This is the widescreen version of the Rare Classic Comedy/Drama starring the late great George C. Scott. This is one of George's great performances. THE PLOT: A young man meets the Legendary "Flim flam man" and begins a Huck Finn-like trip with him learning how to run the small con as he developes a relationship with the older man. As the police close in, he has to decide where he will take the rest of his life. This is one of Hollywood's great dramas that is a must have in ones' movie collection.

Director Irvin Kershner's movie comedy classic The Flim-Flam Man hit theaters in 1967. George C. Scott had the title role, with Michael Sarrazin as his apprentice sidekick, Sue Lyon as a bewitching young blonde and Harry Morgan as the country bumpkin Sheriff Slade. Meshaw!
Based on the Novel by Guy Owen
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By David L. Schoon
Very few people have actually heard of this movie, which is sad, because it's one of the greatest comedies ever made. George C Scott, portrays Mordecai Jones whose aim in life is to teach people the dangers of ignorance combined with greed. As he tells his new sidekick, he holds a MSBSCSDD degree; that is: Master of Back Stabbin' Cork Screwin' and Double Dealin'. The two of them proceed to teach these lessons to a variety of suitable subjects, with rolling on the floor laughing results. The car chase is possibly the funniest 8 minutes ever put on film. As Mordecai commented after virtually destroying the town, "They'll remember us in Clayton, boy". Not to be missed.
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By Prune Toe
This is a solid piece of Americana that never gets a bad review, even from within the ivory towers of IMDB's cinematic academe. Moreover, many critics rate the performance of Scott above that of Patton, the role for which he received Best Actor. Yet, in a 2002 interview, Peter Staddon of 20th Century Fox bluntly stated that there weren't any plans to release it on DVD. The movie's got a fan club, a fan web site, and memorabilia on Ebay, yet the studio remains true to its bottom line and the fear that any money spent on digitization would result in a loss. I do not understand the politics nor the economies of this but wonder why these good people fear that this title would end up in the $5 bins of WalMart. Perhaps we, the loyalists of this film, are indeed too few to make a difference. It's disturbing how the dollar has cannibalized this movie. What a crying shame.
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By Chris K. Wilson
Not too many people have heard of the 1967 film "The Flim Flam Man," and that's too bad for them. I have owned this lovely valentine of a movie for several years, and have always appreciated its comedic/dramatic allure. Everything clicks perfectly in this old fashioned film, from its authentic locations (this movie was filmed in small town Kentucky) to a wonderful musical score by Jerry Goldsmith.

I love George C. Scott's rip-snorting performance as a train-hopping con-man whose legend precedes him. He literally stumbles upon a military AWOL drifter in Michael Sarrazin, and the unlikely pair join forces to make a little cash. Camping in abandoned railroad cars, hiking cross country and stealing a car or two, this colorful pair eventually has the county police hot on their tails. Along the way, Sarrazin falls in love with the mayor's daughter, Slim Pickens loses his paycheck (great scene) and Scott samples a bit of the local moonshine.

"The Flim Flam Man" is aided by a cast of extraordinary character actors, including Harry Morgan, Jack Albertson, Strother Martin, Albert Salmi and Pickens. Morgan, as the local sheriff, is especially funny in a grand slapstick role. But director Irvin Kershner has done an excellent job in balancing comedy, drama and romance with skilled ease. It's the quieter moments in "The Flim Flam Man" that I truly admire, such as the scene when Scott reminisces about the purple-eyed girl he once loved in Missouri, or when Sarrazin discusses his dreams of the future with Sue Lyon.

This is such a charming movie, that each time I watch it I'm sad to see it end. "The Film Flam Man" transports us to a dreamy Southern land, colorful and optimistic, train whistles in the background, vibrant town squares, campfires beneath railroad bridges, bustling general stores. While this film was made in 1967, the small town ambiance of "The Flim Flam Man" harkens back to a time 30-40 years prior. It's a romantic recreation, in some ways a tender tribute to a past way of life. I always find the final image, of the abandoned bicycle resting at the railroad crossing, to be haunting, with Scott's character having disappeared to rustic parts unknown. I would love to join him on his journey.

For those unacquainted, "The Flim Flam Man" is a great discovery.
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I recently watched my VHS to DVD transfer of this movie when it stopped at the layer break. Instead of making another I decided to find it on DVD. Unfortunately VHS was the only medium it was released on. However I found someone selling a DVD made from a wide screen cable broadcast. It cost me some money but seeing it in wide screen was worth every penny.

Enjoy