Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Dirk Bogarde | ... | Sir Mark Loddon / Frank Welney / Number Fifteen | |
Olivia de Havilland | ... | Lady Margaret Loddon | |
Paul Massie | ... | Jeffrey Buckenham | |
Robert Morley | ... | Sir Wilfred | |
Wilfrid Hyde-White | ... | Hubert Foxley (as Wilfrid Hyde White) | |
Anthony Dawson | ... | Gerald Loddon | |
Richard Wattis | ... | The Judge | |
![]() |
Richard Dimbleby | ... | Richard Dimbleby |
Martin Miller | ... | Dr. Schrott | |
Millicent Martin | ... | Maisie | |
![]() |
Toke Townley | ... | Associate |
![]() |
Deering Wells | ... | Editor |
Bill Shine | ... | The Guide | |
![]() |
Ivan Samson | ... | Admiral Loddon |
Sebastian Saville | ... | Michael Loddon |
A Canadian commercial pilot sees a telecast in London of an interview with Sir Mark Lodden (Sir Dirk Bogarde) at his home. The Canadian is convinced that the baronet is a fraud, that he is actually a look-alike actor named Frank Welney (Sir Dirk Bogarde). The Canadian, the baronet, and the actor were all prisoners in the same German camp during the war and escaped together. One of them disappeared during the escape. Was he Sir Mark or Welney? The tabloids have a field day with the Canadian's accusations, and Lady Margaret Lodden (Olivia de Havilland) urges her husband to sue for libel and engage the distinguished barrister Sir Wilfred (Robert Morley). The long drawn-out case is made complex by the fact that Sir Mark is not quite sure of his identity. Injured in the war, he stutters on occasion and has difficulty remembering portions of his life. As the evidence sways back and forth in court, it begins to appear that Sir Mark is an impostor and the possible murderer of the missing ... Written by alfiehitchie
This film seems to be based on the true story of Martin Guerre, the sixteenth century Frenchman who went off to war and came back a changed man. Some of these changes turned out to be so great that his neighbors suspected it wasn't really Martin. It turned out they were right; it was an impostor, Arnaud du Tilh, so clever he even fooled Martin's wife. The real Martin eventually showed up and Arnaud confessed his crime. IN 192 the story was made into a film starring Gerard Depardieu as Arnaud. American audiences will be more familiar with Sommersby (1993), an adaptation of the same story starring Jodie Foster and Richard Gere, set after the American Civil War.