Mies, jota ei ollutkaan (1956) User Reviews

excellent World War II drama

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 23 April 2006]

"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.

To Fool The Axis...

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 6 May 2006]

This film is an example that occasionally truth can be stranger than fiction. Ewen Montague, an officer in the British military intelligence in World War II, was aware that unless something was done to reduce the defenses that the German and their Italian allies set up in Sicily the Allied assault on the island (which we would observe close up in the movie PATTON) would be a bloody fiasco that might set back the Allied war effort in Europe. The key to it would be to convince the Germans that if an attack was being planned it was being planned for another part of the European continent. Montague was sharp enough to formulate a daring scheme - and this film shows that formulation, the care and planning needed to pull it off, and how it succeeded in fooling the Nazis.

Montague's scheme is to deposit the corpse of an R.A.F. officer off the coast of Spain, still attached to a briefcase full of "invasion plan" documents - except the plans are not for the area of Italy or Sicily but for France. He reasons that the Fascist Franco regime in Spain will be very willing to allow the Nazis to read the secret papers (or copies of them). The trick is to find a corpse that will look like it died violently in battle and can fool the enemy, and that enough "details" regarding the "dead officer" can be verified by Nazi agents in Britain to make the Germans believe the corpse is genuine and not a plant.

So we watch Clifton Webb as Montague (in a rare straight dramatic part - well acted by the way) consult with specialists, including Andre Morell as the famous British Home Office pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury*. A good corpse is selected, and the right amount of proper personal items put into his military tunic and overcoat (including even a restaurant bill for the previous night before his death). When all is ready, the corpse is dumped off the coast of Spain by submarine. And then Montague and British Intelligence sit back and watch what happens, crossing their fingers that the scheme works.

Stephen Boyd (three years from his performance as Messala in BEN HUR) plays an Irishman who is spying for the Nazis, and who eventually discovers that the "corpse" is the genuine article. The result is that the Nazis weakened their defenses in Sicily sufficiently to allow the Allies to show up and (despite the Patton-Montgomery rivalry) retake the island in the first major defeat the Germans had of European conquered territory. A fascinating story well told - and as I said, true despite being so improbable.

*Sir Bernard's career as the leading British Criminal trial pathologist (from the Crippen Case in 1910 to the De Antiquis Case in 1947) was never given a movie treatment. Occasionally he is mentioned, as in UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS in one episode when Edward (Christopher Beeney) is reading a newspaper in 1925 about the "Crowsborough" Murder - the trial of Norman Thorne - and feels that "Sir Bernard will see it through!" Actually, that was one of Spilsbury's most controversial cases. He does deserve a Masterpiece Theater series about his life, which ended in 1947 with his tragic suicide.

A 'Hail Mary' Intelligence Gambit

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 20 October 2007]

It's around Labor Day of 1943, the Afrika Korps has been kicked out of North Africa, what to do next for the Allies. In point of fact the next logical thing to do was what was done, invade Sicily and clear the route to the Suez Canal and take the pressure of the embattled British forces in Malta.

But there were policy differences because Americans wanted a cross channel invasion back then as the quickest way to defeat Hitler. So the Germans did in fact have to be vigilant on all fronts.

The Man Who Never Was is a true story on a particular intelligence gambit that was tried. A dead body was washed up in neutral, but Axis led Spain. A body selected for the occasion and dropped deliberately by the British showing alternate plans to the Axis.

Not being complete dummies the Germans naturally think to check it out and they send an agent in, a Nazi sympathizer from Ireland played by Stephen Boyd.

The whole idea was cooked up by Admiral Ewen Montagu played here by Clifton Webb who drops his usual acerbic manner and delivers a very good performance against type. Boyd's no fool and it becomes a battle of wits when the Allies learn of his presence in London.

In fact a certain sad, but serendipitous event in the life of Gloria Grahame who is Webb's secretary's roommate plays a key role in the proceedings.

The Man Who Never Was is a very good wartime espionage drama that still holds up very well for today's audience.

Very Interesting & Well-Crafted Story Of World War II Intrigue

[Snow Leopard · 17 January 2006]

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.

Interesting spy drama

[mermatt · 20 November 2000]

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.

Perfect Webb in near-perfect film

[aromatic-2 · 10/10 · 22 May 2000]

Gripping in its adherance to detail, this film casts every role perfectly. The always underrated Gloria Grahame lends the film an unexpected emotional pop, and all others are perfectly in character in executing a complex plan. This movie demands its audience's attention and plays to your intelligence. In other words, it would never be made today! Well worth seeing.

Very professionally done!

[JBThackery · 9/10 · 20 April 2006]

The story is true, which gives it power and makes it more interesting. But what really captivated me was the utterly superb directing. Each scene is so well balanced, and then flows with such continuity into the next, and on and on. You almost feel as if you are right there witnessing it all.

But that's not all. The lighting, color, props, nuances, everything in the film, are in perfect harmony at all times. But what of the actors? They indeed render excellent performances. But they, too, are so masterfully directed, they never fail in conveying the mood and tone, even the undertone, from start to finish.

Then Gloria Grahame has a weepy scene where she evolves ever so masterfully from recall of emotional trauma, to reliving the trauma, to gradually bringing out true tears at the most perfect "rate of flow." I have never seen better crying! Knowing that she has also played light comedy reveals even deeper dimensions of her acting ability, to see her go from straight-faced to really weeping, then genuine prolonged sobbing.

Even if the story were not captivating, the directing and photography will catch your eye and you will not be able to flip the channel until this production masterpiece is over.

Cerebral...yet very interesting

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 18 November 2009]

This movie is based on the book--a true account of a British plan to fool the Germans before the invasion of Sicily in 1943. A couple British officers have come up with an interesting idea--fool the Germans into anticipating an invasion of Greece instead in order to divert the German defenses on the wrong anticipated target. In order to do so, they take a man who recently died from pneumonia and dress him up in an officer's uniform complete with phony orders for the invasion of Greece. Then, the body is pushed out of a sub off the coast of Spain in the hope that the pro-German Spanish government passes this false information to the Nazis.

However, while the Germans do assume that the body and secrets on him are genuine, they need to be sure, so they send an Irish agent into Britain to trace the comings and goings of the dead man--to see if he is real and recognized by those who he should have some in contact with before his death. And, if the spy cannot confirm that the dead man is genuine, then the British ruse will be a failure.

The film is very taut and well-written throughout. However, unlike the typical war film, there is no fighting or killing in this film--it's more a spy film than anything else. The acting is very good and despite Clifton Webb being an American, his lovely diction and accent appear decent enough for his role an an Englishman. It's funny, but when I first heard Stephen Boyd in the film, I thought to myself "wow...he's really bad at faking Irish accents". Then, when I checked IMDb, I noticed that he really was Irish. So much for my impressions of how well actors approximate accents!! A very, very good war film--one not to be missed.

Interesting!

[Emerenciano · 7/10 · 16 July 2002]

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

A true-story war film that finds its mark

[BlueGuild · 9/10 · 15 October 2005]

As the North African campaign of WWII drew to a close it became obvious that the Allies next move would be to invade Sicily. A deception was therefore needed to try to lure away some of the German defences. Inter-services "XX Committee" (XX for double-cross) members Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu, and Squadron Leader Sir Archibald Cholmondley hatched the then unheard of plan of planting a body in the sea off Spain where prevailing currents would surely carry it inshore to the Huelva region, known to be the territory of one of the Nazis' best Spanish agents. The body, dressed as a major in the Royal Marines and apparently killed in a plane crash, would be carrying supposedly top secret documents aimed at convincing any reader that the invasion target was not Sicily at all, but Greece. Montagu himself plays a cameo role in the film as an Air Marshall.

The leading role of Montagu is played by Clifton Webb, utterly credible as a British naval officer, while Robert Flemyng, who had himself served conspicuously in WWII and who was awarded the Military Cross and Order of The British Empire, takes on the role of his junior assistant, a composite role based partly on Cholmondley's real-life character and partly on Montagu's real-life assistant.Together they must procure a body that will pass a medical examination to determine the cause of death and they must also create a personality and a past life and history for this man.

This is a true-story that avoids battle scenes and big bangs. There are no special effects. It describes a war of stealth and cunning and the cat and mouse game of espionage. It is an atmospheric suspense thriller with Stephen Boyd very effective as the determined Axis agent, Patrick O'Reilly, sent in from Ireland to verify the existence and past life of this man who never was. While the soundtrack is one of Alan Rawsthorne's (The Cruel Sea) better scores, it is nevertheless immediately recognizable as being one of his haunting compositions, unfortunately sounding so much like all his others. It is ably directed by the great and sometimes under-rated Ronald Neame. It is beautifully filmed, as are all of former-cameraman Neame's pictures. The voice of Churchill is provided by the young Peter Sellers who, at that time in 1956, was establishing his versatility and making a name for himself in the BBC radio comedy, "The Goon Show".

20th Century Fox's DVD video and sound quality are excellent, as would be expected in the studio release of one of their own productions.

A worthy and entertaining addition to any WWII film collection and if it gives you an appetite for a more in-depth recounting of the true story, Ewan Montagu's 1953 book is still available in both the hardback and paperback editions.

How the smallest devotion makes a war turn, slightly, the right way

[secondtake · 7/10 · 4 December 2010]

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.

Based on a true story, and very well done

[jsprine-2 · 19 January 2001]

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.

Dead men can tell tales

[Spondonman · 9/10 · 29 September 2007]

I've seen the beginning and ending of this maybe 10 times over 30 years, tonight was the first time I've seen it all. And it's well worth seeing in full!

Based on a true story of WW2 plot by British intelligence to fool the Nazis into thinking they were about to invade Greece instead of Sicily by letting them find a dead man with information to that effect. The meticulous plan instigated and carried out by Lieutenants Clifton Webb and Robert Flemyng is beautiful to watch unfolding, every move logically thought out in second guessing what the baddies would think and do. Favourite bits: glamorous and shiny but distraught Gloria Grahame's unforeseen prowess as a love-letter composer; Webb in the hospital asking the father's permission to use his son's body and the poignant conclusion; Nazi agent Stephen Boyd's many attempts to rumble them all. Surely secretary Josephine Griffin might have given the game away if Boyd had seen her handwriting of his address was the same as the dead man's love-letter?

All told, a great British war film with a fascinating non-violent story well told and no gimmickry – most refreshing!

One Annoying, Baffling Flaw

[poetcomic1 · 8/10 · 30 November 2019]

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.

Fascinating Sleeper!

[ka9fdv · 8/10 · 29 January 2006]

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.

" Operation Mincemeat Swallowed Whole "

[PamelaShort · 8/10 · 9 November 2013]

I really enjoyed and appreciated this excellent film, that is based on a true British disinformation plan during W W II, code named Operation Mincemeat. The plan by British Intelligence was to deceive the German high command into thinking the Allied invasion of Sicily would take place elsewhere. The successful hoax was achieved by attaching " Top Secret " documents on a corpse deliberately left to wash up on a beach in Spain. This intriguing story is well played out in fine detail, in " The Man Who Never Was, " with the screenplay staying close to the truth, along with the addition of some well placed fiction, for example the Irish spy in the film is a complete fabrication. Stephen Boyd plays the part of Patrick O'Reilly the fictitious spy, while the real Ewen Montagu declared that he was happy with the fictitious incidents which, although they didn't happen, might have happened. Clifton Webb was an outstanding choice for the role of British Navy Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu, who is fully involved in the cunning scheme to fool the Nazis. Webb's performance brings this most absorbing historical story to life. It is also interesting to note that the real Ewen Montagu has a cameo role in the film of an air-vice marshal who has doubts about the feasibility of the proposed plan. It was described as a "surreal" moment when the real Montagu addresses his fictional persona, played by Webb. Gloria Graham gives a fine, strong emotional performance in her role as Lucy Sherwood, a woman who unexpectedly becomes part of the plot. All the supporting actors give very adequate performances, in this well done, worth watching wartime drama, a film that has passed the test of time.

New Information Available

[monticellomeadow · 8/10 · 13 September 2010]

There is a book out this year (2010) by Ben Macintyre that sheds new light on Operation Mincemeat, based on some declassified documents. The movie does a good job of portraying the story for the screen. Macintyre reveals that the "body" that was dumped in the sea was a young impoverished Welsh coal minor who, either as suicide or out of hunger, ate some rat poison spread on bread in a London tenement as a vermin trap. When the body was recovered by the Spanish fisherman, the "papers" were almost given back to the British. They had to fabricate radio traffic on "compromised" lines to draw the attention of the Germans to the documents. "Oh, yoo-hoo! Look over here!" Lastly, the "papers" had the good fortune to fall into the hands of a Colonel in German intelligence who was a member of the German Resistance. He doubted their authenticity, but sold the Nazi hierarchy on their genuineness. He was hung by the SS in July of 1944 after the failed plot against Hitler.

Just some interesting historical amplification for a fine 50-year old movie.

Historians should love this one !

[chasmilt777 · 9/10 · 10 November 2005]

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.

Excellent to Watch

[nicholas.rhodes · 9 May 2004]

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.

A Few Admiring Thoughts On A Classic

[boblipton · 8/10 · 15 April 2020]

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."

To win by brain,imagination and coincidence

[goodjob · 10/10 · 8 August 2004]

It was 46 years ago that I have seen this movie and I still can close my eyes and see many of its pictures. The scene where the body of a dead Londoner who died of phenomena, so his corps was suit to be presented as a drowned pilot, submerging from a submarine on a beach in Spain. The scene of the German spy hand on the Morse-code key who is as straggling in making the right decision. The scene in which the car suddenly stopped in the middle of London's traffic for a brain storming session where Clifton Webb who is playing Commander Ewen Montague is in his best. >From the many movies about events at WWII it is one that stacked long in mind as it dealt in the quality of the gray matter of the counterintelligence and not about the brutality of the war. It is a masterpiece when the director, Ronald Neame, was able to inflict the emotionally pain of war in that one scene where coincidently the German spy get a real verification about the staged event. Recommended even 46 years later.

Smoothly Intriguing

[dougdoepke · 25 May 2013]

British Intelligence crafts a plan to use a dead body to mislead German Intelligence on plans to invade southern Europe.

The movie amounts to a meticulous account of a British ruse to fool the Germans during WWII. Ordinarily, such a detailed narrative would be taxing, but not so here. Deceiving the Nazis requires maximum planning, no loose threads allowed. Thus we're drawn into the process of making sure no risk of exposure is left uncovered. After all, the lives of thousands of Allied troops are at stake.

At first I thought the Gloria Grahame role (Lucy) was just an add-on for marquee purposes, but her thread is cleverly woven into the success of the overall plan. In fact, she has the only really dramatic role in the film. On the other hand, Clifton Webb gives a carefully controlled, quite persuasive performance as the plan's no-nonsense mastermind. Except for Grahame's two key emotional scenes, however, acting is secondary to the unfolding narrative. Story here is paramount, thanks to Ronald Neame's smooth direction. Has British Naval Intelligence in fact covered all possible slip-ups, or will Nazi agent (Boyd) manage to find a hole in the plan. All in all, it's an intriguing storyline based on a true WWII episode.

"Last night I dreamed a deadly dream"

[tomsview · 10/10 · 29 February 2016]

Of all the war movies I remember seeing back in the 50's, this one had a haunting quality - it still does.

This is as classy a piece of filmmaking to come from the 1950's and was head-and-shoulders over many of the war films made at the time. The story tells how at a critical time in WW2, British Naval officer, Ewan Montagu (Clifton Webb), developed a plan to fool the Nazis into believing the Allies were about to attack Greece instead of Sicily. It entailed allowing a dead body dressed as an officer carrying false papers to drift ashore in Spain, which although neutral was full of Nazi spies.

The basic story is true, but the movie threw in fictional elements including a romantic subplot involving Gloria Grahame, and another with Stephen Boyd as an Irish spy sent to check the identity of the body. The extra scenarios helped give the film depth and tension.

Overriding everything however is the ominous mood that starts with the opening scene as the body washes ashore, and the resonant voice of a narrator speaking lines from a 500-year-old ballad "The Battle of Otterburn":

"Last night I dreamed a deadly dream, beyond the Isle of Sky, I saw a dead man win a fight, and I think that man was I."

Alan Rawsthorne's haunting score heightens the eeriness of that opening scene. His music was used judiciously throughout the film, but it would have been a different movie without it.

There are a number of memorable scenes in the film: dressing the body during the bombing raid; the submariners reading a service before releasing the body; Montagu visiting the grave at the end; but the most telling of all is when Montagu asks a father if he may use his son's body for a purpose that is so secret that he can't tell him why.

A powerful theme running through the film is that the identity of the dead man was never to be revealed, and that the body is to be treated with as much respect as possible.

50 years later, documents were uncovered that revealed his identity and his name - in many ways an even sadder story than in the film; he was homeless, abandoned and unclaimed.

Clifton Webb gave a brilliant performance as a very precise Englishman - with little of his trademark snobbishness, but Stephen Boyd just about steals the show as a handsome, charming Irishman who has no qualms about helping the Nazis if it means damaging the British hold on Ireland.

As I sat as a 9-year old in my suburban cinema seat in 1956 watching all that calm stoicism, superior ingenuity, perfect discipline and belief in a just cause unfold on the screen, I knew why our side had won the war.

"The Man Who Never Was" is a fascinating movie on many levels.

Intriguing espionage drama about a secret plan during World War II...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 7 November 2006]

In 1943, planning the invasion of Sicily, CLIFTON WEBB devises a plan to throw off the enemy about an invasion by planting a dead body adrift in the sea, with false papers which will lead the enemy to a wrong conclusion about the Allies' plans.

Based on a true story, the plan is carried out with meticulous precision right down to the last detail. But then the unexpected happens. The Germans are suspicious of the ease with which they come into possession of what they have to make sure are genuine documents. They immediately draw up plans of their own by sending an emissary (STEPHEN BOYD) assigned to spy on the dead man's existence in London to determine whether or not he really exists.

The film maintains a crisp command of suspense throughout, with good central performances from CLIFTON WEBB and GLORIA GRAHAME, as well as STEPHEN BOYD as the man who is eventually led to a false conclusion by the ingenuity of Webb who avoids falling into a trap.

Summing up: Good story, fine performances and interesting espionage plot which is not overly complicated, the way spy stories often are.