Mirage (1965)

An accountant suddenly suffers from amnesia. This appears related to the suicide of his boss. Now some violent thugs are out to get him. They work for a shadowy figure known simply as The Major.

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Peter Stone (screenplay), Howard Fast (novel) (as Walter Ericson)

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Diane Baker, Walter Matthau

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gregory Peck	...	David Stillwell
Diane Baker	...	Shela
Walter Matthau	...	Ted Caselle
Kevin McCarthy	...	Sylvester Josephson
Jack Weston	...	Lester
Leif Erickson	...	Major Crawford Gilcuddy
Walter Abel	...	Charles Stewart Calvin
George Kennedy	...	Willard
Robert H. Harris	...	Dr. Augustus J. Broden
Anne Seymour	...	Mrs. Frances Calvin
House Jameson	...	Bo (as House B. Jameson)
Hari Rhodes	...	Lt. Franken
Syl Lamont	...	Benny
Eileen Baral	...	Irene
Neil Fitzgerald	...	Joe Turtle

Storyline

Walking down twenty-seven flights of stairs after the power goes out in the New York City office building he is in, David Stillwell emerges outside on the ground level to find that a man he didn't know either jumped or was pushed out a window to his death. That man was Charles Calvin, the head of Unidyne, a humanitarian organization that works toward world peace. David notices other unusual goings-on. What he considers his normal routine that others he knows should recognize, don't. People that he doesn't know seem to know him, such as the beautiful young woman with who he walked down the stairs but who ran off when they got to the bottom. And things that he thought he saw or thought he knew end up not being the case, such as the multiple sub-basement levels he thought were in that office building which don't seem to exist in the clear light of day. When he finally thinks about it, he believes he has some form of amnesia. As an example, he knows that he works as a cost accountant, but...

---

Plot Keywords:

amnesia | paranoia | hitchcockian | scientist | conspiracy | 

---

Taglines:

Is The Key In His Mind...Or In Her Arms?

---

Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1965 (UK)

Also Known As:

Espejismo

Filming Locations:

Battery Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Leslie Caron wrote in her book "Thank Heaven" that Universal offered her the film with Gregory Peck. But her then boyfriend, Warren Beatty, who was controlling her life, made her refuse it. Later she regretted declining the part, as she would have loved to make a film with Mr. Peck, with whom she became friends later on.

---

Quotes

David Stillwell: Hello, Eddie. The usual, I guess.
Eddie - Bartender: The usual?
David Stillwell: Scotch and lemon peel...
Eddie - Bartender: That'll be 90 cents. I said, that'll be 90 cents.

---

Connections

Remade as Jigsaw (1968)

User Reviews

Brilliant Masterpiece

I have seen this movie several times and always enjoyed it. Not only are the actors outstanding, the whole movie is just perfect. Dmytryk did a great job and the atmosphere is fascinating, no wonder since it is filmed in black and white. I couldn't imagine it in color! The story is very puzzling at first and you are trying to find out what really happened just like the protagonist. But with every minute you are coming closer to the solution in a very enchaining way. The big showdown at the end is worth watching several times. Peck, Matthau, McCarthy and the rest did a very good job and made this picture a very enjoyable and interesting experience. It is one of my all-time favorites.