The Great Imposter (1961)
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94% of users liked it
(71 ratings)
The Great Impostor is the true story of chameleonlike Canadian Ferdinand Waldo DeMara Jr., well-played by Tony Curtis. Unable to decide what he wants to do with his life, DeMara goes about pretending to be other people, hoping to eventually "find himself." He poses as a Harvard professor,… More The Great Impostor is the true story of chameleonlike Canadian Ferdinand Waldo DeMara Jr., well-played by Tony Curtis. Unable to decide what he wants to do with his life, DeMara goes about pretending to be other people, hoping to eventually "find himself." He poses as a Harvard professor, a Trappist monk, a prison warden, and a navy physician, and manages each time to get away with the artifice. The film wavers uncertainly between tense drama and frothy comedy, with comedy finally winning out. Karl Malden co-stars as Father Devlin, the young DeMara's spiritual advisor, while Joan Blackman is the nominal (and hardly visible) heroine. The real Ferdinand DeMara (if indeed there was a real Ferdinand DeMara) can be seen in a supporting role in the 1960 melodrama The Hypnotic Eye. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Robert Mulligan
- Written By
- Robert Crichton, Liam O'Brien
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jun 1, 1961 Wide
- Studio
- MCA Universal Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A biopic about a likable impostor and dreamer that's set in the 1950s, and is ably played by Tony Curtis.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Tony Curtis
as Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr.
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Edmond O'Brien
as Capt. Glover
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Arthur O'Connell
as Warden Chandler
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Gary Merrill
as Demara Sr.
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Joan Blackman
as Cathy Lacey
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Raymond Massey
as Abbott Donner
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Robert Middleton
as Brown
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Jeanette Nolan
as Ma Demara
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Sue Ane Langdon
as Eulalie
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Larry Gates
as Cardinal
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Mike Kellin
as Thompson
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Frank Gorshin
as Barney
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Cindi Wood
as WAC Lieutenant
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Doodles Weaver
as Farmer
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Ward Ramsey
as Executive Officer Howard
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Philip Ahn
as Hun Kin
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Herbert Rudley
as Senior Officer
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Jerry Paris
as Defense Lieutenant
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Harry Carey Jr.
as Dr. Joseph Mornay
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Willard Sage
as Lt. Thorton
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Karl Malden
as Father Devlin
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Robert Crawford Jr.
as Demara as a Boy
- David White
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Dick Sargent
as Hotchkiss
- Tonmy Curtis
- Sue Anne Langdon
