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1-Page Summary of Catch Me If You Can

Overall Summary

Catch Me If You Can is a book written by Frank Abagnale, who was a famous con artist and check forger. He wrote the book with help from author Stan Redding. It tells his story in an autobiography format. The book has been turned into a musical that’s currently running on Broadway, as well as a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

The movie Catch Me If You Can is about Frank Abagnale, Jr.’s life as a con artist from 1964 to 1969. He was able to get away with fraud and forgery by assuming different identities in various jobs. These included being an FBI agent, U.S. Bureau of Prisons officer, sociology professor, doctor and lawyer among others. Throughout the film he travels around the world using his forged checks to live a luxurious lifestyle buying fine suits and cars and dating multiple women who unknowingly help him commit crimes at their places of work or during travel on airlines they worked for.

Abagnale’s parents’ divorce led to his criminal evolution. He was hoping to get his mother back and impress her. His father coached him on how to speak well, but he wasn’t aware that Abagnale used those skills in a negative way. Abagnale ran away from home and began committing crimes because he needed money for food. When fake checks started adding up, he realized what was happening and decided it would be best if he left New York City.

Inspired by the stylish uniforms and aura of accomplishment, Abagnale assumes a fake identity as a Pan Am copilot. He creates a fake pilot license, researches at the airport, and poses as a deadheading pilot to fly for free in business class. By doing so he is able to go anywhere for free. While pretending to be a pilot he makes friends and gets girlfriends. Most of the time he stays in one city for only few days before moving on

Hired a new identity, Abagnale starts a job as an office manager for Georgia’s Department of Motor Vehicles. At the end of that job, he goes into another position in town representing himself as in-house counsel to a local bank. Afterward, he works at two different towns and assumes the identities of two professors—an anthropology professor and sociology professor.

To ease his restlessness and stay away from the FBI, Abagnale decides to go back to being a pilot. He makes up a fake flight crew and flies around Europe while posing as an employee of Pan Am Airlines.

Abagnale gets tired of being on the run and settles down in France. He is soon caught by French police and put into prison. While he’s there, conditions are harsh and people aren’t treated well. Next, he is sent to Sweden where things are better for prisoners. Then he goes back to America where he escapes twice from a taxiing plane and then from jail.

Frank was an ex-convict, and it is difficult for him to find a job. He decides to use his criminal talents in order to make money, and he becomes a security consultant.

Chapter 1: “The Fledgling”

The first chapter of Catch Me If You Can is told from Frank W. Abagnale’s perspective, as a former conman looking back on his past crimes and sharing his experiences with the reader.

The book begins with a scene wherein Abagnale observes his image in a mirror. He wears a pilot’s uniform and muses, “A man’s alter ego is nothing more than his favorite image of himself”. In the lobby, he charms a female cashier and cashes a large check with the ease of an habitual conman. At the airport, he notes that the inspector waves him through without asking to see his ID. Abagnale enters the cockpit of a plane where he plans to ride as deadheading pilot (a passenger). The captain introduces himself and suggests that Abagnale “fly this bird for awhile” as courtesy gesture. However, upon entering flight mode on autopilot, Abagnale confesses to readers that he doesn’t know how to fly at all; when asked if it was possible for someone who didn’t know how to fly planes could bypass security measures during boarding processes by pretending they were pilots flying from one city to another city on business trips frequently enough so no one would question them about their credentials or their reasons for being there.