. Tony Curtis's performance is spot-on for me.

I have to say that my favorite moment in the movie is when DeMara is finally unmasked and we see a series of reaction shots of the various people he's fooled. Most of the facial expressions are of shock, but Raymond Massey who plays the Abbott of a Trappist Monastery reads the newspaper and has a grin that is priceless.

Recently Leonardo DiCaprio did a similar film and Catch Me If You Can did not take as lighthearted an approach as The Great Imposter. But the two should be viewed side by side for comparison. Leo's Frank Abegnale is also spot-on, but I think I like Tony Curtis's performance a tad better.

Maybe because this film is so personal others might not see it as I do, but I give it the best rating around.

If you haven't seen this movie, catch it for at least one reason: About an hour into it Tony Curtis is passing as a surgeon on a Canadian warboat with Edmond O'Brien as its captain. O'Brien comes down with an impacted molar, and Curtis has to remove it. What happens after that is totally unforgettable. They should make special awards just for scenes this funny!

That this movie, made in 1961, wasn't the inspiration for Frank Abagnale (Catch me if you can), the bit Spielberg/DeCaprio/Hanks hit currently in theaters. When I saw the promos for CMIYC I thought, "Hey! This is a remake of an old Tony Curtis film!"

The IMDB search shows that The Great Impostor was made in 1961; Frank Abagnales adventures as an imposter started in '62 or '63. Wonder if he saw the film?

I can't remember if I loved The Great Impostor or not but I'm guessing I did; the plot is sooooooooo similar to Catch Me If You Can and I liked that film quite a lot!

"The Great Impostor" is quintessential Tony Curtis. Curtis was never an exceptional screen actor but a decent one, probably more for his good looks and charisma than his ability to become different people. He is in the category of what I call "charisma actors". (I would include Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in the same category.) Charisma actors are talented and can be very convincing given the right role. And this was the right role for Curtis.

"The Great Imposter" tells the true story of Ferdinand Waldo Demara (Curtis) who was chronicled in a novelistic book of the same name written by Robert Crighton (who also wrote "The Secret of Santa Vittoria"). Demara assumed different identities, such as a monk, a sheriff's deputy, and notably, a prison warden, usually without the expected credentials. Probably the exploit he is most known for which brought him both recognition but exposed his chicanery was becoming a ship's surgeon for the Canadian military during the civil war in Korea. And he didn't have a medical degree!

Curtis was perfect casting as Demara. He makes his character fun and likeable. The real Demara was somewhat heavy-set, unlike Curtis. However, Curtis captures the essence of Demara's likability which was probably the reason for his success. The real Demara found ways of inserting himself to situations without alienating or threatening those already there. While the movie exaggerates a little bit the outcomes of some of Demara's ventures, it's a fun and thoroughly entertaining film. Not one which will go down in the annals of the greatest movies ever made, but it holds its own. A must for Curtis fans.