Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron. Evil genius. He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it. That's like hiding at your own funeral. Yeah, a big, great gig. I'm Russell Kane. Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius. Becoming that rich, I'd say that is some level of genius. It also helps that it's a long time ago, right?

It's like the podcast version of telling your kids the ice cream van plays music when it's out of ice cream.

Listen to evil genius on BBC Sounds.

Let me tell you a true story.

There was once an actor who was late to rehearsal so often that his director threatened him

with the sack, and then he was late again. Small lies about traffic jams and alarm clocks weren't going

to cut it, so he raised the stakes with a card that you can only play once. His dear old mother,

he said, had died. So he was forgiven. But in fact, his mother remained

alive, quite stubbornly, for years, which meant that if anyone asked about the old lady who

always turned up on first night, he was obliged to say, her again. I wonder who she can be.

You'll hear the truth and nothing but the truth on free thinking tonight.

This will be a programme without the slightest hint of hanky-panky.

The last thing we'd want to do is mislead or misdirect you,

because you're too smart for that, too good-looking as well.

And have you done something to your hair?

Looks great.

Tonight we'll give you the straight dope on short cons, long cons,

bilkers, grifters and wedding impostors. We'll bring you the facts in the case of Dr. D,

mystic, mathematician, conjurer of angels, and the mark in one of the great cons of the Elizabethan age.

Kevin Jackson and Gary Lachman are here in the studio to explain. Two writers who thrum with occult energy. I can feel them thrumming now. And we'll also have our pockets

felt by cinema's greatest charlatan. During the next hour, everything you'll hear from us is really true

and based on solid facts.

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