Vjeran Tomic: The Spider-Man of Paris
2023

Movie
A magician is just an actor playing the part of a magician.
Documents the lives of infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory, who later committed suicide to avoid more prison time, made his name by selling forged works of art by painters like Picasso and Matisse. Irving was infamous for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. Welles moves between documentary and fiction as he examines the fundamental elements of fraud and the people who commit fraud at the expense of others.
Official trailer Orson Welles
Self

Oja Kodar
The Girl
Elmyr de Hory
Self

Clifford Irving
Self

Laurence Harvey
Self
Edith Irving
Self
David Walsh
Self

Paul Stewart
Self
Richard Wilson
Self

Joseph Cotten
Self

Howard Hughes
Self (archive footage)
Richard Drewett
Self
C_Hickcock
Oct 24, 2025
This movie is a masterpiece -- it is equal parts an insightful essay, a magic trick and a prank. Welles considered it a new type of film -- its subject matter explores what is a forgery/counterfeit vs. what is authentic and the film wrestles with its subject by blurring those lines in a way that is both entertaining and fun. It's a masterclass in editing and a must for any student of filmmaking.