F for Fake
“A magician is just an actor playing the part of a magician.”
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.
Your rating
Your review
Cast
24 people
Orson Welles
Self
Known for
Citizen Kane
Touch of Evil
Michel Legrand
Original Music Composer
Known for
Cléo from 5 to 7
Oja Kodar
The Girl
Known for
The Other Side of the Wind
Elmyr de Hory
Self
Clifford Irving
Self
Laurence Harvey
Self
Known for
The Manchurian Candidate
The Alamo
Edith Irving
Self
David Walsh
Self
Paul Stewart
Self
Known for
Citizen Kane
Kiss Me Deadly
Richard Wilson
Self
Also in
The Other Side of the Wind
Joseph Cotten
Self
Known for
Citizen Kane
The Third Man
Howard Hughes
Self (archive footage)
Also in
Cleavage
King of the Texas Rangers
Orson Welles Director · François Reichenbach Director Michel Legrand Composer
United States release January 7, 1977 · Produced in France, Germany, Iran · Languages English, French, Spanish
Production
SACI
Production
Les Films de l'Astrophore
Production
Janus Film und Fernsehen
Production
Janus Films
Production
France · Germany · Iran
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Vérités et Mensonges
Original language
French
Spoken on screen
English · French · Spanish
Release dates
Denmark · September 1, 1973
Theatrical
France · March 12, 1975
Theatrical
United States · January 7, 1977
Limited theatrical · Cambridge, Massachusetts
United States
September 27, 1975 · Premiere · New York Film Festival
Finland
February 18, 1976 · Theatrical
Netherlands
March 25, 1976 · Theatrical
September 19, 2024 · Theatrical · New 4K restoration
Spain
September 1, 1973 · Limited theatrical · San Sebastián Film Festival
December 14, 1973 · Theatrical
Sweden
September 1, 1973 · Limited theatrical
More from Orson Welles
Other films they directed, best known first.
If you liked F for Fake
Picks that share its genres, themes, cast and crew.
The Other Side of the Wind
Movie · 2018
Masterpiece or Forgery? The Story of Elmyr De Hory
Movie · 2008
Almost True: The Noble Art of Forgery
Movie · 1997
The Forger
Movie · 2017
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
Movie · 2014
Jack Kerouac's Road: A Franco-American Odyssey
Movie · 1987
Some details come from TheTVDB.