Love and Larceny (1985 film)

Love and Larceny
GenreBiographical drama
Written byDouglas Bowie
Directed byRobert Iscove
Starring
Music byEric Robertson
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersJohn Delmage
Robert Sherrin
CinematographyVic Sarin
EditorRalph Brunjes
Running time150 minutes
Production companyCBC Television
Original release
NetworkCBC Television
ReleaseOctober 6, 1985 (1985-10-06)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Love & Larceny is a 1985 Canadian biographical drama television film directed by Robert Iscove and written by Douglas Bowie.[1] Based on a true story, it stars Jennifer Dale as Betsy Bigley, a Canadian confidence trickster, who successfully defrauded American banks of millions of dollars by posing as the illegitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie.[2]

The film's cast also includes Alf Humphreys, Brent Carver, Ken Pogue, Sheila McCarthy, Ross Petty, Douglas Rain, Patricia Hamilton, Susan Wright, Hugh Webster, Peter Dvorsky and Kenneth Welsh.

The film was broadcast on CBC Television on October 6, 1985.[1]

The film won the Gemini Award for Best TV Movie at the 1st Gemini Awards in 1986.[3] It was also nominated, but did not win, in the categories of Best Supporting Actor (Rain), Best Production Design or Art Direction (Milton Parcher), Best Costume Design (Suzanne Mess) and Best Music Composition for a Single Program, Dramatic Underscore (Eric Robertson).

A sequel film, Grand Larceny, directed by Stephen Surjik and written by Bowie, was released in 1991 and focused on Bigley's escape from prison by faking her death.[4] Bowie also later collaborated with David Archibald on a stage musical version of Bigley's story, also titled Love and Larceny.[5]

  1. ^ a b David Barber, "Illusions of grandeur". Kingston Whig-Standard, September 21, 1985.
  2. ^ Rick Groen (October 5, 1985). "A three-hour exercise in the relentlessly cute". The Globe and Mail.
  3. ^ "Green Gables big Gemini awards winner". Windsor Star. December 5, 1986.
  4. ^ Catherine Dunphy (June 6, 1991). "More Larceny for Dale then 'best is yet to come'". Toronto Star.
  5. ^ Noreen Rasbach (July 31, 2004). "Betsy Bigley deserved better". Kingston Whig-Standard.