A magician is just an actor playing the part of a magician.
Overview
Documents the lives of infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory, who later committed suicide to avoid more prison time, made his name by selling forged works of art by painters like Picasso and Matisse. Irving was infamous for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. Welles moves between documentary and fiction as he examines the fundamental elements of fraud and the people who commit fraud at the expense of others.
Cast
Orson Welles
Self
Oja Kodar
The Girl
Elmyr de Hory
Self
Clifford Irving
Self
Laurence Harvey
Self
Edith Irving
Self
David Walsh
Self
Paul Stewart
Self
Richard Wilson
Self
Joseph Cotten
Self
Howard Hughes
Self (archive footage)
Richard Drewett
Self
Alexander Welles
Self
Gary Graver
Self
Julio Palinkas
Self
Christian Odasso
Self
William Alland
Self
Mark Forgy
Self
Othello
Gay Purr-ee
Frank & Zed
The Forgiveness of Blood
The Candidate
SF Lolita Fantasy Ome-1
The Real Cabaret
Crime Story
Naqoyqatsi
The Adventures of Prince Achmed
Late Autumn
Chimes at Midnight
Leningrad Cowboys Go America
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Grey Gardens
American Movie
King of Kings
Chico & Rita
Duck Butter
Superlopez