As the Nobel Prize winners come to Stockholm to receive their valuable awards . For some reason , this year's Nobel prize in literature has been awarded to the young author named Andrew Craig (Paul Newman) , who pretending to be a great seducer has fun by Stockholm nights . Another laureate results to be Dr. Max Stratman (Edward G Robinson) , the notorious German-American physicist who comes to Stockholm for the award ceremony with his young and beautiful niece Emily (Diane Baker) . The Foreign Department also assigns him a helper during his stay , the wonderful Miss Andersson (Elke Sommer) . Craig soon notices that Dr. Stratman is acting rarely , and he subsequently does not even recognize him , after that , he starts investigating . Once again our protagonist get an information that comes across something what place them in jeopardy and winds up being chased all over the town ; in addition , he shows up at a nudist meeting .
Tense/suspense/mystery abounds in this Hithcockian style thriller , in fact it bears a certain resemblance to ¨Torn curtain¨(1966) by Alfred Hitchcock , it combines the elements of spy-genre with romance , drama , comedy and pursuits . Concerning Stockholm's stay of some Nobel candidates , whose lives are disturbing , overturned and perturbed when a terrible event happens . This good thriller with all-star-cast made by a fine craftsman preys on the senses and keeps the suspense at feverish pitch . Newman is pretty good as the awarded writer who seems to be more interested in women and drinking than writing , he gives one of his most likeable interpretations , while falls for both , Emily nicely played by Diane Baker and Miss Andersson: gorgeous Elke Sommer . As the German Elke Somer plays the fiancée whose tidy life is disrupted when she becomes involved in the twisted caper . And top-drawer support cast , such as : Micheline Presle , Gérard Oury ,Sergio Fantoni , Kevin McCarthy , Sacha Pitoëf, Leo G. Carroll , Don Dubbins, Virginia Christine , Karl Swenson and many others .
By time the film and acting received negative reviews ; however , today is better considered. Colorful cinematography by William H. Daniel , habitual cameraman from Greta Garbo films and her main photographer . Special mention for the stirring and suspenseful musical score by the great Jerry Goldsmith .The motion picture was professionally directed by Mark Robson , though it has some flaws and gaps . In the early 40s Mark Robson was much involved with the low-budget terror unit in charge of producer Val Lewton , for whom made ¨Seventh victim¨, ¨The ghost ship¨, and ¨Island of the dead¨. In the late 1940s Robson joined Stanley Kramer's independent company and directed his biggest commercial hit to date with ¨The champion¨. Years later Robson made another good film about corruption in boxing world titled ¨The harder they fall¨ with Humphrey Bogart. In the late 1960s, his work did decline . And of course , ¨Von Ryan Express¨ was one of his best films ; this one is certainly one of the best movies ever made about the WWII escapes . And his last one was ¨Avalanche Express¨ turned out to be an unfortunate film in which Robson and his main star , Robert Shaw, died suddenly from heart attacks . Thanks to a top-notch cast , spectacular frames , tense images and action , all of them make this one a good effort of its kind . Rating : 6 . Acceptable and passable but no extraordinary .
