There’s further clever, well-written conniving antics going down in 1945’s The Cheaters, the tale of a wealthy family scheming to prevent an unassuming actress from claiming her rightful inheritance. At Christmas, naturally.
The greedy but near-bankrupt Pidgeon clan rely heavily on a dying uncle’s fortune, only to discover he’s eccentrically bequeathed it all to Florie (Ona Munson), an actress he met just once when she was a child. Desperate to keep her from claiming the fortune, the family employ the services of the theatrical, destitute former actor ‘Mr M' (Joseph Schildkraut) who has a sneaky scheme of his own.
This is one of those films where just about everyone is playing an angle, trying to screw each other over, though of course all learn valuable lessons in the end. I’d never heard of Schildkraut before, but he gives a fabulous turn as the booze-sodden former acting legend who the selfish Pidgeon family find in the New York Times ‘People in Need’ section and invite to dinner in an attempt to convince people they’re charitable.
The plot is very contrived – it’s not explained why the uncle would leave $5million to someone he hasn’t seen in 30 years – but it’s hilarious and full of great comedy performances. The Pidgeons will get the loot if Florie doesn’t claim the inheritance by Christmas, so before a news embargo is lifted they track her down and tell her she’s a distant cousin so she’ll come live with them where they can keep her away from the news. Penniless Florie doesn’t realise she’s being hoodwinked and is sure they’ve got it wrong, but plays along to take advantage of them. All the while the mischievous Mr M knows exactly what’s going on and makes his own manoeuvres. Nobody in this film is doing anything for genuinely altruistic reasons but it’s the season of goodwill so, you know…they just might come all come good in the end, with the crafty Mr M helping everyone see the error of their ways, via a theatrical reading of ‘A Christmas Carol’, no less.
My internet snooping tells me that this was shown regularly on US TV back in the ‘60s and ‘70s and I can see why. It’s an easy watch, both clever and touching with a hugely memorable character in the overly theatrical Mr M. He’s enjoyable, as he’s not some angelic, noble hero – he’s far more interested in getting soused at the Pidgeons’ expense and becomes involved in their ploy more out of amusement than anything else. His darkly cynical and not too Christmassy worldview is summed up nicely when he declares that “Gratitude in most men is usually a secret desire to receive greater benefits”.
The film poses interesting questions about our real motives for giving, especially at Christmas – do we just give presents to make ourselves feel and appear like good people? It’s evident that the Pidgeons’ charity is primarily motivated by wanting to show off, though they end up needing a bit of charity themselves. It’s a smart, forgotten film that may just inspire you to be genuinely more selfless and giving.
This one is another obscure find, but it’s a winner. This also taught me that the New York Times did indeed publish a yearly yuletide list of “People In Need” and continues to do so to this very day. Check it out if you get the chance.
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