“The Great Impostor” is a 1961 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Tony Curtis. The movie is loosely based on the real-life exploits of Ferdinand Waldo Demara, a notorious impostor who assumed various identities, including a naval surgeon, a monk, and a teacher12.
Demara’s story is fascinating because he managed to convincingly perform roles in professions he had no formal training in, relying on his remarkable memory and quick learning abilities1. The film, while lighter in tone than the actual events, captures the essence of his audacious adventures2.