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Kings of movie sleaze



  1. Easy Andy-Taxi driver
  1. David Kleinfeld - Carlittos way
  1. Dunstan and Dudley Dorchester-School for Scoundrels
  1. Frank Booth –Blue Velvet
  1. Bob Rusk-Frenzy
  1. Joel Cairo-the Maltese Falcon
  1. Bobby Peru-Wild at Heart
    8. = Warren Toomey –Psycho II.
    8 . = Detective Morino –Dressed to kill.
    8  = Manny Karp –    Blowout

  1. Hank Quinlan-touch of evil
  1. Frank Nitti-The Untouchables

Sleaze:- Dishonest, disreputable, or immoral behaviour, especially of public officials or employees

Sleazy is hard to define, but these characters are a mixture of salesmen, Lawyers, Car salesmen, Detectives, Cops, drunks and general sleaze balls.

Special recognition goes to Dennis Franz (8.) who is adept at the portrayal of the sleaze ball.
Hard to put in any order but for me the king of sleaze has to be Easy Andy from Taxi Driver; gun dealer, drug supplier, shirt seller, ticket tout, Car salesman he’ll sell just about anything. The character synopsis sums him up:

‘Easy Andy is a later version of the fast-talking, good-looking kid in
college who was always making money on one scheme or another. In high
school he sold lottery tickets, in college he scored dope, and now he's
hustling hand guns’

Easy Andy at work:

Here's the original script but Steven Prince, the actor who plays Andy, brings some added sleaze with his addlibs on cadillacs and drugs.

ANDY
Dough-Boy probably told you I don't carry any Saturday Night Specials
or crap like that. It's all out of State, clean, brand new, top-of-the-
line stuff.
TRAVIS
You got a .44 Magnum?
ANDY
That's an expensive gun.
TRAVIS
I got money.
ANDY
It's a monster. Can stop a car - put a bullet right into
the block. A premium high resale gun. $350 - that's only a hundred over
list.
ANDY
I could sell this gun in Harlem for $500 today - but I just deal high
quality goods to high quality people.(pause)Now this may be a little
big for practical use, in which case I'd recommend the .38 Smith and
Wesson Special. Fine solid gun - nickel plated. Snub-nosed, otherwise
the same as the service revolver. Now that'll stop anything that moves
and it's handy, flexible. The Magnum, you know, that's only if you want
to splatter it against the wall. The movies have driven up the price of
the Magnum anyway. Everybody wants them now. But the Wesson .38 - only
$250 - and worth every dime of it.Throw in a holster
for $10.
ANDY (CONT'D)
Some of these guns are like toys, but a Smith and Wesson, man, you can
hit somebody over the head with it and it will still come back dead on.
Nothing beats quality.You interested in an automatic?
TRAVIS
I want a .32 Revolver. And a palm gun. That .22 there.
ANDY
That's the Colt .25 - a fine little gun. Don't do a lot of damage, but
it's as fast as the Devil. Handy little gun, you can carry it almost
anywhere. I'll throw it in for another $125.
TRAVIS
How much for everything.
ANDY
The .32's $150 - and you're really getting a good deal now - and all
together it comes to, ah, seven eighty-five for four pieces and a
holster. He'll, I'll give you the holster, we'll make it seventy-five
and you've got a deal - a good one.
TRAVIS
How much to get a permit to carry?
ANDY
Well, you're talking big money now. I'd say at least five grand, maybe
more, and it would take a while to check it out. The way things are
going now $5.000 is probably low. You see, I try not to fool with the
small-time crap. Too risky, too little bread. Say 6 G's, but if I get
the permit it'll be as solid as the Empire State Building.
TRAVIS
Nah, this'll be fine.
ANDY
You can't carry in a cab even with a permit - so why bother?
TRAVIS
Is there a firing range around?
ANDY
Sure, here, take this card, go to this place and give 'em the card.
They'll charge you, but there won't be any hassle.
ANDY
You in Nam? Can't help but notice your jacket?
TRAVIS
Huh?
ANDY
Vietnam? I saw it on your jacket. Where were you? Bet you got to handle
a lot of weapons out there.
TRAVIS
Yeah. I was all around. One hospital, then the next.
ANDY
It's he'll out there all right. A real shit-eatin'
war. I'll say this, though: It's bringing a lot of fantastic guns. The
market's flooded. Colt automatics are all over
TRAVIS
They'd never get me to go back. They'd have to shoot me
first. You got anything to carry these in?
ANDY
Sure.
ANDY
You like ball games?
TRAVIS
Huh?
ANDY
I can get you front and center. What do you like? I can get you Mets,
Knicks, Rangers? Hell, I can get you the Mayor's box.
TRAVIS
Nah. I ain't interested.
ANDY
Okay, okay.