Paul Walter Hauser plays for laughs, money, and memorization.

Not too many people are familiar with the Press Your Luck scandal, which featured Michael Larson’s 1984 record-breaking win of $110,237. He was an ice cream truck driver from Ohio, who studied the game patterns of the game show “Press Your Luck,” and drew suspicion with the people behind the show. I’m told this is not as infamous as the “Quiz Show” scandal in the 50s, and maybe that’s why it’s lesser known.

For those of you unfamiliar with the game show, it featured trivia questions which earned you spins on the randomly cycling game board. If you hit the devilish cartoon character the Whammy, then you lose all the money. The show, created by Bill Carruthers and hosted by Peter Tomarken, aired on CBS from 1983-1986.

The movie “The Luckiest Man in America” likes to dramatize that story, and it has a fun time doing so. Let’s start with Paul Walter Hauser, who looks like he’s entering Zach Galifianakis territory with his hair, beard, and goofy attire. He plays Michael, whose mannerisms make him a contestant on “Press Your Luck,” courtesy of Carruthers (David Strathairn).

His fellow contestants are Janie (Patti Harrison) and Ed (Brian Geraghty), his host is Peter (Walton Goggins), and the people who start to get suspicious about him winning a lot of money without taking a break consist of Carruthers, the producer Chuck (Shamier Anderson), the production assistant Sylvia (Maisie Williams), and the director (James Wolk). Could he be cheating? The Mumbai police asked that same question with “Slumdog Millionaire.” Is he rigging the game? I think “Quiz Show” established that notion quite well. Does his hand grip strengthener have anything to do with it? Or he is a family man with a wife (Haley Bennett) and daughter back at home? All valid points.

I guess what I find most appealing about these kind of thrillers is the big laughs and consistency found within. “The Luckiest Man in America” is co-written by Samir Oliveros and Maggie Briggs, and directed by Oliveros, both of whom seem to be trying to reach Steven Soderbergh’s potential, and they succeed very well. Even though the winning streaks go on a little long, there’s still a lot of anticipation within the audience. Again, this scandal wasn’t as infamous as the “Quiz Show” scandal, but it’s nice to see a different scandal within the game show world. Especially when the production design of the TV sets are incredible, and how the Whammy may remind some people of the 80s Domino’s Pizza troublemaker The Noid.

Neither the filmmakers nor the audience knew exactly what was going on at CBS studios that day, but we do think it’s fun when Michael ends up on the set of another show-a talk show hosted by Johnny Knoxville (without his Irving Zisman make-up on, but his aging appearance). Hauser is really funny and appealing as Michael, and he also delivers with consistency that allows him to merge with the real life character. In fact, after working with such legends as Clint Eastwood, Spike Lee, and Craig Gillespie, I’d like to see him work with Soderbergh.

We also get some great supporting work from Strathairn, Williams, and Anderson, who are all able to provide the kind of stress and questions that the people behind this CBS show had at that moment. Could his winnings be a curse or a blessing in disguise in terms of its ratings? Either way, they know how to react to such a situation like this.

Take a movie like “Quiz Show,” and acknowledge what has happened behind the scenes and what came out of the scandal. And now, see “The Luckiest Man in America,” and see game show scandals through a completely different perspective. One that includes shorts and a hand grip strengthener.