THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS

UK, 1956, 103 minutes, Colour.
Clifton Webb, Gloria Grahame, Robert Flemyng, Josephine Griffin, Stephen Boyd, Laurence Naismith, Geoffrey Keen, Cyril Cusack, Andre Morell, Michael Hordern, Joan Hickson.
Directed by Ronald Neame.

The Man Who Never Was is a very entertaining World War Two story. It is the story of a hoax perpetrated by the British High Command to deceive the Germans about activities in 1943, especially an invasion of Sicily.

Clifton Webb portrays Lieutenant- Commodore Ewan Montagu, who was in charge of the project (and the real Montagu has a small role in the film). American star Gloria Grahame was brought in as a support but the rest of the cast is English and Irish, especially Stephen Boyd, in an early role, as the traitor.

The film was directed by Ronald Neame, a cinematographer for many years, especially with David Lean. However, he began directing British films in the 1950s with such films as The Card and The Horse’s Mouth. Ten years later he was in Hollywood with Gambit. He also directed the big-budget features The Poseidon Adventure, The Odessa File and Meteor.

The film is low-key in many ways – but has some suspense and is an interesting variation on espionage themes.

1. What was the impact of this film in its time? Ten years after the war? What is the impact now? Is the same kind of interest raised in the plot? does the film deem dated or not?

2. The significance and tone of the title? The expectations? The portrayal of the man on the shore at the beginning and the end? The significance of the poem?

3. How credible was the plot? Was it portrayed realistically? Did the audience respond to the realism and the credibility of such an extraordinary story?

4. How interesting was the portrayal of war intelligence work? The details of planning, ingenuity, the strange origins of ideas, the risks of failure, the purpose of such plans, the detailed operation, the incidents and accidents occurring?

5. Comment on the film as a war film. The issues of enmity? the clarity of purpose for intelligence people, the role of Churchill and his ideal and morale boosting for the war? The war dramatic, impact, espionage, war themes?

6. How interestingly portrayed was Montague? Was he a conventional war hero? The presentation of his skill, aplomb, success? The final scene of his decoration and his placing the medal on the grave? Did the portrayal give insight into this kind of officer?

7. How good was the support given to Montague by his assistant officer? by Pam? British efficiency? Ingenuity? The repercussions on both of these people as the plot went on?

8. How well integrated into the plot was Lucy, Gloria Grahame's style? The loser type? The device of introducing her as Pam's friend, her usefulness for the dictation of the letter, the coincidence of her boyfriend's death when the spy tested her? How did this add to the dramatic impact of the film? Giving it suspense and the personal touch?

9. The picture of espionage: the German intelligence, the counterpart of the British, their testing of the authenticity of the letters, their skill in opening the letters and resealing them (the humour of the British discovery of this)? the espionage network, the taxi driver in London, the Irish spy and his motivation, his skill in finding out information and evaluating it? the danger and his willingness to risk imprisonment? The confrontation with the shop assistant, the naval club, with Pam and Lucy? The suspense surrounding the decision to let him go? Was this the right decision?

10. How valuable was the film in the details of its plot, the meticulous following of the execution of the plot, the visualizing of the effects?

11. The importance of the sequence of finding the body, and the agreement with Montague and the father? The importance of the burial at sea, the burial in Spain? Did the father make the right decision in allowing the son's body to be used?

12. How interesting a film was this as regards intelligence work, right and wrong, patriotism?