For A Few Dollars More . . . Movies about money and greed

NCPA readers who finish their taxes on time this year -- April 18 is the fast-approaching deadline! -- might want to kick back afterward with some good movies.

So, in honor of Tax Day 2011, here are several worthwhile films about money and greed:

“Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948) Starring Walter Huston and Humphrey Bogart (in one of his finest roles), this tale of prospectors in the Old West is on many lists of all-time great American films. Features a brutally realistic fistfight, a brief appearance by young Robert Blake, and those famous Mexican bandits who “don’t need no stinkin’ badges.” John Huston (Walter’s son) won Oscars for direction and writing; he also cameos as a much-abused “fellow American.” Pure cinematic gold.

“A Christmas Carol” (2009) Not as good as the famed Alastair Sim version from 1951 (few films are), this animated gem is nonetheless a spectacular take on Dickens’s classic tale of greed and redemption. With Jim Carrey as Scrooge (and as all three ghosts). Heart-wrenching, gorgeous and often quite scary.

“Fools’ Parade” (1971) Sadly unavailable on DVD or VHS, this neglected gem features James Stewart in a late-career triumph. He plays a Depression-era man who suddenly finds himself with $25,000 -- and a lot of unwanted attention. With excellent supporting work (Strother Martin, Anne Baxter, Kurt Russell, George Kennedy) and many classic scenes, including a dog dutifully fetching a lit stick of dynamite, plus Stewart terrorizing a holy-roller by quoting Matt. 7:29 and then apparently plucking out his own eyeball.

“The Magic Christian” (1969) Ringo Starr and Peter Sellers star in this little-known, episodic satire that shows how people will do virtually anything for a buck. Some sequences work; others are too nasty. With small roles for John Cleese, Roman Polanski, Christopher Lee and Raquel Welch.

“Wall Street” (1987) The film that made “Greed is good” a catchphrase (if it wasn’t one already) -- and won Michael Douglas his second Oscar. (Don’t forget -- he holds one as producer on “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”) Directed by Oliver Stone; co-starring Martin and Charlie Sheen (as father and son), along with Hal Holbrook, Terence Stamp, Daryl Hannah, and James Spader.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) Centering on a mislaid bank deposit, this beloved classic doesn’t just condemn greed and selfishness; it offers compelling alternatives: friendship, compassion, and sacrifice, plus a priceless lesson on each person’s unique value. James Stewart’s favorite of his own films.

“101 Dalmatians” (1961) Modest, winsome animated fare about a different type of greed -- for spotted puppy fur! With engaging characters and some nice vocal work (that’s Rod Taylor as Pongo).

“Goldfinger” (1964) James Bond in Kentucky, where the titular villain plans to irradiate Fort Knox so his own reserves will be worth more. Features the series’ coolest car, coldest henchman and hottest 007; solid gold Bond.

“It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World” (1963) This madcap epic about a race for buried cash has been lambasted for its excesses -- too many minutes (154), too many stars (stay alert for countless cameos!), too many stunts (including two mishandled planes and a runaway hook-and-ladder); nevertheless, it’s a terrific way to spend an evening. Best bits: Sid Caesar’s lunatic attempt to divide up the shares, and any scene starring Ethel Merman or Terry-Thomas (“Have a care -- that chap’s run amok!”). 2001’s star-studded “Rat Race,” practically a remake, is similarly uproarious.

“Greed” (1924) Erich von Stroheim’s silent masterpiece concerns a woman who wins $5000 but lives in poverty because she refuses to touch the cash. The original version was reportedly ten hours long, but the studio edited it down to 140 minutes. (Trimmed footage was destroyed, though in 1999 Turner Entertainment cobbled together an impressive-looking four-hour version.) Features a broiling finale filmed on location in Death Valley; just watching it makes you sweat.

And speaking of perspiration -- get to work on those taxes before cuing up any of these classics!