Who Was That Lady? (1960)

Ill-advised by a pal, a chemistry professor falsely claims he is an undercover FBI agent in order to cover-up his marital infidelity but his lie, although swallowed by his wife, gets him in trouble with the real FBI, the CIA and the KGB.

Director:

George Sidney

Writers:

Norman Krasna (play), Norman Krasna

Stars:

Tony Curtis, Dean Martin, Janet Leigh

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Tony Curtis	...	David Wilson
Dean Martin	...	Michael Haney
Janet Leigh	...	Ann Wilson
James Whitmore	...	Harry Powell
John McIntire	...	Bob Doyle
Barbara Nichols	...	Gloria Coogle
Larry Keating	...	Parker
Larry Storch	...	Orenov
Simon Oakland	...	Belka
Joi Lansing	...	Florence Coogle
Barbara Hines	...	Foreign Exchange Student
Marion Javits	...	Miss Mellish
Mike Lane	...	Glinka (as Michael Lane)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pamela Curran

Storyline

In order to get back into the good graces with his wife with whom he has had a misunderstanding, a young chemistry professor concocts a wild story that he is an undercover FBI agent. To help him with his story he enlists the aid of a friend who is a TV writer. The wife swallows the story and later real FBI agents and enemy spies become involved in the scheme.

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Plot Keywords:

real life husband and wife play husband and wife | chinese restaurant | foreign exchange student | spy | question in title | 

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Taglines:

The most outrageously funny movie you'll see in 1960.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Certain elements of the plot resemble True Lies, in which Jamie Lee Curtis becomes involved with government agents without knowing her husband is really a spy. In this movie, Janet Leigh becomes involved with government agents while thinking her husband (Tony Curtis) works for the FBI, even though he doesn't. And by a strange coincidence, Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis.

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Goofs

The morning after the restaurant, when David tries to tell Ann he is not really in the F.B.I., Ann's hands are on either side of David's neck. In the next shot, her hands are folded over each other at the back of his neck.

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Quotes

Michael Haney: [pointing to a pair of voluptuous dames] Get a load of how those girls are assembled...

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Crazy Credits

Tony Curtis physically rips the title off the screen.

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Connections

Features The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958)

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Soundtracks

Who Was That Lady?
by Sammy Cahn & Jimmy Van Heusen (as James Van Heusen)
Sung by Dean Martin
Capitol Records

User Reviews

Fast and frothy comedy of mistaken identity

When Janet Leigh interrupts assistant chemistry professor husband Tony Curtis at work she finds him in the arms of a female student ,and promptly sets about leaving him and petitioning for divorce .He turns in desperation to his friend -a TV scriptwriter played by Dean Martin.Together they concoct a story that he is an FBI agent whose romantic activity was all in the line of duty .Somewhat implausibly she believes the far fetched tale and the marriage is once again set fair.Or it would be but for unexpected complications--the real FBI are not amused by the deception;Martin siezes upon the deception as a cover for his serial womanising and some foreign spies believe Curtis and Martin may have secrets they can use.It builds to a frantic climax deep in the bowels of the Empire State Building, The movie has pace and this is what sustains interest for the script is pretty feeble -thin to the point of anorexia.The movie zips along briskly enough to paper over the cracks in the script and while rarely laugh out loud this is a genial and engaging comedy very much of its period in its attitudes to women who are here confined to domesticity and looking good.

Strong performances all round with James Whitmore especially good as an ulcer ridden FBI man and John mcIntyre as his superior.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 1960 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Irresistível Tentação

Filming Locations:

33rd Street and 5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ansark-Sidney

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1