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IMDbPro

The Spy Who Never Was

Original title: Tod eines Fremden
  • 19761976
  • PGPG
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
83
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
138,073
3,253
Jason Robards in The Spy Who Never Was (1976)
Drama
A diabolical tale of romance, murder, and mistaken identity as a treacherous terrorist organization hunts an enemy agent with the intention of killing him, but instead they set their sights ... Read allA diabolical tale of romance, murder, and mistaken identity as a treacherous terrorist organization hunts an enemy agent with the intention of killing him, but instead they set their sights on the wrong man. Left in the wake of their mistaken pursuit is a trail of broken lives an... Read allA diabolical tale of romance, murder, and mistaken identity as a treacherous terrorist organization hunts an enemy agent with the intention of killing him, but instead they set their sights on the wrong man. Left in the wake of their mistaken pursuit is a trail of broken lives and brutal murders.
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
83
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
138,073
3,253
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Directors
      • Reza Badiyi
      • Uri Massad
    • Writers
      • Carjen Alexis
      • Paul Hengge(story)
    • Stars
      • Hardy Krüger
      • Jason Robards
      • Gila Almagor
    Top credits
    • Directors
      • Reza Badiyi
      • Uri Massad
    • Writers
      • Carjen Alexis
      • Paul Hengge(story)
    • Stars
      • Hardy Krüger
      • Jason Robards
      • Gila Almagor
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos

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    Top cast

    Edit
    Hardy Krüger
    Hardy Krüger
    • Arthur Hersfeld
    Jason Robards
    Jason Robards
    • Inspector Barkan
    Gila Almagor
    Gila Almagor
    • Amina
    Haim Bashi
    • Youseff
    Mike Burstyn
    Mike Burstyn
    • Uri
    Peter Capell
    Peter Capell
    • Mahmoud
    Eva Christian
    Eva Christian
    • Karin
    Eli Cohen
    Eli Cohen
    • Raz
    Sabi Dorr
    • Rauf
    • (as Sabi Dor)
    Blandine Ebinger
    Blandine Ebinger
    Dudu Elharar
    • Halil
    • (as David El-Harrar)
    Youseff Farrah
    • Amir
    Georg Hartmann
    • Taxi Driver
    Michael Hinz
    Michael Hinz
    • Martin
    Efrat Lavie
    Efrat Lavie
    • Ronit
    Peter Neusser
    • Inspector
    Jörg Pleva
    • Zui Adam
    Arieh Sachs
    • Naftali
    • Directors
      • Reza Badiyi
      • Uri Massad
    • Writers
      • Carjen Alexis
      • Paul Hengge(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      This film was made in 1973 but wasn't released in the U.S. until 1976, likely due to Jason Robards' high profile in connection with his Oscar winning role in "All The Presidents Men."

    User reviews3

    Review
    Top review
    All I have left is hate! Please don't that that away from me!
    ***SPOILERS*** Slow boring and disjointed spy thriller with Jason Robards Jr who's between or just finished making the film "All the Presidents Men" as tough as well as handicapped,he walks with a crutch, Isreali anti-terrorist inspector Barken. Inspector Barken is barking up the wrong tree in him trying to track down an Arab terrorist ring in Jerusalem if he thinks that Jewish/German corporate lawyer Arthur Hersfeld, Hardy Kruger,is of any help in helping him get the job done. Robards to his credit kept himself scarce during most of the movie hoping that people watching it will by either falling asleep or walking out, before he comes on the scene, completely forget that he was ever in the movie!

    As for Hersfeld he gets involved with all this cloak & dagger stuff almost by accident when he's mistaken at the Hamburg Airport in being Israeli super spy Hurzog by the Arab terrorist waiting for him there in order to knock him off! We find out early in the movie that this Hurzog fellow in nothing but a fake or plant by the Israelis in order to draw the Arab terrorists out in the open and then have the Israeli Mossad and special forces finish them off.

    Kruger who looked and acted like he didn't really want to be in the film, even as its leading man, but needed the money does his best to be convincing as a man on the run from both the Arabs & Israelis. But he's so bad in doing it that he comes across as if he's gotten confused by getting off the wrong stop on his bus instead or running for his life with danger lurking in every twist and turn that he makes.

    We also get to see, with and without her clothes on, beautiful and deadly Gila Almagor as rich and spoiled as well as Arab terrorist diva or femme fatal Amina. It's Amina who ends up having an affair with the half Jewish and son of holocaust survivors Arthur Hersfeld who despite given order by her superiors in the terrorist organization to knock him off, in them thinking that he's Israeli super spy Hurzog, just can't bring herself to assassinate him.****SPOILER ALERT*** That's until he movie gets so boring and ridicules with Arthur or Hardy Kruger having difficulty keeping a straight face in the dialog he's been given that he's finally killed off, by Amina & friends, so that the audience, or whatever is left of it, can finally be speared any more suffering.

    P.S Check out little Jennifer Jason Leigh as the girl with the bouncing ball in her debut movie role.
    helpful•6
    1
    • sol-kay
    • Aug 7, 2011

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1976 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • West Germany
      • Israel
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Mad Killers
    • Production companies
      • Delta Commerz
      • Willy Gafni Ltd.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 53 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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