By Lee Pfeiffer
Twilight Time is the exciting new DVD label that has acquired rights to release limited edition DVDs of retro studio titles that would otherwise be ignored. So far the label has shown creativity and taste in the initial batch of films it has released. One of the most inspired choices is the 1967 Fox film The Flim-Flam Man that afforded George C. Scott one of his most memorable starring roles. Scott plays Mordecai Jones, a charismatic old timer who travels through the backwater towns of the American South conning greedy people out of their money through manipulated games of chance. An encounter with Curley (Michael Sarrazin), a young Army deserter, results in the two men forming a partnership with Mordecai acting as mentor for the up-and-coming younger con man. Director Irvin Kershner does a wonderful job of capturing the atmosphere of rural life. Although the movie was set in contemporary times, there is a flavor of the Depression era that runs throughout. Mordecai and Curley live by their own twisted code of honor in that they only con those who they deem to be greedy. The sequences in which they pull off their complicated cons are a joy to watch, with Scott nothing less than brilliant.
One of the joys of watching The Flim-Flam Man is the ability to relish a terrific assortment of character actors in the same movie. Among them: Slim Pickens, Jack Albertson, Henry Morgan (particularly funny as an inept sheriff), Strother Martin, Albert Salmi and Alice Ghostley. The love interest is provided by Sue Lyon as a young woman who falls for Curley and tries to convince him to take the straight and narrow road. The film features countless memorable sequences including a high speed car chase that wreaks havoc on a small town. The movie's conclusion is both suspenseful and very moving on an emotional level. In watching the film today, one is greatly impressed by how Sarrazin (in his big screen debut) holds his own against the dynamic screen presence of Scott. They make a wonderful cinematic team and it's a pity that Sarrazin's talents were never fully capitalized on by Hollywood studios.
Twlight Time's transfer is gorgeous and features the original trailer as well as an isolated music track for Jerry Goldsmith's remarkably catchy score.
Click here to order from Amazon (This is a limited edition of only 3,000 DVDs)