The Spanish Prisoner was released as a film in 1998, written and directed by Mamet. Joe Ross (Campbell Scott) is a quiet, earnest corporate scientist who has invented “the Process” — a formula so valuable that his company stands to make billions. On a business trip to a Caribbean island, Joe meets Jimmy Dell (Steve Martin), a wealthy, charming stranger who befriends him. Back in New York, Joe begins to suspect that his company is planning to cheat him out of his share of the Process’s profits, and Jimmy offers to help.
The title refers to one of the oldest con games in history — the “Spanish Prisoner” scam, in which a mark is told that a wealthy person is trapped in a foreign prison and needs money for release, with the promise of a rich reward. Mamet uses this classical structure as the skeleton for a modern thriller in which every character may be a con artist, every friendly gesture may be a setup, and the audience’s natural tendency to trust attractive, articulate people is systematically exploited.
Steve Martin’s casting is itself a form of misdirection — audiences expect him to be funny, and when he is not, the disjunction creates an unease that serves the film’s purposes. The screenplay is a masterclass in information management: Mamet gives the audience exactly enough to follow the plot but never enough to predict it.
Collecting The Spanish Prisoner
Published screenplay available in Mamet collected screenplays editions.
Market values:
- Original shooting script: $80–$200
- DVD/Blu-ray first editions: $10–$30