THE WHEELER DEALERS
1963, Filmways Pictures

Reading Marianne’s June post on The Wheeler Dealers (1963) brought two connections to mind.

First, though the movie is a spoof-like comedy, the financial tactics and maneuvers (e.g. going to Wall Street to raise money for risky ventures) seem similar to those made by the shale gas industry today.  In particular, there has been a lot of press over the last year about innovative financial approaches that have been used by Aubrey McClendon for bankrolling exploration and production.

Second, another funny real world parallel is that of a New England-bred Yale graduate who adopts a Texas oilman persona as a way to advance his cause. That reminds me of George W. Bush, a real-world Yale graduate who did the same thing the following decade.

Movies might be more accurate than we think, at least in some ways.