The Double Man ** (1967, Yul Brynner, Britt Ekland, Clive Revill, Anton Diffring, Moira Lister, Lloyd Nolan) – Classic Movie Review 10,182

Director Franklin J Schaffner’s minor 1967 British spy thriller The Double Man stars Yul Brynner in two roles (high-ranking CIA widower Dan Slater and his lookalike enemy agent, Kalmar). A large part of the action takes place in the picturesque Austrian Alps.

Lured to Switzerland to investigate the supposedly accidental death of his son, CIA agent Slater (Brynner) finds that the son was killed and that the murder was just a trap designed to replace Slater with an evil double, part of an evil Russian plot.

Denys N Coop’s excellent Technicolor cinematography on location in Austria (as well as Associated British Studios in London) helps to make this a watchable espionage adventure. But it is a somewhat contrived, convoluted and violent Cold War mystery caper, one of the weaker, less memorable spy films of the Sixties.

However, there are a few thrills and surprises, Brynner plays both parts with style, and he is ably abetted by the capable turns from Britt Ekland as Gina, Clive Revill as Frank Wheatley, Anton Diffring as Berthold, Moira Lister as Mrs Carrington, Lloyd Nolan as Edwards and George Mikell as Max. And it is slickly handled by Schaffner.

Diffring replaced an actor who dropped out and has gratifyingly more to do than usual as Russian agent Colonel Berthold.

The screenplay by Frank Tarloff and Alfred Hayes is only very loosely based on the critically acclaimed 1958 novel Legacy of a Spy by Henry S Maxfield, with the new screen story carved out by Tarloff.

Also in the cast are David Bauer, Julia Arnall, Ronald Radd, Kenneth J Warren, David Healy, Carl Jaffe, Douglas Muir, George Mikell and Brandon Brady.

It is luxuriously produced by Hal E Chester, who died on 25 March 2012, age 91, in London. He started out as an actor (one of the East Side Kids).

It was premiered on 25 April 1967 in London.

The Double Man was a Warner Archive release on DVD in September 2019.

The Double Man is directed by Franklin J Schaffner, runs 105 minutes, is made by Albion Film Corp, is released by Warner Bros, is written by Frank Tarloff and Alfred Hayes, based on the novel Legacy of a Spy by Henry S Maxfield and the new screen story by Frank Tarloff, is shot by Denys N Coop, is produced by Hal E Chester and is scored by Ernie Freeman.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,182

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