The Man with My Face

The premise, as others point out, is wildly improbable, yet the visuals, direction, and acting prove enough to compensate. Poor Chick Graham (Nelson, in a dual role). On an utterly routine work day he returns home, only to find an exact double has taken his place in the household. Even his wife (Ainley) says the real Chick is an impostor, and the officials believe her, not Chick. In fact everything he does to verify his identity backfires, including fingerprints. So what's going on since Chick's just an ordinary working stiff.

Frankly, I wish the screenplay hadn't tipped its hand so soon by explaining the reason behind the impersonation. Withholding the key would have set up a good mystery. Nonetheless, Nelson's dual role is well handled. Catch the vertical line created by door-frames that indicates where the split screen divides when the two Nelsons appear in the same shot. The split screens are well done without being obtrusive. Also, the climactic chase through the old Spanish coastal fort is excitingly picturesque. In fact, the movie makes good use of the Puerto Rico locations, even if in b&w. These lend an exotic flavor to an exotic story.

All in all, the movie certainly doesn't lack for imagination, including the assassin canine and its scary handler (Jim Boles). Speaking of the Doberman, I'm glad the besieged Chick finally figures out the tactical use of a door. Anyway, with some basic work on the screenplay, this could have been a B-film that's more than novel entertainment, which it is.

Barry Nelson starred or guest starred in about 60 T.V. shows from the 1950's to the 1980's. He even starred in three different television series in the 1950's, none of which lasted a full season. His triumphs on television included being the first James Bond on film/video in a 1954 "Climax" episode based on Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale" and an excellent made for television suspense movie called "The Borgia Stick" (1967). Three "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and a "Twilight Zone" episode also adds to his reputation.

This is only one of four theatrical features that he starred in. "Undercover Maizie" (1947), "The First Traveling Saleslady" (1956) and "Mary Mary" (1963)were the other three. In truth, the female leads: Ann Sothern, Ginger Rodgers, Debbie Reynolds were the stars of these three movie. Thus this is really the only theatrical movie where Nelson was the main star.

It is a showy part with Nelson being both the protagonist and antagonist. He handles both part well. Nelson was never a flashy actor, but he always brought sincerity and charm to his roles.

Carole Matthews also was known mainly as a television actress from the 1950's and 1960's. She was in about 50 television shows, but only playing leading roles in a half dozen or so. She also starred in about half a dozen low budget movies like this one. Like Nelson, she is also a fine actress who is quite believable even in unbelievable movies like this one. It is sad she never got better roles and never became a star.

Like D.O.A., this film noir starts with a totally fantastic plot and then tries to convince you that it is possible. A man arrives home one day to find that a double has taken over his life. Unlike D.O.A., this one doesn't convince you that such a thing is possible, but it is fun, nevertheless and you have the give the script credit for trying.

Perhaps the real star of the movie is a Doberman Pincher who does his best to convince you that he is a trained assassin. He doesn't quite make it, but he is a handsome and well trained dog.

The movie is nicely photographed and has lots of great shots of Puerto Rico circa 1954. This is no masterpiece, but it is interesting and original enough to keep one watching for its short length of 70 minutes.

The Man with My Face (1951)

Wow, this is built on such a fun and totally ridiculous premise it might be hard to see that really well done aspects to the film. Here it is: a man and wife are bickering a bit. She's a bombshell, he's a nice regular guy. What gives? Well, the man comes home one day to find an exact duplicate has taken his place (played by the same actor, sometimes with split screen done quite well).

So, is he crazy? Is this the twilight zone? Who is the double? Oh, and his wife and dog both don't recognize him. I mean, the wife we get, wives in movies are made out to be as unpredictable as husbands. But the dog, now that's huge clue. And the brother-in-law doesn't know him other--or worse, believe the impostor is the real guy.

So our hero is in a quite a pickle. Not only is he homeless and disparaged, and eventually even hunted by the law, he doubts his sanity. It seems impossible.

The problem is that it is, truly, impossible, and yet the movie plays it all as if it were quite reasonable, if at least daring. And we aren't talking plastic surgery or alien forces here, just go old greed and extraordinary luck.

So, swallow it in a gulp and enjoy the dual role played, really well (in a B-movie way) by Barry Nelson. Who's he? Yeah, exactly--he did mostly 1950s television, and some war flicks before that. So here's the one film he snuck in his t.v. career. Some of the rest of the cast is fun in the same B-movie way, though the femme fatale (if the word isn't an exaggeration here) is unconvincing.

A quirky fun film. It's not underrated, but it's better than a lot of other overrated genre movies. Once you swallow that pill, that is.

First thing I want to do with this review is state who femme fatale Lynn Ainley really was. This was a name used only for a few projects by actress Betty Lou Gerson. There were financial reasons why she had to be hired in Puerto Rico where this was filmed and they made it seem like she was "discovered" there by this name.

At any rate, this is an above average crime thriller based on a doppelgänger premise. Chick Graham is married to the blonde femme fatale Cora. He had a dog named Jiggs. They pretty much have a normal life in Puerto Rico. Then everything goes haywire when Chick finds his wife and brother-in-law don't recognize him and neither can his dog.

Everyday Everyman Chick Graham has an unrelated man who looks just like him, indeed, who could easily pass as his twin brother. That fellow is psychopathic Albert Rand who has cooked up an elaborate plot to commit a big time heist and then fade into the woodwork as Chick Graham. It turns out that wife Cora and her brother Buster are in on the nefarious plot. Most of the movie shows our hero trying to get things sorted out as he is on the lam from the cops who have him down as robber Rand.

It might have benefitted from being shot in color but the makers of the film do as much as possible in black and white with the lush setting of Puerto Rico. I think Barry Nelson did a fine job of playing nice guy chick vs. Route to the core psychopath Albert Rand. The other performers do well. Perhaps the canine performers deserve a special nod. There is the little one who plays Jiggs and then there is the doberman who plays the trained killer dog. Betty Lou Gerson/Lynn Ainley is attractive in a tough way as the femme fatale wife who suffers pangs of conscience and Carole Matthews is endearing as the forgiving ex-girlfriend.

"The Man With My Face" grabs and holds interest. It is a slightly above average crime drama.

Barry Nelson comes home from a business trip. His wife doesn't pick him up. He calls home, but she does not recognize his voice. He takes a cab, and finds his wife, his brother-in-law (his business partner), his dog (who bites him) and his exact double, who insists he is Nelson. They call a cop, but his ID has the other guy's fingerprints. The cop takes him to the police station, but a Doberman Pinscher attacks him and he flees in the confusion.

It's a very nice done movie version of a novel by Samuel W. Taylor. Director Edward Montagne keeps things going along at a good clip, with the doubling handled by a skilled combination of editing and masking by cinematographer Fred Jackman Jr.; there's also some good location shooting of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's also Jack Warden's first credited role; he had had uncredited bits in three earlier movies.