The Man Who Never Was

This is a well-crafted movie adaptation of a very interesting story of intrigue from World War II, adapting the historical events enough so as to make them work cinematically without changing the most important aspects of what actually happened. The wealth of detail is interesting in itself, and it is also used well in enhancing the realism of the story.

Clifton Webb stars as the British officer who comes up with the scheme of using "The Man Who Never Was" to trick the Germans into weakening their defenses in Sicily before the planned Allied invasion there. Webb gets to show flashes of his well-known screen sarcasm, but in general he gives a good low-key, all-business performance.

The story divides fairly equally into two parts, first showing the careful development and implementation of the plan, and then following a Nazi investigator (played with believable coldness by Stephen Boyd) as he tries to determine the truth about 'Major Martin'.

The first part is particularly filled with interesting details, and the script very nicely fits them all in without seeming slow or boring. The second part gradually builds up tension, and combines it with the seemingly unrelated tensions in the life of Gloria Grahame's character, bringing things together in a good sequence that sets up the finale while also bringing out some worthwhile thoughts that go beyond the story itself. It all works quite well, both as a historical dramatization and as a story of deception and intrigue.

"The Man Who Never Was" is a wonderfully suspenseful, well-done World War II drama starring Clifton Webb, Gloria Grahame, and Stephen Boyd. Superbly directed by Ronald Neame, the film is based on a true story - the planting of a dead body washed onto the Greek shore, which carries papers which will redirect the Axis away from an invasion of Italy planned by the Allies. In order to carry out this hoax, the Allies need the body of a man who died of pneumonia, which will mimic a drowning and fool the Nazis. The scene where such a man is located and Clifton Webb talks to the father is one of the most touching of the film, as is the poignant ending.

For all the accolades about his acting, it still seems that Clifton Webb is under-appreciated today - he goes from a vicious, fey gossip in "The Razor's Edge" to a difficult husband in "Titanic" to a strong, decisive, distinguished member of British Intelligence in this movie flawlessly. He is perfect as Montague. Stephen Boyd is excellent as an Irishman working undercover for the Nazis who appears in London to verify the existence of the dead soldier, who is given a fake identity. Gloria Grahame plays a woman who unexpectedly falls in love and winds up as part of the plot. She turns in a heartbreaking performance. The rest of the cast is uniformly good.

The movie's excitement comes not from action but from the tension of the situation. It's filmed in beautiful color. An excellent movie.

Based on "Operation Mincemeat" during World War II, this film is an excellent example of a spy movie that is interesting without being gimmicky or melodramatic. An excellent cast is headed by the redoubtable Clifton Webb. The elaborate plot to trick Nazis by using a corpse masquerading as a dead Royal Marine officer is amazing in its detail. The film is all the more astonishing because it is based on the actual ruse to deceive the enemy into thinking that the invasion of Italy would take place in a location other than where it actually happened. A good film for espionage lovers.

While I am old enough to have seen many of Clifton Webb's movies, I had never heard of this one. We found it in a video store display. i am delighted to have bought it. The story was streamlined, and well told. No wasted or unnecessary subplots. It was much more intrigue than a usual war movie, and clearly a suspenseful tale. The fact that it is true, only adds to the enjoyment. In spite of it's age, it holds up well. The acting is quite sincere and believable. Gloria Grahame is in one of her best roles. The English cast was mostly unfamiliar, but well chosen. Great and moving ending. I would put as a must see for any WWII or history buff. Most women will sympathize, and not too gory or bloody. But still will appeal to men for the suspense.

The Man Who Never Was (1956)

A straight up insider, realistic yet slick wide screen view of a particular British undercover mission in WWII. There, in one sentence, said it all. It's a very very good film, but depends on its ordinary flair to survive, which means its flair remains a bit ordinary. Some great acting, fast editing, and a final third with a surprise twist that keeps you really watching. And it's based on fact, which adds yet another tilt.

I watched it at first because I wanted to see Gloria Grahame, who can be simply astonishing in her slightly off beat roles. And she comes through to a degree here--she doesn't have a lot of screen time, and her role is partly to be saucy (as usual) but partly to be upset and crying, which she does really well. I love the drama built into World War II, in any form, though combat films are less interesting than civilian ones to me, and this was mostly on the home front, London after the Blitz but while some overhead bombing was still apparently going on (it is heard in one scene).

As a look at secret service work, or what might now be called a Special Ops mission, it's really quite believable. I suspect, being only a decade after the event happened, there was an attempt to make it honest, but beyond that, it feels honest. The people are determined and flawed and yet very smart and a little lucky. What seems like a turning point in the invasion of Europe by the Allies really seems to hinge on the intuition of one or two people, and the ad lib genius of one American girl on the spot (which I assume is fiction, but who knows?).

If you want to relax but never be bored, this is a terrific movie. Though technically an American production, it's thoroughly British, from the source book to the cast to the setting, of course, in London. The British director was originally a cinematographer, which might account for the solid (if unsensational) visual sense of it all. It's not a breakthrough, moving, or memorable film, surely, but as high quality entertainment with a toe in important history it excels.