by debbie lynn elias

Clifford Irving was not the most successful of journalists. After attending Cornell University, he worked as a copy boy at the New York Times and in 1956 published his first novel, “On A Darkling Plain”, quickly followed by a second in 1958 entitled “The Losers.” Despite good reviews, both books were financial busts. Undeterred, Irving kept pounding away at those typewriter keys until 1967 when he met well known art forger Elmyr de Hory. In awe of de Hory’s talents, Irving penned de Hory’s biography “Fake!”, making it the most successful of Irving’s works as of that time and finally giving him the voice, credibility and the modicum of financial success Irving so richly craved. . .that is until Irving came up with his own brainstorm for “guaranteed” artistic satisfaction, worldwide notoriety and wealth.

Howard Hughes was the worlds most famous recluse. Avoiding all public contact since 1958, including the judicial system, rumors swirled that Hughes was dead, dying or mentally ill. In 1970, Irving, fresh off the success of “Fake!” reconnected with his old author buddy, Richard Suskind. Having tasted a bit of literary popularity and financial success, not to mention the personal exhilaration he vicariously experienced over de Hory’s abilities to pull the wool over the world, Irving, together with Suskind, devised their own hoax - pen the “autobiography” of Howard Hughes. No one would question its authenticity. Hughes would never appear in public to renounce the book as a fabrication. And what publisher wouldn’t want the millions that would come with such a coup. Suskind, a superb researcher, would handle the legwork, pouring through news archives, finding old contracts and documents of Hughes’ former business ventures, locating former employees and acquaintances. Irving would handle the more personal aspects of the project, beginning with masterfully forging Hughes’ handwriting which had been published by way of letters in Newsweek. Nothing could stop Irving. In his mind the plan was ironclad. So confident was he that he contacted his own publisher, McGraw-Hill, telling them he was corresponding with Hughes and that Hughes wanted Irving to write his autobiography based on a series of personal interviews between the two. Seeing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the McGraw-Hill Board of Directors met with Irving, examined three precious personal letters that Hughes had allegedly sent him, and after having the handwriting analyzed, declared the letters to be authentic and gave Irving a $500,000 advance - 100K for Irving and 400K for Hughes - initially. (Ultimately Irving negotiated for a cool million advance.)

Using every medium (legal and illegal) at their disposal, Irving and Suskind created chapter after chapter in the autobiography, with Irving fantasizing everything from private meetings with Hughes at exotic locales (including the top of a Mayan pyramid) to allusions of his own abductions by Hughes’ henchmen because they didn’t want the book published as it would endanger Hughes and the United States political system.

By late 1971, Irving had his manuscript completed. Delivering it to McGraw-Hill with “notes from Hughes” attesting to its authenticity as verified by “an expert graphologist”, the powers that be at not only McGraw-Hill, but Time-Life (who had made their own deal to jump on the bandwagon) regaled with the announcement the book would publish in March 1972. With this now public disclosure, including a subsequent nationally televised interview with Mike Wallace, Irving’s “perfect plan” began to unravel - particularly when on January 9, 1972, Hughes himself made contact with the world in a televised news conference (he appeared by phone, of course) with seven journalists who personally knew him.

Richard Gere is, well, PERFECT as Clifford Irving. This is his best performance in years (notwithstanding “Chicago!”). He gives a multi-textural dimension to Irving that is mind-boggling and mesmerizing, thanks not only to Gere’s inherent talents, but the period costuming and make-up, including a prosthetic patch on the nose, making Gere at a distance a dead ringer for Irving. Convincing, conniving and likeable all at the same time, Gere is so intensely frenetic and compelling I found myself rooting for a different outcome other than what reality dictated. His immersion into, and embodiment of Clifford Irving is pure fascination but then layered with the transformation and essentially a non-connective mind-meld as Hughes....pure genius. Taking some literary license with the book and Irving’s background, Gere as Irving, develops delusional paranoias that effortlessly carry him one step further into the hell of the hoax as he envisions himself as Hughes. We are talking Oscar, Oscar, Oscar!!!

Alfred Molina has never been a favorite of mine. There has always been something unseemly, unlikeable and shady about him that never sat well with me. But here, as Dick Suskind, he wins me over. Molina simply steals every scene he is in and he is the perfect comedic foil to Gere's Irving. His timing and physical expressiveness with "Nervous Nelly" ticks and his "slip of the tongue" moments are a delight. As Shelton Fisher, then President of McGraw-Hill, Stanley Tucci turns in another remarkable performance. Infusing a comedic aspect to Fisher, he propels him into a role of prominence that I suspect is far greater than in reality. Like everyone, Fisher sees the glory of grandeur and gold once the book is published, yet while his years of experience dictate he should not believe Irving, he can’t get beyond the greed. Even in gruff moments, Tucci gives Fisher a riveting wide-eyed innocence and laughs for the audience at his gullibility; you know, if it looks to good to be true, it generally is. The one casting disappointment is Marcia Gay Harden as Irving’s third wife, Edith. A pivotal and integral part in Irving’s demise, Harden is like a fish out of water. She has no chemistry with Gere and she seems totally out of space and time.

Directed by Lasse Halstrom, the film was shot in 2005 in New York and has been on the shelf for over a year. With shelf life typically taken as a bad sign, Halstrom defies the odds and delivers a deliciously decadent delight of smoke and mirrors. Combining his patented free-spirited style with effective, well-paced and interesting storytelling, Halstrom achieves what I believe is his best film. With his long time cinematographer Oliver Stapleton as his right hand, creativity is the watchword. With some evocative filtered sequences interspersed with the story footage and actual newreels from the day (including the Hughes press conference and Wallace interview) combined with flawless production design of Mark Rickler (who built the McGraw-Hill offices from scratch) and costuming of David Robinson, creativity and conspiracy are a seamless meld of fun and 70's zeitgeist. Although a few spots lag and are drawn out to overkill, the overall result is beyond excellent.

Based on Irving’s own tell-all book, screenwriter William Wheeler delivers a tightly crafted, character driven, meticulously detailed and imaginative screenplay, complete with some laughable 20-20 hindsight socio-political undertones and commentary of the Nixon era, “hypothetical” conspiracy theories about Watergate, anti-trust laws and TWA (which Hughes was a major owner), Viet Nam, and how Hughes may pulled the ultimate hoax on Irving himself, as well as the public’s ongoing fascination for a good mystery and the mystery of Howard Hughes. (And let’s face it, our fascination with the faults and foibles of others.)

A private edition of “The Autobiography of Howard Hughes” was published in 1999 but is now out of print. Although Irving denies any involvement in the film and insists it was done without his blessing, he himself now provides full chapter excerpts of the autobiography on his website.

From characters to costuming to consummate storytelling, set design and to pitch perfect soundtrack by Craig Burwell, THE HOAX is the real deal.

Clifford Irving - Richard Gere
Richard Suskin - Alfred Molina
Edith Irving - Marcia Gay Harden
Shelton Fisher - Stanley Tucci

Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Screenplay by William Wheeler, based on the book by Clifford Irving. Rated R. (115 min)