LOVE Ned Beatty! He plays one of the bigshots at a small town bank where a chunk of money is missing, and the auditors are on the way, kind of an updated "Bank Dick", but W.C. Fields is long gone. Most viewers will recognize Beatty from Deliverance, or Hopscotch. The other bank big wigs are Richard Basehart and a seventy year old Burgess Meredith (The Penguin!) In our story, the Great Bank Hoax, the bank's chief clerk (Richard) meets up with a sultry, young Patricia at bingo night, and they head off to her place, but they aren't after the same thing... she just wants a loan from the bank, and he's after something else. Meanwhile, the bank directors are coming up with a plan to keep the auditors from knowing just how much is SUPPOSED to be in the vault.... One of the bank employees has a guilty conscience, and must get advice from the town priest. The pace is quite "relaxed", and there are a couple of slapstick gags and surprises, but it all works, as long you keep your expectations in check. Directed by indie writer/director Joseph Jacoby, who only worked on five projects.
Review of The Great Bank Hoax
