The World's Greatest Sinner (1962) User Reviews (21)

A Big Idea With A Small Budget

[tarheelpup · 6/10 · 20 June 2014]

"The World's Greatest Sinner" is a failure, but a glorious failure. Tim Carey had a huge idea. A fantastic idea. But working without a budget and outside the Hollywood mainstream doomed that idea and turned it into one of the most ambitious and frustrating B-movie projects I have ever seen.

The problems with this film are many. The editing and sound are horrendous from start to finish. Abrupt doesn't begin to cover most of the transitions. Unrelated shots pop up in the most unnerving places. The soundtrack is either loud to the point of distortion or so low and garbled as to be nearly unlistenable. Which, in most cases, should kill the movie before it starts. But in this particular case the problems almost work as high art, keeping the viewer in a state of confusion that mirrors the confusion of Clarence.

The acting is spotty. Tim Carey is totally over the top and melodramatic throughout, but oddly compelling. The supporting cast runs the gamut from horribly amateurish to passably good, and in two cases (the old woman follower and Clarence's "publicity man") very good.

The word that is most often used to describe this film is "surreal". And it's appropriate. The jump cuts, odd camera work and overall feel of the film make it a truly unique experience to watch. And the Frank Zappa soundtrack add mightily to the whole otherworldly tone of the film. The soundtrack was performed by The Pomona Valley Symphony Orchestra, who seem to be having quite the struggle to play Zappa's score. The score fits the film very well, overall. Shows that Zappa could have been a great film composer if his interest had lain in that direction.

I see similarities between "Sinner" and Elia Kazan's "A Face In The Crowd". One man's ascension to power while descending into a personal hell. While "Crowd" is, clearly, a massively better film, Carey's idea and vision for "Sinner" could have, with more talent, enough budget, and better character development made a film to equal Kazan's.

Ultimately "The World's Greatest Sinner" is certainly interesting, and well worth a watch but ultimately exists as a frustrating textbook example of the worst case scenario of indie films:A fantastic idea frustrated at every turn by the realities of filmmaking.

Citizen Hilliard

[DonnieGReynolds · 7/10 · 12 February 2013]

The World's Greatest Sinner is a tremendous effort by a first-time filmmaker. There are plenty of technical faults, there are a lot of things Timothy Carey might have done better. These are easy to see as one deconstructs the film.

But film is captured one frame at a time, twenty four times a second. We don't go to movies to watch slide shows, we go to watch films. So it's almost rude to take this work of passion and artificially break it down into shots or sequences. It works as a whole.

Part of the beauty of this film is that it is clearly not an attempt to LEARN filmmaking. Carey isn't sacrificing this story for a future career in filmmaking. He had no formal training and learned everything he did by observations on the the sets of other movies he had acted on.

Was it enough to make him a great filmmaker? No, unfortunately it wasn't. Was it enough to encourage him to make his movie, the way he wanted to make it? Clearly.

And, as a completed piece, it works. It actually works beautifully.

The ultimate independent film, Carey didn't want anything Hollywood to screw up his film. He recruited cast and crew from classified ads. And he clearly didn't suffer "development Hell."

And it is this raw, let's-put-on-a-show aspect that makes it so powerful.

Certainly there are several moments in the film that would make it easy to give up on, to laugh at, not with. But it keeps pulling itself back together. Just as the protagonist does.

This is the story of a man, an insurance salesman, who says life is too sweet to waste it on being an insurance salesman. He decides to write a book and become a politician.

I think this film should be studied in film schools as part of a double feature with Citizen Kane. Two great movies existing in parallel: Orson Welles and his machine (talent, money, experience, power) on top; and Timothy Carey on bottom (DIY filmmaking with less equipment than currently available on an iPhone).

Each of these films explore ambition and corruption in a manner suited to the characters and the filmmakers (each director also starred as the lead). Each speaks to the cult of personality. Each depicts the eagerness of ill-informed followers. Each of the protagonists is debilitated by the death of his mother.

I am glad to have been among the hundreds of people who have ever seen this film. It is not available online or on disk. It never had a distribution deal.

As a new filmmaker myself, fumbling through the mistakes one does, I am inspired by Timothy Carey's vision and tenacity. I wish I could get it on DVD.

Weird & Good

[Merely · 7/10 · 16 December 2011]

Well, I FINALLY saw this last night. So weird. So bizarre. So timely. Yes, completely camp. The acting, old-timey film with it's technical gaps, music. The script still fits in today. Politics and religion in the spotlight. So ahead of it's time. Really keeps ones attention though. Tim Carey was born to play this role.

I watched mostly for the Frank Zappa soundtrack, but was a memorable film experience that I'm glad I had.

I also really miss the days when this website let you write a review that didn't have to be ten lines long. Yes, I've been here that long, but one could also argue long enough to actually do the correct thing here and just write a longer review. I feel ornery. Today.

A Stunning Wild Masterpiece Rarely Seen

[Pete-135 · 10/10 · 28 July 2000]

Recently I had the privilege of viewing a poor quality bootleg videotape of this film. Boy, was I in for a surprise.

For starters, I'm not one to typically enjoy cult classics or films that are in the "so-bad-they-are-good category." My initial attraction to this film was based on one thing - Timothy Carey.

I first learned of Timothy Carey when I purchased a Stanley Kubrick DVD of "The Killing". Carey has a small but important role in this film, and the minute he first appeared on screen I knew there was something special about this guy. There was a magnetic bizarreness to him that simply transcended the role. The character he played didn't have to be creepy, but Carey _was_ creepy. The weird way he looked with his eyes almost always at half mast, the way he spoke with his peculiar voice and heavy New York accent, and his unconventional looks (like a bizarro version of John Turturro) all worked together to really pique my curiosity about him.

Well, onto the Internet I went. I found out more about him. He made a living generally playing seedy characters in supporting roles in all movies he appeared in, except for one. "The World's Greatest Sinner" would be not only his sole staring role, but also the only movie he wrote, produced, and directed. And never released.

Once I got a chance to watch the bootleg, I could see why it never received a proper release in its day.

Carey plays an insurance salesman that is seemingly depressed and bored with his job and life and decides to change. He gets inspired by rock-n-roll, becomes a rock star of sorts, a preacher, a politician, and finally sells himself as God to his cult of followers.

This movie has some pretty dark humor, at least one shocking scene (even by today's standards, never mind 1962), and takes some potshots at organized religion.

Maybe the thing that struck my the most about this movie is it's vitality. It feels fresh, which is so different than how many older movies hold up. This is because this film was and continues to be so far ahead of its time.

If you are a fan of cult movies, I urge you to track this film down. If you are a fan of offbeat actors, ala Dennis Hopper, Crispin Glover, etc., I urge you to track this film down.

It certainly is a sin that this wonderful movie is not available through normal channels.

More a curio than a fully-fledged film

[insomnia · 27 August 2011]

You may not remember his name, but actor Timothy Carey has one of those lugubrious faces that once seen, you're not likely ever to forget. No actor in Hollywood had a visage like Timothy Carey. His career as an actor spanned nearly half a century. His first acting part was in 1951 his last role was in 1990. In all, he appeared in a mixture of shorts, feature films and television shows: 87 titles in all. In the late fifties, Timothy Carey decided to make his own film. He would write the screenplay, play the lead character and direct it himself. That film was "The World's Greatest Sinner" In it, Carey plays a disgruntled insurance salesman named Clarence Hilliard, who quits his job to go into politics. First he forms a rock band, which in turn becomes a religious cult; where everybody has to address him as God Hilliard. Eventually he manages to form a new Political Party. Considering "The World's Greatest Sinner" was made in 1962, it was quite daring for its time, especially when it came to the scenes of older women being seduced by the Clarence Hilliard character to get them to hand over their savings. (Six years later, Mel Brooks treads a similar path in his film "The Producers" by having one of his characters romance older women for cash).

"The World's Greatest Sinner" reminded me of another, similar film, Elia Kazan's "A Face In The Crowd." which came out in 1957. The Kazan film is about an itinerant drifter named Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes, who is plucked from an Arkansas jail, and ultimately rises to great fame and influence on national television. He soon discovers that fame has a price, and eventually his world come crashing around his ears. If Timothy Carey didn't go and see this film, he would have most certainly known about it. After all, both films explore the same theme, namely megalomania. "A Face In The Crowd" was distributed a major Hollywood studio. On the other hand, Timothy Carey distributed "The World's Greatest Sinner". He also funded the film entirely out of his own pocket, so it's no wonder the film took three years to finish. And, as the film never had an official release it quickly disappeared from sight. That said I found "The World's Greatest Sinner" extremely tiresome. The main problem being that Timothy Carey the director was at a loss on how to control Timothy Carey the actor who has a penchant for over acting. So we are subjected to Carey bellowing out his lines in scene after scene, or throwing back his head and laughing maniacally: "The World's Greatest Sinner" runs for just eighty-two minutes. The camera work is appalling, many of the shots are too dark, or poorly lit the film so it seems to run for twice that length. Additionally, the editing is so erratic it is hard to follow the plot. It's just a shame that a director of the calibre of, say, an Elia Kazan wasn't given the opportunity to direct "The World's Greatest Sinner" and turn what to me is at best a curiosity, into a film of some substance.

Not worth the trouble, except for hearing an early effort from Frank Zappa

[andyudis · 3/10 · 8 September 2005]

This movie came and went without little comment or fanfare - and for good reason. I helped Frank Zappa assemble the orchestra for "The World's Greatest Sinner" -- good musicians drawn from L.A. Studios, local colleges, the L.A. Philharmonic, etc. All were given a $50 I.O.U. against the eventual proceeds of the movie for each day of work, and none was ever paid. Timothy Carey treated Frank very badly, often ignoring him, forcing him to edit in a filthy garage, and so on. Carey had no idea what a talent he was working with. Carey attempted to entice audiences with over-the-top descriptions of the movie (including a campaign in Variety), and that effort failed. I was blown away when John Cassevetes, whose work I respected, made glowing comments about this amateurish film. Didn't understand his response then, and still don't. A few of us in the orchestra pulled together for this movie had worked with Frank on other projects, but many had not. For them, it was an experience they've never forgotten (I was often chided by people who still had their IOUs from Frank, but have been able to remind them that the piece of paper signed by him is probably worth far more than the face value of the IOUs.)

This film demands to be seen.

[princebuster82 · 10/10 · 27 February 2015]

So much has been written about The World's Greatest Sinner that it is hard to separate it from its own mythical standing.

Timothy Carey portrays Clarence Hilliard, an insurance salesman who abruptly quits his job in a spectacular fashion. Sitting at home, contemplating his life, he wanders the town and comes across a Mexican rock and roll band. Intrigued by the spectacle and its effect on the gathered audience, he begins formulating his future. With help from his gardener, he puts on a fake goatee and carries a guitar with him as he stands on street corners, preaching his message of "every man is his own god" and soon finds himself with an ever-growing audience eager to hear more. He changes his name to "GOD" and begins his ascent into the world of politics.

TWGS was made at a time when independent films made without the financing of a studio simply didn't exist. There were no kickstarter campaigns, film schools, underground distribution networks, etc. The film pre-dated the exploitation boom of the mid to late sixties and existed in a universe where so-called underground films were still called "art" films and screened alongside nudie pictures and European imports. Carey wrote the screenplay in 1956 and spent the next 5 years gathering funds and shooting haphazardly whenever he could afford to. Many of the people involved with the movie never received payment for their involvement (most notably a then-unknown Frank Zappa, who wrote and performed the title song and score, and later badmouthed the film on The Steve Allen show in 1963, calling it "the world's worst movie.") Tim Carey originally wanted another director along the lines of John Cassavetes or Stanley Kubrick to direct the movie, but realizing that he could not afford to hire anyone, took to directing it himself. He also cut and edited the movie and handled all of the post-production work. He was never satisfied with the movie and continued editing it up until his death in 1994.

Carey never found a proper distributor for the movie and it was only screened a handful of times in 1963. A later cut of the film is the one that most people have seen, having floated around as a bootleg on VHS and later shown on TMC in 2008. This version had a color title sequence and the hand-colored ending sequence that Carey felt was integral to the film. His son, Romeo Carey owns the rights to the film and has stated that he will one day release the original director cut of the movie, but it still remains unviewed since its original screening.

Critics panned the movie unanimously, which is probably what made it impossible to find a distributor. It was called "vile", "anarchic", anti-religious, amateurish and just plain "stupid." John Cassavetes loved the movie however, calling it one of his favorites.

Nowadays, many agree with Cassavetes, who stated that the movie was just too ahead of its time to be understood by audiences of the early 60's. He may have been right, but as Romeo Carey pointed out, the movie was not ahead of its time, it was in fact a time capsule that captured a unique look at an America that was stuck between the rise of Elvis and the birth of Beatlemania. The country was getting over the Korean War and had yet to experience the polarization of Vietnam. Beatniks were about to become hippies and the "I Like Ike" republican era was giving way to Kennedy's comparatively liberal generation. If anything, TWGS is a documentary of an America in flux.

Critics of the time also scoffed at the notion that a rock and roll-styled punk would ever garner a religious following or ascend into the political machine with such ease. It wasn't long before people like Charles Manson and Jim Jones were recognized as the type of "rock star guru" that could influence, and even brainwash, their followers. The slogan "man is his own god" would become pervasive in a few short years, and groups like the Church of Satan and The Nation of Islam would loudly proclaim that same message. The irony was not lost on Carey himself, who insisted that the film was just as relevant in 1993 as it was in 1963.

For all of its faults, including poor editing, shoddy audio and subpar performances from some of the supporting cast, it still feels like a sort of autobiographical documentary- not quite out of step with A Hard Day's Night or D.A. Pennebaker's Don't Look Back. And it goes without saying that Carey's performance in the title role is untouchable. Nobody but him could have pulled it off. It's like watching a train wreck slowly unfold; you're pretty sure how it's all going to end but you can't stop watching while it happens.

I'm not usually so pompous when describing movies, but TWGS is a movie that opened my eyes to something I can't quite put my finger on.

A Compelling But Unsatisfying Film

[atlasmb · 5/10 · 14 May 2017]

Conceived of, written by, directed by, and starred in by Timothy Carey, "The World's Greatest Sinner" is a brave but overreaching effort by one man with a creative voice and little money.

Carey gives us a sketchy, raw film about a confused man with a Messianic complex who, because he is bored with life, subverts the conventions of society to feed his unsatisfied ego. The film is too (physically) dark and it is roughly edited and unfinished, but there is an outline of a story that asserts that cults of personality are a common thread through religion, rock and roll, and politics.

Though he declares himself otherwise, Carey is not an atheist. The film is steeped in Catholic iconography and dogma. And his tortured relationship with God is central to the story. He is a believer who seeks explanations for the contradictions in Christianity.

The film features music by Frank Zappa which sometimes contributes to the chaotic essence of the main character.

Though Carey can be a compelling presence on the screen and the greatest attribute of the film, the story is, in the end, predictable and never really gets beyond the immature musings of its primary character, who sets up a philosophical straw man and torches him, as expected, in the end.

For another film that features complete dedication by an off-beat auteur, check out "Carnival of Souls". It's a better film.

The World's Greatest Under-Appreciated Actor

[ElijahCSkuggs · 9/10 · 30 July 2008]

Recommended to me by a complete and utter "World's Greatest Sinner" fanboy, I decided I should check it out. He said something like, "If you're a fan of insane acting performances you will not be let down." Hell, I love insane acting performances! Probably more than the next guy. F that, way more than the next guy! So, the WGS Fanboy, or he may be a Timothy Carey fanboy....anyways, WGS/Tim Carey fanboy called me out pretty much. So, the next chance I had, I popped on The World's Greatest Sinner. And I'll tell you what, it was most definitely an insane acting performance. One so great, that it made the movie. It is the movie.

The film is simply about a tired Insurance Salesman who just doesn't want to do what he does anymore. He wants to be a somebody. And does he ever. He strives for power, and before he knows it, he has it. Watching Carey's character evolve from an everyday joe shmoe to uber-personality is basically the premise here.

The film itself is a smart flick. Some other comment said it was ahead of it's time, but it's not really that, but it's more of a timeless film. People don't change in the way Carey's character did in just one period. Carey's strive for power and attention is a trait humans have had and probably will have until we expire as a species.

I had no clue who Timothy Carey was prior to watching TWS. I heard he was a regular as a supporting character in a few Kubrick films. So, heading into this film, I didn't know what the dude even looked like. And boy oye oye, after seeing this film, I'll never forget. Timothy Carey is a tall, foreboding and masculine figure that delivers a style of acting which is just 100% unique. His tedious and realistic approach at acting is kinda bizarre to watch. But like I just said, it's unique. At times, with those sullen looking eyes and his relaxed way of talking, I almost thought he played his character drunk the entire film. But, when he has a scene where he needs to show emotion and energy, he's all over it. Simply put, if Carey didn't cast himself as the lead in his film (wrote, directed, acted etc.) this movie would have been in no way on Earth as entertaining.

The World's Greatest Sinner is only a fantastic movie, because at that time, The World's Greatest Under-appreciated Actor was in it. It's a film that's different, realistic and true to the bone. Definitely a flick I'll be recommending to my more accomplished movie-going friends.

Can I Be Frank?

[vnvffvnv · 1/10 · 26 November 2020]

I'm here as a Zappa fan. I've been aware of this film for decades. I own the Zappa cuts. This movie was unwatchable. I gave it 1 star because it seemed like a decent restoration.

god vs God

[huemannus · 8/10 · 27 October 2008]

Clarence Hilliard goes to work one day and after some very deep thought, decides he no longer wants to be a life insurance salesman. In a flash of enlightenment he conjures up his own personal religion and like most religious fanatics, is convinced he must preach his gospel.

Although a little murky, his message sounds like Satan was his speech writer. You have to admit it is appealing to claim man is capable of rising above his mortality to become a super human being. In conjunction with this lofty idea Clarence relocated the Christian heaven from its nebulous place up in the clouds to right here on earth, in fact as close as Clarence himself. Couple this with his desire to become the next president and you have the complete package that is sure to offend some and enthrall others.

Right away he gets in trouble with his boss who is shocked that his salesman's newfound religious convictions of immortality are not conducive to selling life insurance, so he gets canned.

At first his wife seems unconcerned that her husband has quit his job but that soon changes when hubby declares himself God and with a bull horn begins preaching on street corners to anyone who will listen. His message is so off-the-wall that he immediately attracts a crowd of gawking, slack jaws, the sort of people who are gullible enough to believe anything.

Encouraged by his success, Clarence, with audacious swagger, launches his career as God Hilliard, buying a guitar, starting a band and enlisting a growing number of ignoramuses who actually believe his religious BS and for some reason, find his totally stupid-looking, leg quivering stage act appealing.

Before long all sorts of young and old female groupies are hanging all over him, and being a caring god, Clarence feels obligated to "tend" to his growing flock. Wifey takes offense to this as well as his heresy so she plays her trump, sending the little daughter in with Bible in hand to appeal to his sense of duty as a father. Clarence, being God now, has no use for such mundane duties and takes offense that they don't recognize his divinity.

After rejecting his heartbroken daughter and wife, Clarence begins to have doubts about his mission as God. Soon, cracks in his God image begin to appear and his presidential campaign falters amid allegations he is not who he says he is. To shore up his confidence, he makes a trip to the local church to straighten out his thinking.

Although he is obviously God Hilliard standing there in person, he notes the parishioners put great faith in the communion ritual with the unseen body of Christ. Puzzled, he steals the sacrament when no one is looking. When a flurry of pin jabs doesn't produce Christ's blood, his disillusionment with religious ritual destroys his belief in his own divinity.

Poor fellow falls into a troubled sleep and in his dream, he runs out the door following a trail of slime(?) His faithful followers run after him but he is drawn (this is where it gets really wacky) to his fate. As he opens the door to a room, a red filter drops over the lens and its my guess Satan is waiting to claim him as the world's greatest sinner.

As I watched this jaw dropping performance, I realized it had similarities to Andy Griffith's movie, A Face in the Crowd, but Andy edges out Tim as a fanatical egomaniac.

Extremely Highly Recommended

[mikecareyxx · 10/10 · 23 March 2005]

In 1972, the local art house (Towne theater, San Jose CA) advertised this flick for Midnight Movie. I went because of music by Frank Zappa and because Casavettes was quoted: "Carey has the emotional power of an Eisenstein!"

I thoroughly agree with Casavettes' opinion. The late Mr. Casavettes was certainly not quick to compare anyone with the great Eisenstien, and neither am I.

I highly recommend: SEE IT! Insurance salesman Clarence Hilliard becomes a rock star (gold lame suit: cross between Elvis and James Brown) then becomes political upstart "God" Hilliard. The consequences are most difficult. SEE IT!

This film is what "independent cinema" is all about.

[robertguttman · 9/10 · 15 July 2019]

One hears a lot about "independent cinema" these days, films made outside the mainstream studio system that reflect the individual voices of their creators. Film festivals are devoted entirely to "independent films", such as "The Sundance Film Festival". There is even an "Independent Film Channel" on cable television. Well, "The World's Greatest Sinner" really IS an "Independent Film". Timothy Carey wrote, produced, directed and starred in "The World's Greatest Sinner". Filmed on location with whatever actors and equipment he could get, int took three years to complete because he had no budget and made the movie whenever time permitted between professional acting jobs. In fact, the story of the making of "The World's Greatest Sinner" would make a pretty compelling subject for a movie in itself, much as was done some years ago to "Plan 9 From Outer Space".

This movie is about unrestrained ego. The main character is an insurance salesman who wants to become something more. By turns he transforms himself into a rock & roll star, an evangelist and a presidential candidate. During that process his ego enlarges exponentially until it becomes clear that his ultimate goal is nothing less than to become God. Oh, and as if all that were not bizarre enough, the sound track was written and performed by Frank Zappa, early in his career, years before he became famous as the leader of "The Mothers of Invention".

Nobody is ever going to say that this movie has the best production values. Apart from everything else, the three-year production time inevitably created some continuity issues. Nevertheless, this is a film that has something to say which no other would dare to say, and says it emphatically. Furthermore, despite the fact that matters frequently go over-the-top, the story is frighteningly plausible and believable. Yes, one cannot escape the conviction that the events depicted really could happen.

Although "The World's Greatest Sinner" is never going to be everyone's cup of tea, or indeed was ever intended to be, it definitely deserves a place on the list of movies everyone should see at least once before they die.

Extreme Subversive Camp

[jdansak-1 · 10/10 · 3 April 2008]

Others above have stated eloquently most of what makes The World's Greatest Sinner so great. So what if the tone is uneven? Yes, the editing unintentionally echoes French new wave because of sloppiness; yes, there is that kind of great bad acting that would characterize John Waters' early efforts. Talk about rioting in the obvious. Those who criticize this film for the above reasons are simply screaming attention to their myopic view of movies.

What is hard to not appreciate are several unforgettable scenes: the ecstatic dance at the rock show after he changes his name to GOD; the seduction of the elderly woman while GOD runs for the Presidency and the ensuing reclining on the couch as he whispers "You remind me of my mother" (or something akin to that); the insurance agent discouraging potential customers from buying burial insurance. "Don't worry, when your corpse starts to stink, someone will bury you." And those highlights are just off the top of my head and I haven't viewed the movie for 6 or 7 years. I'd just like to urge Zappa's old, old buddy who wrote the critical note above,that, if he's still all torn up about some minor disrespect that occurred in 1961 (!!!!!), well.... it might be time to get over it, buckaroo.

You want conceptual bravura? You got it!

[Meatwort · 8/10 · 7 March 1999]

If only because Tim Carey made this film nearly single-handedly on and off over three years, it would merit study. But The World's Greatest Sinner has so much more than that to recommend it! How can you fault a film about an insurance salesman who quits his job to become a rock star, changes his first name to "God", and run for President?

A simply spectacular motion picture

[Woodyanders · 10/10 · 3 November 2006]

Late, great crazy creepo character actor extraordinaire Timothy Carey really outdoes himself with this wonderfully warped crackpot classic. Carey wrote, produced, directed, distributed, plays the lead, and even sings and dances in this positively insane knockout about Clarence Hilliard, a fortyish insurance salesman who up and quits his dreary dead end job so he can start life afresh by denouncing God and preaching a blasphemous alternate religion where every person can not only have eternal life, but also become a god in their own right and live life however they please. Assisted by loyal Mexicon gardener Alonzo (ripely played by Ray Dennis Steckler movie regular Titus Moode), Clarance, now calling himself God Hilliard, sporting a fake pasted on goatee, and clad in a gleaming gold lame suit, first wins over the masses by singing his unholy word while backed up by a hideously sludgy, tuneless and off-key band and doing these hilariously arrhythmic herky-jerky Elvis-style gyrating pelvis moves while performing on stage.

Then Clarence goes an extra step further off the deep end by creating the Eternal Man's Party and running for president. Clarence incites riots ("We are all gods!," the crowd exclaims as they demolish cars, buildings and park benches), beds countless female followers (who include an elderly woman and a 14-year-old girl!), advises weak, doubting nonbelievers to commit suicide, neglects his loving wife and kids, gets condemned in the press as an atheist, and dares the Supreme Being to produce some tangible, irrefutable evidence that confirms his very existence. Carey's raving, impassioned, amazingly manic'n'frantic fruitbag performance, ably supported by the frenetic whirlwind pace, crude, disjointed narrative, grainy, washed-out black and white photography, Frank Zappa's overwrought full orchestral score, nutty dialogue, hip opening credits rockabilly theme song set to a socking diddy bop beat, choppy editing, the plummy, dulcet baritone of Paul Frees as the voice of Satan (personified here as a snake), and general air of gloriously gonzo abandon, sets this stupendously sordid and sacrilegious stunner right over the edge, boldly (and gleefully) defying any remote semblance of either good taste or proper social restraint. A simply astonishing picture.

Frank Zappa's first musical creation

[Rob R · 10 May 1999]

This film is famous among Frank Zappa fans for being his first published creative effort. Apparently he had no doubts about his talent even at the age of 22, as he began writing the score using 52 musicians. Frank himself later described the film as 'rancid'. The title song appeared under the name of Baby Ray and The Ferns.

genius or insanity?

[tracyfigueira · 8/10 · 18 April 2009]

Like so much avant-garde art, this extremely odd cult film from actor/director Timothy Carey leaves you wondering: did I just witness an extremely significant work of art, or was it all a big put-on? One part of me wants to classify it with the works of Bunuel and Godard, another wants to lump it with "Glen or Glenda?" and "Manos: The Hands of Fate." Its low budget quality, grainy black-and-white photography, and general amateurishness of execution reminds me of other cult classics such as "Night of the Living Dead." The story plays out as almost a medieval morality play. Carey plays a bored insurance salesman who becomes a cult guru, preaching a doctrine suspiciously reminiscent of Friedrich Nietzsche. At the end, however, he's defeated, recognizing the power of the One True God. For all its seeming iconoclasm, "The World's Greatest Sinner" is written from a surprisingly orthodox Christian point of view, reaffirming the faith it seems to question.

Brilliant Overlooked Film

[arfdawg-1 · 10/10 · 24 March 2011]

Every frame of this film is just simply brilliant and especially relevant today under the crazy obama nation.

Disaffected worker gets taken in by the devil and decides he will become a politician promising a super human race where everyone is equal and lives forever, becoming God in the process.

It's such a poignant pre-cursor to the mindless masses who worshiped the current president into power. Just brilliant. Complete with the rioting nut cases.

It's sad that this movie is so forgotten. It's an absolute indie classic. One of the best scenes I've seen all year.

Yes, it's choppy, and rough around the edges, but it was made over time for no money and still delivers a punch with its message.

This film is a one man driven tour de force classic. A must see.

Spread the word.

A legendary jerry-built "épater les bourgeois" spectacle

[EyeAskance · 15 October 2003]

Regarded by some as a masterstroke of underground cinema, and for good reason...TWGS is a gritty and highly recalcitrant walk on the wild side, gently flouting just about every vested American institution of respectability and reverence...that may not sound like a such a big deal in present times(when even TV cartoons have an insolent streak), but the America of 1962 was a very different world.

Timothy Carey, a legendary and enigmatic Hollywood outsider, performs vibrantly in this nihilistic vanity project. He portrays a disenchanted American family man whose eccentric ideologies galvanize a small following, leading to his gradual ascention as a gold-digging lothario, frenetic rockabilly performer, and, lastly, dissentious political hegemon. The fall is always faster than the climb, however...delusional grandiosity takes hold, and he soon finds himself abandoned and detached in a sad ivory tower of deified ipseity.

It's a conceptually alluring exercise in ideoplastic rabble-rousing, without question...frustratingly, however, the overt bearings of an impossibly vagabond production peg this project as an edgy, inordinate, and admittedly very ambitious home movie. Accepted on these terms, it's a chimerical wonderwork, and some will find its dodgy appeal enhanced by the unvarnished minimalism of a breadline budget.

Mainstream viewers are unlikely to surrender gently to this earnestly hand-hammered anomaly, though it's certainly worthy of investigation(as is evident by its sizable legion of fans...a number of whom, I suspect, might not like the film quite as much as they like the *IDEA* of liking it).

5.5/10