The Man Who Never Was

I have the feeling that this issue of this film on DVD is only a matter of months now. Picture quality and sound are excellent given when it was made. Will appeal to all fans of WW2 movies and illustrates values and heroism which unfortunately seem to have been forgotten today ! It is not a film of great action but the plot maintains the tension throughout and suspense is maintained till the very end. The quotation of a few lines read from a poem conjointly with the view of the sea produced a strange effect on me - although the stories are completely different, I could see some similarities with The Day of the Jackal. Definitely recommended.

Does Clifton Webb ever do a bad movie ? I can't think of one. He makes this movie a real gem for all historians, especially WW II buffs. The Scottish father (of Willie Martin)in "the Man Who Never Was", makes a statement concerning Scotland and the U K, which will stick in my mind every time I think of this movie. It's a history lesson in itself. Gloria Grahame is still a knock-out after playing the role of Violet in "It's a Wonderful Life", ten years earlier. It is Clifton Webb that makes this movie a classic, but it is Gloria Grahame that makes this picture a masterpiece, and a must see. Why can't they make movies like this today ? I would have rated this movie a 10, but because I don't know how factual it was based, I rated it a 9.

Here's a movie that's should be familiar to ever movie lover, so what's the point of writing about it? An early directorial masterpiece by Ronald Neame, Clifton Webb giving a nuanced performance that starts out with his supercilious star character in full bloom that gradually descends into humility, an emotional good-girl role for Gloria Grahame, stunning black-and-white photography by Oswald Morris.... I look desperately for something slighting to say, and the only things I can think of is that London looks far too neat and clean for a city in which German bombers can be heard overhead as they solemnly dress the dead man, and the casting of Clifton Webb in the lead role.... and he performs magnificently. Subsequent revelations have revealed that Ian Fleming had a hand in Operation Mincemeat. Perhaps there's a hint of him in Robert Flemyng's character, who is said to "cut a swath through the typing pool."

All the other reviews have pretty much said all the reasons I enjoy this WWII thriller that 'goes down' like a crime caper movie. I especially appreciated a young Stephen Boyd playing a Nazi agent. Clifton Webb uses his theatrical expertise as always to deliver a crisp, effective performance. He was never a 'cinematic' actor and his roles and manner are always filmed 'theatrically' (think Laura). One baffling flaw in this film that you 'can't unsee'. Gloria Grahame gives a quite adequate performance but through much of the film her face looks as though it were glazed like a donut. A shiny wet look in scene after scene that totally weirds me out. This is in an era when a woman would go to the powder room if her nose was a little shiny. How did this get by the director, makeup artists and certainly Gloria herself who was VERY conscious of her image. It is not a little shiny, she looks WET.

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.

Interesting, absorbing tale based on an actual British Intelligence operation during World War II. The casting (Clifton Webb is perfect in the lead role) was top notch, and the impeccable attention to even minor details was extraordinary. A fan of 'blood and guts' movies would be well advised to look elsewhere...this well-crafted little gem is for the connoisseur. Stephen Boyd gave a very good performance as an Irish secret agent working for the Nazis. In several scenes, he could barely contain his contempt for the English people he encountered during his mission in London. At one point, after setting himself up for capture by counter-intelligence agents, he awaits their arrival with his Luger pistol, obviously hoping for a bloody showdown, and when the agents fail to appear, he is both relaxed and also angry at not getting to kill anyone. Subtle, yet amazing. 9 out of 10.

This is a great movie about WWII. I know we don't have scenes of battles and violence, but maybe this is one of this movie's advantages. I don't think blood and shots are really necessary to make a film about a war. Wars are not only made of guns and soldiers, but also of officers who make plans and articulate attacks while they're in secret rooms using every kind of ways to confuse the enemy. In this movie it is decided that British forces would use a corpse with false documents attracting Nazis attention to Greece while the Allied Forces would land in Italy. Easy, but fascinating plot! Watch it! My rate 8/10