The Secret War of Harry Frigg * (1967, Paul Newman, John Williams, Sylva Koscina) – Classic Movie Review 5973

Director Jack Smight’s lame 1967 World War Two-set comedy does not prove a good idea for Paul Newman.

In a very rare misfiring performance, he does not impress at all as one-man army Private Harry Frigg, a humble soldier promoted to Major General through his skills as a guard house escapee to rescue a handful of allied generals captured by Italy’s Colonel Ferrucci (Vito Scotti).

The ever-likeable Newman is not helped by Peter Stone and Frank Tarloff’s struggling screenplay, Smight’s limp direction or unengaged Croatian leading lady Sylva Koscina as Countess Francesca De Montefiore, all of them at a loss. Britain’s John Williams is a bright spot as one of the generals. Universal’s jittery pre-release recutting does not improve matters.

Alas, it is notable as one of Newman’s few total flops of the Sixties, though it did OK at the box office, taking $3,500,000 in North America.

The five generals in question are Andrew Duggan as General Newton Armstrong, Tom Bosley as General Roscoe Pennypacker, John Williams as General Francis Mayhew, Charles Gray as General Adrian Cox-Roberts, and Jacques Roux as General Andre Rochambeau.

Also in the cast are Werner Peters, James Gregory, Norman Fell, Buck Henry, George Ives, Fabrizio Mioni, Johnny Haymer, Richard X Slattery and Horst Ebersberg.

It is shot in widescreen and Technicolor by Russell Metty, produced by Hal E Chester and scored by Carlo Rustichelli.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5973

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