The Great Impostor

Curtis stars in this biography of real-life impostor Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr., who, as the film begins, is posing as a Harvard professor. After joining the Marines, he proceeds through a series of false identities, including that of a Trappist monk, a prison warden, and a surgeon in the Royal Canadian Navy. Played for comedy, the film never quite works, and Curtis can't quite handle his role. The best scenes in this disjointed production occur when Curtis takes on the role of a prison reform administrator and not only quells a potentially bloody riot but brings about new understanding between officials and inmates.