Paper Moon (1973), Night Riders (1939), Rich and Strange (1932), The Big Steal (1949), The Honeymoon Killers (1969), 711 Ocean Drive (1950), The Grifters (1990), The Brothers Bloom (2008) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Swindling movies.
Storyline: Set in the midwest of the depression-era, Paper Moon follows Moses Pray and Addie Loggins - one a con artist, the other, the young girl who's the daughter of a woman who's just passed away. The pair meet when 'Mose' stops by the sparsely-attended funeral in Kansas of a woman he once knew (we never see her). In attendance, is the woman's young daughter, Addie, whom Moses agrees to transport to St Joseph, Mo -- for money, of course. Mose - an inveterate hustler, has been working ostensibly as a representative of the Kansas Bible Company - who picks his marks from the obits, and tries to sell - at exorbitant prices - the decedents' spouse the custom bible they'd previously ordered. Wise beyond her years, Addie picks up on Moses' grift, and very quickly, she and Mose become a team. Traveling from town to town, making money in every dishonest way imaginable, and looking for the ultimate score. The colorful characters they meet along the way make the film all the more interesting. One in ...
Plot Keywords: girl, con artist, burlesque dancer, maid, bootlegger, deputy, playful ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Soft-spoken Homer C. Fitch works his first day as manager of the Windsor Arms, a posh apartment building, and that night shares his problems with his wife Sybil, their daughter Patricia, adopted son Joe and Butch Smiley, an orphan whom they want to adopt. They also discuss Butch's future, for although Homer has written to Butch's grandfather concerning the adoption, they have received no response. Later in the evening, police officer Flannigan brings in Butch, whom he caught trying to run away. Butch reveals that he was having difficulty with his homework and did not want to disgrace the family with his poor schoolwork. Although Homer is so meek that he cannot stand up to bullies like Mr. Turk, the building's rude engineer, he is a good father, and so he, Sybil and Flannigan help Butch with his homework. While they are acting out the math problems, Butch's grandfather, Smokestack Smiley, arrives. Smokestack is an old-fashioned steeplejack who believes that a man must be aggressive and tough in order to be a real man, and he insists on staying with the family for a few days to determine if they are good enough to adopt Smiley. The next day, Smokestack realizes that Homer does not fulfill his idea of masculinity, despite Sybil's claim that he was nicknamed "Bulldog" in high school because of his ferocious behavior. Smokestack's poor opinion of Homer worsens upon learning that he is afraid of heights, and so Sybil advises Homer to act more aggressively. The next morning, Homer pays Turk to let him hit him in front of the family, and the contented Smokestack then takes Butch and Joe to the roof to show them his steeplejack rigging. While they are gone, a newly arrived tenant reveals himself to be Bruiser Brown, the bully who tormented Homer in high school. Homer, Sybil and Patricia are forced to have dinner with Bruiser that night, and after they distract Smokestack with a lie about going out with Homer's boss, they go to Bruiser's apartment. There, Bruiser spikes Homer's lemonade with gin, and the tee-totaling Homer makes a fool of himself when Smokestack appears after finding out where the Fitches really are from Patricia's fiance, Windy Wilson. Smokestack discovers from Bruiser that Homer's real nickname was "Wishy Washy," and despite Homer and Sybil's pleas, Smokestack decides to take Butch to California. The next day, Butch sorrowfully prepares to leave. A crisis occurs, however, when little Joe climbs into Smokestack's rig and is suspended helplessly from the roof. With no regard for his own safety, Homer climbs out on a ladder to save his son. Homer almost plummets to the ground after rescuing Joe but is saved by Smiley and Windy. Bruiser appears and calls Homer "Wishy Washy," after which Smokestack proclaims that he will be proud to have the Fitches adopt Butch, and that from now on Homer is to be called "Bulldog."
Plot Keywords: con artist, rancher, gunslinger, forger, farm girl, melodramatic, spectacular ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: London spouses (Henry Kendall, Joan Barry) inherit a fortune and take a rough cruise to the Far East.
Plot Keywords: accountant, wife, princess, commander, pirate, amusing, witty ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Jane and Duke (alias Capt. Blake) accidently meet in Vera Cruz while chasing flim-flam man Fiske. Soon the local Inspector General (El Gato) is involved. Fiske races across Mexico, pursued by Jane and Duke, trailed by the real Capt. Blake. The crafty Inspector General is waiting for them in Tihuacan but they all give him the slip, just in time for the climactic finale. Very tight script and pacing.—<timbo@netcom.com>
Plot Keywords: military officer, criminal, police detective, beautiful woman, con artist, engaging, spirited ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: In the early 1950s, Martha Beck, who lives with her slightly senile mother, is the head nurse in a Mobile, Alabama hospital. She is bitter about her life, she not having male companionship in large part because she is overweight, while her bitterness in turn does not endear her to people. She is initially angry with her best friend, Bunny, for signing her up to a lonely hearts club, but eventually decides to give it a try. Through it, she meets Ray Fernandez, a suave Spanish immigrant living in New York, he who contacted Martha as the first through the club. After Ray's trip to Mobile to meet Martha, they fall in love. Upon a subsequent visit Martha makes to Ray in New York - which leads to her being fired in part for her time off work - he decides to be up front with her: that she is not only not his "first" but that he is really a con man who, primarily through the club, seduces then bilks lonely women of their money. Pretending to be his sister to prospective targets, Martha decides to join Ray on his cons as they travel the country together. Their differences in style causes problems, Martha who is more direct, more impatient and more violent, she who is the first to consider killing to get what they want. But what has the potential to be the primary cause of their downfall is Martha's jealousy over Ray even pretending to seduce other women, let alone any time he may have sex with them.—Huggo
Plot Keywords: con artist, nurse, widow, pregnant woman, chilling, brutal, disturbing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: A telephone repairman in Los Angeles uses his knowledge of electronics to help a bookie set up a betting operation. When the bookie is murdered, the greedy technician takes over his business. He ruthlessly climbs his way to the top of the local crime syndicate, but then gangsters from a big East Coast mob show up wanting a piece of his action.—frankfob2@yahoo.com
Plot Keywords: repairman, hit man, police detective, gangster, assistant, gangster's wife, brooding ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Lily works for a bookie, placing bets to change the odds at the track. When her son is hospitalized after an unsuccessful con job and resultant beating, she finds that even an absentee parent has feelings for her child. This causes her own job to go wrong as well. Each of them faces the down side of the grift.
Plot Keywords: mother, bookie, son, hustler, bleak, brutal, disturbing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: A pair of brothers - the Blooms, are probably the best con men in the world, Before they get out, they've decided to so one last hustle; as wine and dine an eccentric heiress the time of her life, with a romantic adventure, around the world.
Plot Keywords: orphan, brother, con artist, rich girl, explosives expert, airy, amusing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Chuck and his pal Fearless flee a South African carnival when their sideshow causes a fire. After several similar escapades, they've finally saved enough to return to the USA, when Chuck spends it all on a "lost" diamond mine. But that's only the beginning; before long, a pair of attractive con-women have tricked our heroes into financing a comic safari, featuring numerous burlesque jungle adventures...—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: con artist, circus performer, best friend, tycoon, love interest, charming, lighthearted ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Sherwood Nash is a swindler who bootlegs Paris fashions for sale at cut-rate prices. His assistant Lynn poses as An American interested in a dress and Snap conceals a camera in his cane. When they try to steal the latest Baroque designs hidden cameras capture them. Threat and counterthreat lead to the suggestion of putting on a legitimate show.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: photographer, businessman, fiancée, designer, salesman, charming, madcap ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Two swindlers, Allen (Joe Sawyer) and Flood (Murray Alper), posing as motion pictures producers, are selling fake stock in a movie and inducing the citizens of Sage City to invest their savings in a phony film which they say will star John Wayne. When Gene Autry (Gene Autry) and Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette) discover the producers are phony, they trail the pair to Mexico with the aid of their friend and reformed Mexican ex-bandit Pancho Grande (Harold Huber). There the trio suspects Allen and Flood's cohorts, Gibson (Sidney Blackmier) and Homer Gerard (Arthur Loft) are about to pull the same swindler on Don Carlos Alvarado (Julian Rivero), a wealthy, well-respected citizen of San Ramon who has agreed to finance the swindlers' movie in exchange for a role in the film for his daughter Maria Elena (Fay McKenzie). She falls in love with Gene who warns her about the dishonest promoters. They devise a plan to expose the crooks who then make a last-ditch effort to rob the bank-car bringing Don Alvarado's money from Mexico City and put the blame on Gene and his pals.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: gene autry, sidekick, wealthy man, daughter, producer, impostor, confident ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Danny Haley's bookie operation is shut down, so he and his pals need money; when Danny meets Arthur Winant, a sucker from out of town, he decoys him into a series of poker games where eventually Winant loses $5000 that isn't his. But it seems Winant had a shadowy, protective elder brother who believes in personal revenge. And each of the card players in turn feels a faceless doom inexorably closing in. Dark streets and sexy torch-singer Fran lend ambience.—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: gambler, veteran, swindler, brother, detective, singer, brooding ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Loretta Dalrymple, a homely young country girl comes to New York City and gets a job as a chambermaid in a large hotel. She meets Ed Olson, a photographer out of work, and Dan Riley, a promoter with nothing to promote. When an advertiser offers a reward for a photograph of 'America's Prettiest Girl,", Ed makes a composite photo of all the famous movie stars and society belles and calls the girl in his picture "Dawn Glory." A Dawn-Glory craze sweeps the country, and Loretta, with makeup and new clothes, turns out to be the reincarnation of the picture. Loretta has fallen in love with a newspaper picture of "Bingo" Russell, a famous aviator, and when Dan and Ed ask her to pose as Dawn Glory, she readily agrees, hoping she will get to meet Russell. She does meet him and, then, complications arise.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: maid, con artist, girlfriend, friend, pilot, cheeky, witty ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Career con artist Roy Courtnay (Sir Ian McKellen) can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish (Dame Helen Mirren) on-line. As Betty opens her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.—New Line Cinema
Plot Keywords: con artist, widow, gripping, passionate, emotional, sultry, tender ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Trapped in a burning cabin by ex-cons Fulton and Howard, Roberts has his horse Silver drag him to safety. He then joins McCall and Hopkins as they go after Fulton, Howard, and their boss Cramer.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: marshal, convict, partner, friend, fiancée, saloon owner, gritty ...
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