The Man Who Never Was
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Movie Reviews of The Man Who Never Was
Movie Review: Well done fact-based movie
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Man Who Never Was" is a well-done fact-based wartime-deception movie.
Essentially, the British devise a plan to fool the Germans into thinking that Sicily will not be a target for invasion. They concoct a history and background for "the man" who will be used to present the deception to the Germans.
Clifton Webb ("Laura", "Cheaper by the Dozen") plays the real-life mastermind of the plan Ewen Montagu, and Stephen Boyd ("Ben-Hur", "Fantastic Voyage") plays the counter-spy.
Supporting roles by Gloria Grahame, Cyril Cusack and others are quite good. Peter Sellers is the uncredited voice of Winston Churchill.
Highly recommended as one of the better "deceptive plans" movies which includes the popular "The Eagle Has Landed" and my favorite, "Thirty Six Hours" with James Garner.
The DVD cover is strange in that although Clifton Webb wears civilian clothes only in the last scene, he is never in the golden countryside and never looks at airplanes in the sky (which appear to be unidentified American P-47's which is possible in Europe, or the earlier Pacific theater SBD Dauntless...funny how movie people take license with their own movies :-)
Still - jolly good show, and cheap on sale, too. Subtitles, chapters and a trailer are the only extras.
Movie Review: Great old time British film
Summary: 4 Stars
This film would have been much more famous if Hitchcock had directed it. Ronald Neame does and excellent job. A true story of the Second World War with great locations (another good chance to get a look at the Spain of those times). But the fact that it is a true historical story makes it interesting enough.
Besides, there's Gloria Graham doing an amazingly wonderful performance. It just amazed me how well she was in this role.
This is the second film by Neame that I watch (after Tunes of Glory, which is even better) and both are wonderful movies.
Typical, I would say, of the good-natured, common-man, and respectul films the British used to do before the Beatles generation. A bygone era of which this film reminds me with melancholy.
The only thing that lessens a bit the value of "The Man Who never Was", in my opinion, is the other female character, who does not do such an excellent job as the rest of the cast.
Movie Review: double or nothing
Summary: 4 Stars
I ordered "The Man Who Never Was" as part of my collection of WWII espionage war stories. However, I also ordered "Eye of the Needle" as part of a 2-film package. Amazon failed to notify me that "Eye of the Needle" was not available at the current time and shipped "The Man Who Never Was" without first asking me if I would except only one item of the original order. If I recall correctly, there was also a matter of shipping charges if the amount totaled more than $25. With just one DVD, the order obviously was less than that and resulted in additional cost.
Although the DVD is one I wanted, I feel that Amazon dropped the ball on this order. And because of that, I will be reluctant to order any more DVD's until this policy and procedure gaffe is corrected.
Movie Review: What a surprise
Summary: 4 Stars
I loved this movie. It is a true story told honestly. It holds you in suspense like any good thriller. Of course it is dated, but that adds to its quality. Also, it was in color and I feel that helped. Very few people know that a corpse played a very important part in WWII when it was used as a decoy by the British to fool the Germans that they planned an invasion in a different place to where it did happen. The Germans were not fools, and they sent an Irish agent to check out the corpse story. That was where it got really exciting. For its age and subject matter, the movie was quite impressive. Also the dvd has excellent quality color and sound. It survived surprisingly well over the years. You won't be disappointed if you like WWII movies.Movie Review: Tales of British wartime Derring-Do!
Summary: 4 Stars
It IS a true tale and a lot of the detail is correct - till about half way through when an "Irish spy" arrives in the UK on behalf of the Germans. Not needed in the real world story - the twist is needed to add some tension at the end of the film.
Clifton Webb acts like Clifton Webb - that is to say like a plank of wood! However for the period it is well done.
Spot the pennant number on a Castle Class frigate in the background of one scene and then go and watch "The Cruel Sea". Guess the Admiralty "lent" the British cinema the same ship in more than one movie!
Topical (early 2008) because as of late the identiy of the "body" used in the real war has become subject of fresh debate.